[dropcap size=big]C[/dropcap]rimes against the homeless and the use of force by the LAPD against the homeless increased significantly last quarter, according to a report by the Los Angeles Police Department.
The LAPD attributes the increase in crimes against the homeless due to better data capturing and identification of homelessness but also “an actual increase in the number of persons experiencing homeless who are victims of crimes.”
The LAPD’s 4th quarter report on homelessness details quarter-to-quarter comparisons on law enforcement's interactions with the homeless. While overall crime in the city dropped a meager two percent in the 4th quarter of 2018, the homeless community saw a 52 percent increase during that same time period and last year, with a 68 percent increase in crimes when homeless Angelenos were victims, according to the report
More than 30 percent of all instances of the police using force in the 4th quarter of 2018 involved the homeless, a 15 percent increase over last quarter. By comparison, homeless outreach teams such as HOPE and RESET had dramatically lower rates of reportable use of force instances. Combined, homeless outreach teams had a .08 percent use of force for every contact.
RELATED: Homeless Encampments Face Cleanup Crews, Rain, and Loss of Property