Report: LA Burglaries Drop In Pandemic, But Not In Venice

VENICE, CA — Many Los Angeles neighborhoods saw burglaries hit the lowest level in more than a decade in the pandemic, according to a recent report from Crosstown. That was the case in Mar Vista but it quite the opposite story in Venice.

As the COVID-19 pandemic kept people at home and quarantining, a total of 13,496 reports of home invasions, or break-ins at offices or stores, were reported in 2020.

That figure is about 1% less than in 2019 and it's the lowest annual number of burglaries recorded since the Los Angeles Police Department started sharing its data with the public in 2010.

“We’re seeing fewer residential burglaries because people were stuck at home,” Kari Garcia, a board member of the Community-Police Advisory Board with the LAPD’s Wilshire Division, told Crosstown.

However, that drop wasn't the case in all neighborhoods, according to the report. In Chinatown, the neighborhood saw an increase in burglaries: 60 in 2020 compared to 29 in 2019. In Bel Air, the wealthy area had an increase of 44% more burglaries in 2020 from the previous year. Mission Hills had a 107% increase since 2019 with 93 burglaries in 2020.

Venice had 313 burglaries in 2020 compared to 287 in 2019, which was a 9% increase. Nearby neighborhood Mar Vista had a roughly 26% drop in burglaries in 2020. Mar Vista had 170 burglaries in 2019 compared to 125 burglaries in 2020.

In 2019, Playa del Rey had 42 burglaries and Playa Vista had 64. In 2020, Playa del Rey had 42 burglaries and saw zero percent change from 2019 to 2020. Playa Vista had 84 burglaries in 2020 — an increase from the previous year.

Overall, Los Angeles saw 22% fewer break-ins than in 2010. Arleta in the San Fernando Valley recorded the lowest number of burglaries, with 29 burglaries in 2020 compared to 50 in 2019.

Read the full report from Crosstown.

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