CRIME AT LAX CONTINUES DECLINE; ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENSES TRIPLE
(Los Angeles, California – January 27, 2000) Law enforcement officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) report that crime dropped 5.5 percent last year – the third year in a row of declining crime. Crimes against persons and property dropped by 146 to 2,491 in 1999 from 2,637 in 1998.
"LAX continues to be one of the safest airports in the world, as well as one of the safest areas in Southern California," said LAX Airport Police Chief Bernard J. Wilson. He added that serious crimes dropped even though more than 155 million passengers, visitors and employees came to LAX during 1999 – an increase of three million people over 1998.
Chief Wilson attributed the decrease in crime to continued crime prevention and law enforcement efforts, the addition of 30 police officers and 25 traffic officers, and an effective public safety awareness campaign. The added traffic officers allowed Airport Police to reassign police officers from traffic management duty to law enforcement and crime prevention efforts.
Property crimes constituted 70 percent of crimes reported. Airport Police posted a decline of 38 (or two percent) in property crimes to 1,752 in 1999 from 1,790 in 1998.
"Even with this decline, almost 90 percent of all property thefts continue to be what Airport Police classifies as ‘opportunity thefts,’ or preventable crimes," said Chief Wilson. "Most victims don’t watch their belongings or pay attention to their surroundings, or they leave valuables such as cellular phones in plain view in their parked vehicles."
Of the 9.8 million vehicles parked at LAX’s Central Terminal Area and remote parking lots, there were 104 auto thefts in 1999. This is an increase of 55 (or l12 percent) over the previous year. However, according to Chief Wilson, half of last year’s auto thefts were attributed to one person, whom Airport Police arrested after he stole 46 vehicles during the first six weeks of 1999. Upon release from jail six months later, the thief returned to LAX to steal again, and was again arrested. He is expected to serve a longer jail sentence this time. Almost all of the stolen vehicles were recovered.
Chief Wilson also said that Airport Police recovered several reported stolen vehicles in other parking structures. The owners had actually forgotten where they parked.
There were no homicides or rapes in 1999. There were 13 robberies, dropping by one from 14 the previous year. There was no change in assault-and-battery incidences of 123. Reports of assault with a deadly weapon increased by nine from 131 in 1998 to 140 in 1999.
Burglaries from airport businesses dropped by five (or 15 percent) to 28 in 1999 from 33 in 1998. Vehicle burglaries dropped by 83 (or 22 percent) to 297 in 1999 from 380 in 1998. Theft from motor vehicles dropped by 51 (or 38.6 percent) to 81 in 1999 from 132 in 1998. Vandalism dropped by 32 (or 29.6 percent) to 78 in 1999 from 108 in 1998.
In another related area, Airport Police’s own "sting" operations during 1999 to catch people who misuse handicapped placards contributed to an increase in reported administrative offenses. Administrative offenses tripled from 154 in 1998 to 465 in 1999. These types of offenses include doing business or making sales without a license; operating a for-hire vehicle without a permit; driving with suspended license; misuse of a handicapped placard; drug-related offenses; failure to obey a law enforcement or traffic officer; loitering; and drunk in public.
The statistics cover the 3,600 acres of LAX property, including passenger terminals, parking lots, ramps, cargo areas, and offices.
Airport Police crime reduction efforts continue to focus on four areas: uniformed and plain-clothes officers on patrol, good police work and crime trend analysis, a system of surveillance cameras known as the V-NET, and an on-going public safety awareness campaign.
