CRIME RATE DOWN AT LAX FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
(Los Angeles, California – January 20, 2005) Law enforcement officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reported that violent crime dropped 62 percent and property crime dropped five percent last year – the fourth consecutive year of declining crime – even as passenger volumes increased approximately 10 percent. The number of arrests rose 33 percent.
The number of incidents of violent crime totaled eight in 2004 compared with 21 in 2003. Of the eight violent crimes reported last year, none were homicides and the one reported rape was said to have occurred off-airport with the assailant bringing the victim to the airport. Robberies declined to four last year from 10 in 2003. Aggravated assaults were down to three incidents from 11 the previous year.
“LAX continues to be one of the safest airports in the world, not to mention one of the safest areas in all of Southern California,” said Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Bernard J. Wilson. He attributed the results to continued crime prevention and law enforcement efforts, increased uniformed and plain-clothes officers and canines on patrol, crime trend analysis, and a comprehensive system of surveillance cameras.
Property crimes, which include theft from individuals, businesses and vehicles, constitute 99 percent of all significant crime. They decreased to 898 incidents in 2004 from 941 a year earlier. Burglaries from airport businesses dropped 17 percent to 15 incidents last year from 18 in 2003. Vehicle burglaries dropped by 25 percent to 101 incidents last year from 135 in 2003. Theft from motor vehicles dropped 11 percent to 50 incidents from 56 in 2003. Levels of property theft (theft from persons, petty and grand theft) decreased slightly to 712 incidents last year from 718 in 2003.
The crime statistics are compiled from reports filed by Los Angeles Airport Police and the Los Angeles Police Department substation at LAX. An estimated 61 million travelers used LAX in 2004, compared with 54.9 million in 2003. Including non-traveling visitors and airport workers, the total population of the airport in 2004 was estimated to be 140 million.
“A great majority of all property thefts at LAX are preventable ‘opportunity thefts,’ during which victims did not pay attention to their belongings or surroundings, did not lock doors or close windows after parking their vehicles, or left valuable items in plain view in parked vehicles,” said Police Chief Wilson. He added that during a follow-up effort that began in May 2004, police officers learned that 17 percent (or 88) of 507 property theft victims reported that their property was found in other belongings, or returned by the airlines or Airport Police Lost and Found. Police officers are continuing to call property theft victims to determine whether more property theft reports can be cleared.
Arrests rose 33 percent to 1,272 last year from 956 in 2003. In the airport environment, one arrest can lead to resolution of several crimes. For example, the recent arrest of a suspect who was viewed on the airport’s surveillance cameras during the time of a theft of an expensive name-brand luggage has lead to the discovery of a collection of other reported stolen items.
There were 7,440,825 vehicles parked in LAX’s Central Terminal Area and economy parking lots last year – an increase of 13 percent over the 6,566,228 vehicles parked in 2003. Of the vehicles parked, there were 20 auto thefts last year compared with 14 in 2003. Vehicle vandalism increased to 60 incidents last year from 54 in 2003. An estimated 25.1 million vehicles used the airport’s Central Terminal Area roadways last year.
Miscellaneous “other” offenses – the largest single statistical category – increased 37 percent to 1,463 incidents in 2004 from 1,067 in 2003 as a result of increased proactive enforcement and new federal passenger and checked-luggage screening measures. These types of offenses include doing business without a license, misusing a handicapped placard, loitering, disturbing the peace, forgery, credit card fraud, driving without a license or with a suspended license, and being drunk in public.
Law enforcement actions by the Airport Police Ground Transportation Enforcement Unit, which regulates commercial vehicles within the Central Terminal Area, resulted in the arrests of several “bandit” drivers operating illegally at LAX and the impoundment of 73 vehicles throughout the year. One arrest involved a “bandit” taxi driver, who was turned over to U.S. Customs & Border Protection after that agency identified him as an “undesirable” in the U.S.
Chief Wilson attributed much of a 49 percent increase in drug-related offenses (181 incidents last year from 121 in 2003) to enhanced passenger security screening procedures implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), including requiring passengers to remove jackets and other outerwear and pat-downs during secondary screening.
Also included in this miscellaneous category is the offense of attempting to carry a prohibited item aboard an aircraft – 327 incidents last year from 269 in 2003, or an increase of 21 percent. Weapons are not a part of this prohibited items category. Almost all of a total 77 weapons that were confiscated on airport property last year occurred at passenger security screening stations: 12 undeclared weapons, 53 illegal weapons and 12 guns. This compared with 49 weapons confiscated in 2003.
Finally, in the miscellaneous category was a 46 percent increase in reports of theft from checked luggage to 188 incidents last year from 129 in 2003, and a 25 percent increase to 95 incidents from 76 in 2003 of thefts aboard aircraft. Many of these reports are not specifically related to LAX and have been also reported to the airline and the TSA.
The statistics cover the 3,600 acres of LAX property, including passenger terminals, parking lots, ramps, cargo areas and offices.
