Is Central (Downtown LA) Safe? Crime Data & Safety Index

Central (Downtown LA) scores 66/100 on CaliCrime's Safety Index — below average for Los Angeles. 324 reported incidents (7.2 per 1,000 residents) have been recorded in Central (Downtown LA) in May (through May 16). Reported activity is down 58% compared to April (769 incidents). May data collection is ongoing — the final count will be higher.

Last 7 Days

106

reported incidents

May

324

through May 16 — ongoing

vs April

58%

769 prior period

City Rank

1/21

8.8% of city incidents

Most Common Incident Types — May

Type	May	Trend
Assault violent	96	62%
Theft	91	62%
Other	73	36%
Vandalism	33	60%
Vehicle Theft	14	44%
Robbery violent	9	65%

Is crime in Central (Downtown LA) going up or down?

Reported incident activity in Central (Downtown LA) is down 58% compared to April (769 incidents then vs 324 now for May).

Monthly Incident Trend — Last 12 Months

Monthly reported incidents in Central (Downtown LA) — last 12 months
Month	Reported Incidents
May 2025	928
Jun 2025	816
Jul 2025	729
Aug 2025	753
Sep 2025	760
Oct 2025	827
Nov 2025	889
Dec 2025	666
Jan 2026	864
Feb 2026	755
Mar 2026	679
Apr 2026	769
May 2026	324 (partial)

Nearby Neighborhoods — May

77th Street 18,504 incidents North Hollywood 18,227 incidents Olympic (Mid-City) 17,931 incidents Hollywood 16,488 incidents Southwest 16,413 incidents Newton (South LA) 16,400 incidents

Notable Recent Incidents — May

Date & Time	Type	Location
May 15, 2026 9:30 AM	Assault violent	400 S San Pedro St
May 15, 2026 8:00 AM	Assault violent	5th & Broadway
May 15, 2026 7:00 AM	Assault violent	600 W 6th St
May 15, 2026 7:00 AM	Assault violent	1400 Wright St
May 15, 2026 6:35 AM	Assault violent	600 Wall St

Frequently Asked Questions

How many crimes were reported in Central (Downtown LA) in May?

According to LAPD data compiled by CaliCrime, 324 incidents have been reported in Central (Downtown LA) in May (through May 16). This is down 58% vs prior month. Note: May data collection is ongoing — this figure will increase.

What is the most common crime in Central (Downtown LA)?

Based on incidents reported so far in May, Assault is the most frequently recorded incident type in Central (Downtown LA), with 96 reported incidents.

Is Central (Downtown LA) safer than average for Los Angeles?

Based on reported incidents for May, Central (Downtown LA) is near the city average of 382 incidents per neighborhood per month. Central (Downtown LA) ranks #1 out of 21 neighborhoods by reported incident volume. This comparison is based on reported crimes only and does not account for under-reporting or population differences between neighborhoods.

Is crime increasing or decreasing in Central (Downtown LA)?

Comparing May to April: 324 incidents recorded so far in May vs 769 for all of April (down 58% vs prior month). May is not yet complete, so the comparison is preliminary.

Is Central (Downtown LA) safe at night?

Based on LAPD data, assault is the most frequently reported incident type in Central (Downtown LA). The current trend shows down 58% vs prior month, which may indicate improving conditions. As with any urban area, situational awareness is advisable at night. This data covers reported incidents only and does not account for unreported crime.

Data & Methodology

Data source: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) crime records, sourced from the LA City Open Data Portal. Covers reported incidents from 2020 to present, updated regularly. Only active, non-duplicate records are counted.

Neighborhood boundaries correspond to LAPD patrol divisions, not city-defined neighborhood boundaries. An incident is assigned to a division based on the reporting area recorded in the original data.

Limitations: Reported incident counts reflect only crimes that were reported to and recorded by LAPD. Under-reporting means actual incident rates may be higher. Data may have delays of several days to weeks depending on the source dataset. A reported incident does not imply guilt or conviction.

Last database update: June 3, 2026.

Is Central (Downtown LA)Safe?