Total Arrest Rate

This variable counts one arrest for each separate instance in which a person is arrested, cited, or summoned for an offense – not the number of individuals arrested or the number of crimes committed in a year. The data includes a number of arrest offense types ranging from felonies and misdemeanors to infractions and non-criminal detention. The data includes arrests reported by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the LA Sheriff’s Department (LASD) in LAPD and LASD reporting districts. 

An arrest represents the first step that someone takes into the criminal justice system, but it can lead to a variety of outcomes. An arrest could lead to a formal charge and a conviction in court, or the charges could be dropped after the arrest record is created. It is important to note that even if a person is arrested and the charges are dropped, a record of that arrest could still show up on background checks for housing and employment applications.

A recent report by the Vera Institute for Justice found that across the U.S., the number of arrests made across the country has dropped by more than 25% since 2006, but despite that decrease, an arrest is still made every three seconds. The same report found that fewer than one quarter of crimes known to police are solved through an arrest across the country.

Juvenile Arrest Rate

This variable counts one arrest for each separate instance in which a person under the age of 18 is arrested, cited, or summoned for an offense – not the number of individuals arrested or the number of crimes committed in a year. The data includes a number of arrest offense types ranging from felonies and misdemeanors to infractions and non-criminal detention. The data includes arrests reported by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

When a young person under the age of 18 is arrested and charged, they are typically referred to the juvenile justice system as opposed to the criminal justice system serving adults. Despite the fact that the juvenile justice system is designed to rehabilitate young people and keep them from re-offending as adults, research has shown that contact with the juvenile justice system can lead to poor mental health outcomes, lower educational outcomes, and difficulty in the job market. 

Arrests by Race

These variables count one arrest for each separate instance in which a person is arrested, cited, or summoned for an offense – not the number of individuals arrested or the number of crimes committed in a year. Data on race and ethnicity is reported based on the observation of the arresting police officer. The data includes arrests reported by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in LAPD reporting districts within the City of Los Angeles. 

People of color are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system, from interactions with police including stops and arrests to incarceration and parole. For example, despite the fact that Black and White Americans use and sell drugs at approximately the same rates, Black Americans are over six times more likely to be incarcerated for drug-related offense than White Americans. Measuring public safety data by race and ethnicity is a crucial component of understanding disparities within the criminal justice system and measuring progress on improving relations between police departments and communities of color.