LOS ANGELES, April 6 (UPI) -- Violent crime in Los Angeles was down 14 percent for the first quarter of 2013 from the same period last year, police said.
Police have recorded 66 homicides this year, nine fewer than in the first quarter of 2012, and property crime was down 7 percent for the same period year-on-year.
The city is on track to improve upon last year's record low homicide rate, the Los Angeles Times said.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is leaving office this year because of term limits, announced the crime statistics at a City Hall news conference Friday.
Increasing the size of the police force was a top priority of Villaraigosa and candidates in this year's mayoral election will likely stick to the strategy, the newspaper said.
"If you want to be mayor of Los Angeles, you're going to have to continue to hire police," Villaraigosa said.
