Dramatic rise in crime casts a shadow on downtown L.A.'s gentrification

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http://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-lapd-central-20150902-story.html

Crime has jumped across the city this year, but nowhere has the increase been as large as in L.A.'s hippest new domain: downtown.

Here, the forces of rapid gentrification are crashing up against the chronic poverty, homelessness and crime that have long been a part of life in the city center. Police and residents say the influx of new lofts, luxury high-rise apartments, bars and eateries have made these new downtown dwellers easy targets for street crime.

"Those two communities are rubbing up against each other and for some reason it has gotten more aggressive," Mishkind said. "We understand there is a grittiness downtown, but that aggression against other people is not acceptable."

Overall, violent crime in the LAPD's Central Division — which covers parts of downtown, skid row and Chinatown — was up more than 57% through the end of August compared with the same period last year, and property offenses increased nearly 25%, according to police data.

Certain crimes have captured extra police attention. "Creeper" burglars look for unlocked apartments or cars. Organized crews lift unattended purses or smart phones from tables at cafes. Others prowl around apartments, checking for open windows or doors to sneak inside.

Police say they are working to reverse the trend downtown.

More cops are walking beats through some of the worst-hit areas like skid row and the financial district. Extra officers from the department's elite Metropolitan Division were recently deployed to the area. And commanders are tracking data down to the block level to know where and when to send more officers.