In Los Angeles, as the summer approaches and the temperature rises, we can expect to see crime rates rise, as well. Homicide is already up (although the current rate is still substantially down from prior years) and we are foreseeing other crimes to increase as well through summer.

The latest COMPSTAT figures show that Los Angeles has had 161 homicides this year. When compared to last year’s 146 homicides during the same period—it indicates a 10.2% increase in murders.

While experts have various theories as to why crime generally increases in the summer, we know that a big factor is that people tend to drink more with hotter temperatures—giving rise to more alcohol-related incidents. We also know that the summer generally means more burglaries, because people are more likely to be out of their houses or on vacation, and tend to leave doors and windows open, making it easier for opportunist criminals to break in.

However, stopping crime in the summer can be as simple as following a few simple rules. Some of the easiest ways to protect yourself and your family include:

With LAPD officers being pulled from police field work to backfill vacant civilian positions, it’s more important than ever that Los Angeles residents be extra vigilant this summer. Another dramatic impact on our ability to respond to calls for service (and keep crime down) is LAPD having approximately 30 less police cars to cover a city comprising 469 square miles.