Safety index · Los Angeles · data through August 2026
Is Watts safe?
Watts records more reported crime than most Los Angeles neighborhoods. Its SafeRoute safety index is 41 out of 100 — 10 points below the citywide median of 51, ranking 71st of 99 LA neighborhoods — based on 2,064 incidents reported to the LAPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through August 2026).
DATA THROUGH AUGUST 2026
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Los Angeles — a typical Los Angeles neighborhood sits near 51. It ranks Watts against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (35% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 30% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 16% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 714 · 35% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 213 · 10% | |
| Robbery | 164 · 8% | |
| Public order | 216 · 10% | |
| Other theft | 267 · 13% | |
| Weapons possession | 91 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Watts 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
- Empowerment Congress Southeast28/100 · Elevated
- CANNDU33/100 · Elevated
- Harbor Gateway North74/100 · Moderate
- Empowerment Congress Southwest48/100 · Elevated
- Central Alameda41/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Watts safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 41/100). About 47% of severity-weighted incidents in Watts 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 Watts?
Violent crime — 714 of 2,064 incidents (35%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through August 2026.
How is the Watts 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. The scale is calibrated within Los Angeles, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.