L.A. law enforcement officials releasing 2023 crime statistics report  

Authorities in Los Angeles are releasing their 2023 crime statistics report on Wednesday as one local councilmember pushes for license plate readers to be installed in his district. 

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass will be in attendance at Wednesday’s press conference to look back on crime data in 2023 and plan for more crime reduction in 2024. 

Among the proposed crime mitigation measures is a pilot program for license plate readers, which has been introduced by L.A. City Councilman John Lee, whose District 12 covers the northwestern portion of the San Fernando Valley. 

Parts of the San Fernando Valley reported massive upticks in crimes, including a neighborhood in Lee’s district north of Rinaldi Street which reported a 103% increase in burglaries in that area, LAPD said. 

The motion would allocate $500,000 to the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting and LADOT to begin implementation of the cameras. 

LAPD Chief Michel Moore appeared to agree with Councilman Lee’s proposal, saying in a statement: 

“Technology is a crucial element in advancing the safety of Los Angeles, [including] incorporating cutting edge technologies,” Chief Moore said in a statement. “I want to express my gratitude to Councilmember Lee for his support and investment in automated license plate readers for the LAPD, which has already proven to be a successful initiative in other communities.” 

The community the chief is referencing is Beverly Hills, where license plate readers have helped authorities there solve several homicides including the apprehension of alleged serial killer Jerrid Joseph Powell, who murdered three homeless men in Los Angeles and another man in San Dimas in November.

Powell’s license plate number was entered into an automatic reader system when his vehicle was identified as one possible connected to the San Dimas murder, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. 

“We know there’s controversy out there about the usage of this system, but let me tell our community something,” Luna said at a November press conference. “If we did not enter that plate into the system, this individual that we believe is responsible for at least four murders may have [still] been out there and reoffended.”