Safety index · Los Angeles · data through July 2026
Is West LA - Sawtelle safe?
West LA - Sawtelle records more reported crime than most Los Angeles neighborhoods. Its SafeRoute safety index is 50 out of 100 — 5 points below the citywide median of 55, ranking 62nd of 99 LA neighborhoods — based on 428 incidents reported to the LAPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
Most of what's reported here is property-related — other theft alone is 36% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 14% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 156 · 36% | |
| Violent crime | 53 · 12% | |
| Burglary | 49 · 11% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 31 · 7% | |
| Public order | 28 · 7% | |
| Vehicle crime | 36 · 8% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in West LA - Sawtelle 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
- Westside77/100 · Low risk
- North Westwood67/100 · Moderate
- Mar Vista66/100 · Moderate
- Westwood69/100 · Moderate
- Palms59/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is West LA - Sawtelle safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 50/100). About 45% of severity-weighted incidents in West LA - Sawtelle 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 West LA - Sawtelle?
Other theft — 156 of 428 incidents (36%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the West LA - Sawtelle 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.