LAPD statistics illustrate the 'nature of homicide in Los Angeles'

Sunday and Monday were the deadliest days of the week in Los Angeles in 2014. April saw the most killings; January and February the least. More people were killed with a firearm than any other weapon.

Those statistics and others compiled by the Los Angeles Police Department offer a deeply detailed look at the 260 homicides that occurred in Los Angeles last year. The report breaks down everything from which LAPD division saw the largest increase (77th Street in South L.A.) to where the killings occurred (streets were the most common location, followed by sidewalks).

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the report will help shape the department's strategy in the coming year.

"This is a snapshot of last year, but when you overlay it with all the years prior, you begin to see some things that are past trends," he said. "They are just the nature of homicide in Los Angeles.

What do the numbers show?

Violence tied to gangs remained the leading motive for homicides in L.A., at 160 killings, or about 62% of the city's total — up from 145 such killings in 2013. The LAPD's 77th Street Division saw a 59% increase in gang-related homicides (16 more killings) compared with 2013, which Beck attributed to a couple of "strong gang conflicts."

Street killings are linked to gang violence, Beck said, which can help explain why more than half (about 53%) of the city's homicides occurred on a street or sidewalk.

"If we could eliminate gang homicides, then homicide — it wouldn't become extinct in Los Angeles, but we would certainly have a way different homicide picture," Beck said.

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Source: LA Times