Reported Crime Drop Clashes With Experience

The Los Angeles Police Department reported a 40% decrease in violent crime in the Valley in 1994 a few days after the Los Angeles Times published an article discussing the fallibility of statistics. As a lifelong Valley resident and a longtime police psychologist who primarily debriefs police officers involved in traumatic events, I personally have never felt less secure.

Recently, my husband was robbed at gunpoint coming out of a post office in Encino at 3 p.m. He was one of at least two dozen victims of a suspect not apprehended. Then, on a recent Friday at 4:30 p.m., my husband and our 11 year-old son turned a corner in Sherman Oaks and found themselves in a cross-fire with 10 police officers and one gunman with a machine gun, all pointing their weapons at them from either side of the street. Fortunately, they are both physically fine, but I found myself calling on the skills I use to debrief police officers in my own home.

Statistics are not reassuring. We need more police officers on patrol in the Valley to respond promptly when we are in danger, and we need more detectives to follow up on cases and remove criminals from our communities.

Our fears are reasonable and prudent. The crime problem will not go away without more police personnel in the Valley. If we do not get a handle on the situation soon, many law-abiding citizens may “go away.”

SUSAN SAXE-CLIFFORD

Encino