LA Approaches Murder Milestone, DEA Cracks Down on Crime, and More
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Adobe Stock
Police Chief Michel Moore of Los Angeles made a grim announcement this week. The city will almost certainly cross a terrible milestone this year. They are on track to have more than 300 homicides in 2020.
Assuming that the city does hit that mark, it will be the first time since 2009. Homicide is up 25% overall compared to this time last year, with 266 murders in Los Angeles since the beginning of the year. That’s more than the total number in 2019 or 2018.
Some areas have been hit harder than others. LAPD’s South Bureau reports that homicide in South Los Angeles is up 50% this year. Chief Moore blames the backslide in gun violence for the rise in homicides.
Elzey “Jeff” Perilloux was convicted in the very courtroom over which he used to preside. Perilloux was found guilty after a five-day trial last month and sentenced earlier this week. The victims were his daughters’ teenage friends.
“Sex offenses against children are the most serious of crimes which cause permanent psychological harm,” Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said in a statement Tuesday.
“This trauma has been exacerbated by Mr. Perilloux’s continued refusal to admit and/or take responsibility for what he did to these young women, who were children when these crimes were committed,” Landry said. “But I hope the sentence issued today will bring some comfort to the survivors and their families.”
Perilloux was found guilty of three felony counts of indecent behavior with juveniles as well as one misdemeanor sexual battery charge.
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a win this week. Over the last three months, more than 1500 people have been arrested since August, and another 2100 firearms have been seized.
With the election less than two weeks away, crime is in the spotlight. Project Safeguard is tied to Donald Trump’s “law and order” platform. He’s touted his triumph in making the suburbs safe for white women in a transparent effort to shore up votes on November 3rd.
Trump has been especially critical of so-called lawless blue state cities. DEA officials made the announcement in Boston, one of those blue cities, possibly as a political point.
The focus on violent crime allowed the law enforcement officials to track back drug running operations from street dealers to the Mexican cartels, according to a spokesperson.
The DEA also seized 162 kilograms of heroin and 158 kilograms of fentanyl, plus another $24 million in cash and other assets since the operation launched.