New LAPD Chief Says Crime Statistics Skewed by Unreported Incidents

Crime is reportedly trending down in Los Angeles, with homicides on track to fall 15% compared to last year, but newly sworn-in LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell is concerned that statistics aren’t telling the full story.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony Thursday to mark his arrival as the city’s 59th chief of police, McDonnell voiced concern about the perception of disorder — and the reality that crimes are going unreported because some believe nothing will be done to investigate.

McDonnell said he would rather see the city’s crime numbers rise because it would give him a real picture of the problem and a better idea of what he must do to handle it, the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Our officers and professional staff are working very hard to continue to drive those numbers down,” he said. “But the perception of the public is based on a number of different things, and one of those things, I think, is that they would say reported crime is down because people don’t have confidence that anything is going to be done.”