Safety index · Los Angeles · data through July 2026
Is Downtown Los Angeles safe?
Downtown Los Angeles records a high level of reported crime for Los Angeles. Its SafeRoute safety index is 12 out of 100 — 43 points below the citywide median of 55, ranking 98th of 99 LA neighborhoods — based on 2,344 incidents reported to the LAPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (33% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 27% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 22% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 772 · 33% | |
| Burglary | 242 · 10% | |
| Other theft | 382 · 16% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 205 · 9% | |
| Robbery | 115 · 5% | |
| Sexual offences | 85 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Downtown Los Angeles at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Arts District Little Tokyo19/100 · High risk
- South Central32/100 · Elevated
- Westlake South12/100 · High risk
- Westlake North14/100 · High risk
- Historic Cultural North26/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Downtown Los Angeles safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 12/100). About 49% of severity-weighted incidents in Downtown Los Angeles are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Downtown Los Angeles?
Violent crime — 772 of 2,344 incidents (33%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the Downtown Los Angeles safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the LAPD by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.