Safety index · Los Angeles · data through August 2026
Is Westchester/Playa safe?
Westchester/Playa records more reported crime than most Los Angeles neighborhoods. Its SafeRoute safety index is 42 out of 100 — 9 points below the citywide median of 51, ranking 66th of 99 LA neighborhoods — based on 2,022 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 Westchester/Playa against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
Most of what's reported here is property-related — other theft alone is 47% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 31% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 17% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 959 · 47% | |
| Public order | 333 · 16% | |
| Violent crime | 163 · 8% | |
| Weapons possession | 85 · 4% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 98 · 5% | |
| Drugs | 137 · 7% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Westchester/Playa 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
- Del Rey63/100 · Moderate
- Venice50/100 · Moderate
- Park Mesa Heights40/100 · Elevated
- Mar Vista58/100 · Moderate
- Palms53/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Westchester/Playa safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 42/100). About 48% of severity-weighted incidents in Westchester/Playa 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 Westchester/Playa?
Other theft — 959 of 2,022 incidents (47%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through August 2026.
How is the Westchester/Playa 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.