The aim of this paper is to analyze population demographics and crime profile of the city of Los Angles and discuss a criminological theory that would make sense to the residents given their political orientation.
According to the City of Los Angeles (2007), the number of residents in Los Angles is 4,018,080 growing at a rate of 1.2% annually. In 2006, unemployment was down to 5.5% compared to 7.9% in 2003. In 2005, the median household buying income was $34,480 (more recent statistics is not available).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2008), in 2000 white population of Los Angles accounted for 46.9% of the total population; Hispanics constituted 46.5%; Black persons accounted for 11.2%; Asian persons constituted 10%; 5.2% were mixed-race, and the remaining 0.8% were American Indian and Alaska Native persons.
According to the statistics provided by the Los Angeles Police Department (2008), in 2007 the city-wide crime was down 4.7%, compared to 2006 in the eight Part I categories. The number of homicides was 394; the number of rapes was 867; the number of robberies was 13,445; the number of burglaries was 19,415; the number of burglary thefts from vehicles was 30,171; the number of thefts was 26,813, and the number of auto thefts was 23,148. BFV crimes were not only the most prevalent type of crime but also the only category (out of the aforementioned) in which the number of offenses has not decreased in 2007 but slightly increased.
Los Angeles is an area that is slightly Democrat-leaning: while California in a general is a stronghold of the Democratic party, residents of Los Angeles are best characterized as moderates. Therefore, a reasonably apolitical theory would make sense to L.A. residents, for example, the Chicago School (with its focus on culture and conflict), given Los Angeles’ prevalence of petty gang crime.
References
- City of Los Angeles. (2007). ‘City of Los Angeles Economic & Demographic Information.’ Retrieved August 2, 2008, from http://www.lacity.org/CAO/Appendix_A.pdf
- Official Website of LAPD. (2008). Retrieved August 2, 2008, from http://www.lapdonline.org
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). ‘State & County QuickFacts: Los Angeles (city), California.’ Retrieved August 2, 2008, from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0644000.html
