Palisades Crime Dipped Last Year

Property and violent crimes in Pacific Palisades decreased two percent in 2007 from 2006, reflecting a citywide trend, according to Los Angeles Police Department records. Last year, violent crimes fell to 20 from 24 in 2006. The LAPD’s West L.A. Division recorded four ‘assaults with a deadly weapon’ and 15 robberies in the Palisades, but no rapes. One person was murdered here in 2007. As reported in the Palisadian-Post, police said that Alfred Deglaraza stabbed fellow transient Seth Grinspan, 46, to death below the Via de las Olas bluffs along Pacific Coast Highway on August 11. Deglaraza was later apprehended by police. There were no homicides recorded in 2006. There were 367 total property crimes last year, down from 372 during 2006. Burglary and ‘grand theft auto’ fell by 18 and seven percent, respectively. Despite the general trend downward in property crimes, theft from vehicles and general theft increased by nine and three percent, respectively. Last year’s small decrease in crime does not amount to any identifiable trend, according to LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore. ‘When you look at the difference, it’s only two percent [compared to 2006],’ Moore said. ‘It’s not a big difference. I’d like to say people are being more careful, but I think it was just the way the numbers went.’ The decrease in assaults with a deadly weapon was the result of increased police attention to homeless people in the Palisades, Moore said. ‘Last year, we put a lot of pressure on the homeless and the crimes they generate.’ The police officer urged local residents to take seriously the threat of crime. ‘Our job is to help fight crime, but it’s the community’s job to prevent it in the first place,’ Moore said. ‘This is probably the safest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles, but people still need to be cautious.’ Every category of serious crimes fell citywide in 2007, according to the police department. Homicides dropped 18 percent to 392, the lowest level since 1970. Rape decreased by 13.8 percent; robbery, 6.2 percent; aggravated assaults, 9.3 percent; burglary, 4.1 percent; car burglary, 0.2 percent; general theft, 6.1 percent; and auto theft, 8.3 percent. Police officials and city leaders have hailed the statistics as evidence of effective policing. ‘Thanks to the outstanding work of Chief [William] Bratton and the brave men and women of the LAPD, Los Angeles is bucking the national trends,’ said L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ‘The historic lows in crime is great news for our economy, our families and everyone who lives, works and plays in Los Angeles.’