Brentwood Ended 2012 with 14 Percent Crime Drop

Brentwood saw a 14 percent reduction in overall crime in 2012, the community council learned Tuesday night, as well as talked about the brazen daytime robberies on South Anita Avenue in January.

West L.A. Division Senior Lead Office Maria Gray told the council that, along with Los Angeles seeing crime drop for a 10th consecutive year, the westside saw a 6.6 percent decrease - the fourth largest reduction out of L.A.'s 22 divisions.

"We are doing very well," Gray said, added the most dramatic drop in the division was robberies.

The senior lead officer for Pacific Palisades told its community council in January that the 90272 had 358 total crimes in 2012 and Brentwood had 537.

South Anita Avenue robberies

Gray told council members that officers had not seen victims targeted like this in years, referring to the Jan. 29 and Jan. 22 robbery and attempted robbery, respectively, of two elderly women taking their garbage cans out in the late morning hours.

The 69-year-old who was pepper sprayed on Jan. 29 and fell during a scuffle with the suspect, had her finger broken when her ring was removed.

"Officers are outraged," she said. "They've been visting the woman in the hospital. We take it very personally."

"I have a family that lives in the community, and other officers as well," Gray said. "In other parts of city, it’s more commonplace. But here, it was such an affront. It's unacceptable."

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