LOS ANGELES—In the last two years, the number of homicides and victims shot in Los Angeles dropped by more than 25 percent, Mayor Karen Bass announced Tuesday.

Homicides decreased 28.1 percent, gang-related homicides dropped more than 50 percent and victims shot decreased by 26.2 percent since 2022, according to data from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

“Homicides are down and our Fire Department has expanded safety capability thanks to urgent action taken to keep Angelenos safe but we know many in L.A. still don’t feel safe every day—that must change,” Bass said, who has been in office since 2022.

“We will work to respond quickly to crime when it occurs, prevent crime from happening in the first place, and support our firefighters to ensure we build a Los Angeles that’s safer for all,” she added.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell joined Bass and pledged action in the new year to prioritize safety by addressing burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and robberies.

The mayor also touted ongoing progress to reduce organized retail crime theft.

In 2023, the Organized Retail Crime Task Force and the Cargo Theft Unit were created and have made more than 350 arrests and recovered more than $66 million worth of stolen merchandise, officials said. The task force consists of personnel from the California Highway Patrol, LAPD, L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and other regional police agencies.

Additionally, city officials said programs organized by the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety known as Summer Night Lights (SNL) and Fall Friday Nights reduced gang-related crime.

SNL provided 316,800 community members with food, programming and resources, allowed 12,534 youth to play basketball or soccer at the parks for free, and 2,670 adults to participate in an evening sports league.

In previous years, crime decreased in areas where SNL programs occurred, officials said, and the LAPD will release data for 2024 in January 2025.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley joined Bass at Tuesday’s briefing, highlighting other improvements and efforts to keep Angelenos safe. They said the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety secured historic funding of more than $50 million to replace old fire trucks and other vehicles, as well as purchase new equipment.