The Los Angeles Police Department arrested Black and Hispanic/Latino people at a “disproportionate rate” — an average of 78.26% of all arrests between 2019 to 2022, despite such residents making up 56% of the city’s population — according to a report released Wednesday by City Controller Kenneth Mejia.
Mejia’s office released a map and analysis of nearly 300,000 arrests by the LAPD in the past four years. The data came from the LAPD and “marks the first time the data has been made accessible and mapped for the public without limitations,” the report says.
Specifically, the report says that between 2019 and 2022, Hispanics/Latinos made up 51% of LAPD arrests, with Black people next at 27% and Whites 16%. Hispanics/Latinos make up 48% of the population, compared to Black people at 8% and Whites at 29%.
The LAPD did not immediately respond to a request by City News Service for comment on the report.
The full report can be found at controller.lacity.gov/landings/arrests
The map can be viewed at arrests.lacontroller.io
Among the report’s points, for almost every year surveyed, City Councilman Kevin de León’s 14th District — which includes Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, downtown L.A., El Sereno and Northeast L.A. — led all other districts for the total number of arrests. In 2021, Council District 14 came in second to Council District 8 by a difference of only three arrests.
LAPD arrests fall into five categories — felony, misdemeanor, infractions, dependent and other. According to the analysis, LAPD made more arrests for misdemeanor and infraction offenses than for felonies.
In 2019, before the pandemic, LAPD made 55,954 arrests for misdemeanors and infractions compared to 33,663 arrests for felonies. From 2020-22, misdemeanor and infraction arrests continued to outpace felony arrests, according to the report.
The map also shows that the LAPD makes over 400 arrests each year in the “dependent” category, which involves children…
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