LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CONTINUES LOW CRIME LEVELS

      (Los Angeles, California – February 13, 2009)  Major crime continues to be almost non-existent at Los AngelesInternationalAirport (LAX).  In the category of Part-I Crime, which includes all major categories of crime against persons, there were five aggravated assaults reported in 2008, compared to four in 2007, while robberies remained the same at two incidents.  There were no homicides, rapes or kidnappings. 

      “The total of seven crimes-against-persons is remarkably low considering nearly 209,000 travelers, visitors and airport-wide workers pass through LAX on an average day,” said Airport Police Chief George R. Centeno.

      Reports of property crime, the more common type of crime at LAX that affects the quality of passengers’ experience at LAX, decreased 8.6 percent compared to 2007.

      According to Chief Centeno, much of the reduction in property crime incidents can be traced to an aggressive approach to patrol and undercover efforts directed specifically at crime problems as soon as they are recognized.  This has been made possible through a significant cooperative effort among Airport Police, the Los Angeles Police Department, airline operators and luggage vendors in monthly crime control meetings that highlight target areas.

      "We encourage and remind passengers to keep an especially close watch on their luggage when using telephones and restrooms,” advises Chief Centeno. “These are places where travelers are likely to become distracted.  It is our experience that many initial reports of loss are later determined to be items left behind by passengers in these areas and subsequently taken by opportunistic thieves.”

      One area of crime that increased in 2008 compared to 2007 was vandalism to vehicles.  Of the 7,605,190 vehicles parked in LAX parking lots and structures last year, there were 62 reports of vehicle vandalism.  This is a 44 percent increase over the 43 incidents in 2007, when 7,564,781 vehicles parked at LAX.  Efforts to step up patrol of Central Terminal Area parking facilities are a primary deterrent to this type of crime.  Last year, Airport Police initiated a program using officers on Segway personal transportation units.  According to Chief Centeno, the program will be expanded this year to include increased patrol of parking areas with an additional 15 Segway units in patrol and traffic.

      Miscellaneous offenses – the largest single statistical category – increased 2.7 percent to 1,548 incidents in 2008 from 1,507 in 2007, as a result of increased proactive law enforcement and federal passenger and checked-luggage screening measures.  This category includes offenses such as 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.

The statistics cover the approximately 3,600 acres of LAX property, including passenger terminals, parking facilities, aircraft ramps, cargo areas and offices.