DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Each week Captain Blake Chow, Commanding Officer of LAPD's Central Division, sends out an email to the community. Captain Chow has agreed to let blogdowntown bring his emails to our readers.

As of April 25, 2009 Central reported the following crime numbers. All numbers are YTD unless otherwise noted.

First, Central in terms of total numbers of crimes is the lowest in the City.

• Violent Crime up 8 percent. (or 27 crimes more than last year)
• Homicides are up 100 percent (1 more than last year)
• Rapes are down 26 percent
• Robbery is up 3 percent
• Agg Assaults are up 17 percent (25 more crimes this year vs last)

There are no patterns with respect to violent crime this week. Most of the Agg assaults were east of San Pedro and South of 5th street. Aggravated assaults involve bodily force and usually disputes over different things. No agg assaults were west of Spring Street.

Robberies were spread out.

• Property Crime is down 17 percent
• Burglary is down 20 percent
• Grand Theft Auto is down 24 percent
• Burgl from Motor vehicle is down 15 percent
• Personal Theft is down 15 percent

There were only 3 burglaries for the week. We had a pattern of 2 Burglary from Motor Vehicles hear 1st and Center/2nd and Traction. This follows a pattern last week of 3. Please remind people not to leave anything of value visible in their parked vehicles. In several of these a purse, wallet and GPS were taken.

Total Part I Crimes are down 11 percent for the division.

FYI

On May 1st, there will be two major demonstrations that will impact the downtown area.

Please be advised of the following:

The area of Olympic and Broadway will be impacted for most of the day.

• March 1. Assembles at Olympic and Broadway @1030 and marches to Temple and Broadway, over at 5pm
• March 2. Assembles at 7th and Alameda marches to 5th and Broadway, rallies at 1st and Broadway, over at 530pm
• March 3. Assembles at 11th and Broadway @ 1pm, marches to Los Angeles/Temple and is over at 6pm
• March 4. Assembles at Olympic and Broadway @ 3pm, marches to 1st and Broadway and is over at 9pm
• March 5. Assembles at Echo Park at 130pm, marches to Olvera Street and is over at 830pm.

OTHER

I've also attached a community flier on the Homicide

Please check out our new CPAB website at

http://www.centralcpab.org/

Captain III Blake Chow
Commanding Officer
LAPD Central Area
213-972-1289