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A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 29 January 2019
Los Angeles mayor touts major drops in crime in 2018

By AMANDA LEE MYERS continued need for gang partment's enforcement
Associated Press intervention, pointing out strategies impact the com-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Crime that 50 percent of all ho- munity.
is down in every category in micides in Los Angeles are But he said he's concerned
Los Angeles and homicides gang-related. the report was too simplis-
are at their second lowest He also said too many tic and that the incidence
in more than 50 years, the homeless people, near- of violent crime "does
city's mayor and police ly 3,000, were victims of not strictly follow the pro-
chief announced Monday. crimes in 2018, calling it "the portionality of the ethnic
At 259, homicides in the na- humanitarian crisis of our makeup of the commu-
tion's second-largest city generation." nity."
fell 8.2 percent last year, Garcetti and Moore also "Neither should our en-
while rapes were down addressed a report by The forcement strategies," he
12.4 percent, gang crimes Los Angeles Times that said, adding that the de-
decreased by 8 percent found LAPD's elite Metro- partment is focused on de-
and property crime went politan division dispropor- escalation and outreach.
down 2 percent, Mayor tionately stopped black "Critically important is that
Eric Garcetti said at a news drivers. the communities of South
conference . Garcetti said the report is Los Angeles and particu-
"It's pretty remarkable," said In this July 24, 2018, file photo Los Angeles Police Chief Michel "deeply concerning" and larly the African American
Moore speaks at a news conference at police headquarters in
Garcetti, a Democrat who Los Angeles. he's asked for a further re- community have confi-
is considering running for Associated Press view of its findings. dence that this depart-
president. "I want us to look carefully ment's efforts are genuine
"This is one of the safest Violent crime is down 67 Garcetti said the drop is about how we're polic- and intended to save lives."
times to live in Los Angeles percent and property noteworthy considering Los ing Los Angeles," Garcetti He said the department
in all of our history," said Los crime is down 60 percent Angeles' growing popula- said, adding that audits of has had 11 fewer officer-
Angeles police Chief Mi- since 1992, Garcetti said. tion. He also pointed out the department's gang en- involved shootings in 2018
chel Moore, who became Moore also pointed out that some of the other larg- forcement and metro divi- and for the first time began
chief last year. that the 1,008 shooting vic- est cities in the U.S. saw sions are underway. regularly releasing body
In 1992, when murders tims in 2018 were 48 fewer more homicides than Los "We'll get information in- camera footage of such
peaked in Los Angeles than 2017, 169 fewer from Angeles in 2018. stead of having specula- incidents.
during the crack cocaine 2016 and 900 fewer than in New York had 289, Chi- tion," he said. Garcetti announced the
epidemic, there were 1,092 2007. cago had more than 530, Moore said the depart- drop in crime on the heels
homicides. They credited increased Houston had at least 279, ment doesn't tolerate dis- of another success: He
Garcetti and Moore both diversity of officers, more and Philadelphia more crimination and the report helped broker an end to a
compared last year's statis- street patrols and gang in- than 350. renews an important ques- six-day teachers' strike last
tics to those from the 1990s. tervention for the drops. Moore emphasized the tion about just how the de- week.q

Koch group touts education push on curriculum, technology

tion that will include out- schools in multiple states. mote good policy but also
reach to teachers. Los Angeles teachers in to again unleash entrepre-
"It includes investments in the nation's second-larg- neurial ideas throughout
curriculum to better sup- est school district recent- the community," said Bax-
port teachers and students, ly reached a deal, and ter, who is also a retired
new technology to help teachers in Denver have banking executive and
families find the right op- plans to strike. former U.S. ambassador to
tions for their kids, and in "They're expressing legiti- Uruguay.
public policy reforms that mate concerns, but the The Koch network said
begin to get at the root current approach means school choice will likely be
causes and not just the that nobody wins, so they one of a dozen or more
symptoms of the challeng- need better options," priorities of the new initia-
es we see in the education Hooks said. "And we see an tive but said it's too early to
system today," Hooks said. opportunity to come into discuss its comprehensive
The announcement was this conversation and really policy agenda, which is a
In this photo May 22, 2012 file photo, Charles Koch speaks in his made during a private re- shake things up." work in progress.
office at Koch Industries in Wichita, Kan. treat for wealthy donors Longtime Koch network National union leaders with
Associated Press who have committed to donor Frank Baxter, a for- the National Education
giving at least $100,000 mer charter school ex- Association and Ameri-
By SALLY HO The Koch network is launch- annually to the sprawling ecutive in California, said can Federation of Teach-
Associated Press ing a new group next month Koch network of political, he was thrilled the orga- ers couldn't immediately
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) that will focus on 15 million policy, educational and nization was digging into be reached for comment.
— Officials with the pow- kindergarten through 12th- philanthropic organiza- K-12 issues. He said private Some teachers have in
erful political network led grade students in five un- tions. school scholarships, charter recent years been vocal
by conservative billionaire named states, chairman The Koch education effort schools and online learn- about rejecting the money
Charles Koch said Monday Brian Hooks said. follows a national educa- ing could be important and influence of billionaire
that they are promoting a Hooks didn't give details tors uprising that began last avenues to reform failing philanthropists in the edu-
state-level education strat- on the policy priorities but year over teacher pay and schools. cation system, especially
egy that they hope educa- said the initiative will focus classroom conditions and "We're just beginning to when it comes to steering
tors and teachers unions on curriculum, technology escalated to major teach- evolve to work on K-12 ed- public money toward pri-
will support. and uniting a broad coali- er strikes that shut down ucation and trying to pro- vate and charter schools.q