Mayors Briefs: LA Sees Record Drop in Homicides; Bass & City Attorney Take Legal Action Against Unlawful Raids

Los Angeles City On Pace For Lowest Homicide Total in Nearly 60 Years

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass July 9 released the following statement after a report was released indicating that Los Angeles City is on pace for the lowest homicide total in nearly 60 years. 

“Reports show that Los Angeles is on pace for the lowest homicide total in 60 years,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “Especially with the summer underway, we will continue to implement comprehensive safety strategies with law enforcement and community organizations to keep Angelenos safe. That means swiftly responding when crime happens and holding people accountable, while also working to prevent crime from happening in the first place.”

Earlier this year, Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell announced drops in Homicides and Person Crimes while pledging continued aggressive action to keep Angelenos safe. She also announced that violence had significantly decreased in targeted Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) zones across Los Angeles in 2024 due to the work of community violence interventionists. The Mayor reported a 45% decrease in gang-related homicides in GRYD zones compared to 2023. GRYD zones have seen a 56% decrease in gang-related homicides compared to 2022.

Mayor Bass, City Attorney Announce Legal Action Against Unlawful Raids in LA

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass, LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and regional mayors in Los Angeles County July 8 announced legal action that the city will take to put a stop to the unconstitutional reckless raids in the LA region. 

“The Administration is treating Los Angeles as a test case for how far it can go in driving its political agenda forward while pushing the Constitution aside,” said Mayor Bass. “The City of Los Angeles, along with the County, cities, organizations and Angelenos across L.A., is taking the Administration to court to stop its clear violation of the United States Constitution and federal law. We will not be intimidated – we are making Los Angeles the example of how people who believe in American values will stand together and stand united.”

“The federal government has concentrated thousands of armed immigration agents, many of whom lack visible identification, and military troops in our communities, conducting unconstitutional raids, roundups and anonymous detentions, sowing fear and chaos among our residents,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. “Today’s motion to intervene shows we will not stand by and allow these raids to continue or to become the standard operating procedure in our communities.”

Central to this effort is a request to intervene in a class action lawsuit “Perdomo v. Noem,” which was brought on behalf of people who have been unlawfully stopped or detained by federal agents. The lawsuit alleges that federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have engaged in unconstitutional and unlawful immigration raids by targeting Angelenos based on their perceived race and ethnicity and also denying detainees constitutionally-mandated due process. 

This announcement comes after federal agents marched through MacArthur Park and militarized vehicles were deployed to the streets as children were attending a summer camp with the seemingly sole purpose of bringing fear to Los Angeles. Mayor Bass in a press release indicated she and other elected officials will not accept the presence of federalized troops and military-style vehicles on our streets becoming normalized behavior, and will use every resource available to bring an end to these reckless raids