Violent robberies put Silver Lake, Echo Park on edge

Officials will hold a community meeting tonight to discuss a series of recent violent robberies in Echo Park and Silver Lake that have left some residents on edge.

There have been four robberies over the last week, in addition to six in December, police said. The robberies occurred along Sunset Boulevard from Alvarado Street toward Silver Lake and Griffith Park Boulevard.

Capt. William A. Murphy, commander of the LAPD's Northeast Division, said patrols have been increased and officers from the station's gang unit have been assigned to reduce those crimes.

In all of the ten reported cases now, the victims targeted have been men who were seen walking alone, Murphy said. The suspects used guns and other types of weapons to obtain wallets, cell phones, and other items from their victims, authorities said.

Although the number of violent incidents reported within a such a short period of time in the eclectic neighborhood can suggest a spike in violent crime, overall crime numbers don’t support that, according to a Times analysis of LAPD crime data.

This past month and last December there were 19 violent robberies and aggravated assaults reported in the general area. Ten robberies were reported in November and 23 in October.

But one incident last weekend particularly alarmed residents: A man was severely beaten during such a robbery.

Rumors have spread that the cases are hate crimes, but LAPD officials discounted that idea and said they believe the assailants are gang members.

Tuesday, police and city officials assured residents that the robberies were not hate crimes.

“It’s spread out; there’s no particular race targeted,” Murphy said.

“Any attack puts fear into people, but we must band together,” added Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose  district includes a portion of the area.

But residents said they were angered that authorities had not alerted them about the robberies. “Most said they got a lot of their information through the Internet,” LaBonge said. “Silver Lake is a well connected community.”

Murphy said his officers were placed on alert after the first couple of robberies while they tracked similarities in the crimes.

“We looked for trends, so it may take a few days,” Murphy said.

Police and city officials will hold a community meeting to discuss the incidents tonight at 6 at Ivanhoe Elementary School in Silver Lake.

-- Ruben Vives

Comments

[Bill G]

Might not be a particular race being targeted but there is one race in particular which is doing all of the targeting.

[RC]

Count me as one of the angered Silver Lake residents who was not informed. And while I understand the sensitivities required to include "sexual orientation" in Mr. Murphy's statement: "It's spread out; there's no particular race targeted," it would be helpful to know they are investigating with an eye towards all forms of hate crime activity.

[Observer]

This could be very well related to the economy. The fact that LA County has a near 10% unemployment rate should raise concerns for crime rates going up. The good thing about Silver Lake is that people really care about their community, however, the particular area mentioned in this article (Sunset/Alvarado) is still considered "ghetto," where there is a block full of barricaded homes that are graffitied, burned, and abandoned. The built-environment around this neighborhood has not improved. Coincidentally, a few blocks east is also the the site where the 4-yr-old boy was murdered outside of his home. Word to the wise, stay out of the streets once it starts to get dark.

[Concerned SL Resident]

I live in the area (Just south of Sunset) and have noticed an increase in gang taggings. I have had to call 3-1-1 on three occasions within the last three weeks to clean up my wall. Some of the taggings look to be part of the Silver Lake Trece or a rival gang. It seems that these gangs, who have been moved south of the 101 due to rising rents and property values are trying to reclaim their turf.

[RW]

Isn't targeting gay men and beating them up for their belongings outside a gay bar, (MJs) a hate crime? Hate crimes can't be only white people beating up minorities. It makes me so sad that the LAPD discredits that. But when it's the LAPD using force on anyone who is not white it's considered a hate crime by minorities. Horrible stuff. People need to realize it's 2009 for god sake and just because it is not a white person committing a the crime and they are "gang related" it still is a hate crime. Gangs hate others just like anyone else. Have people gone completely stupid with their political correctness. We should be past that really. so sad......

[Derek]

LAPD always and is a bunch of morons. I was a witness to a traffic accident a couple years back on Rowena & Hyperion and the dummy kept asking me the same question over and over and didn't even appear to be paying attention to what I was saying. They have a long history of stupidity. They botched the Sharon Tate Murder 40 years ago and going up through the years have done similar things. I've never had any faith in them. We can protect ourselves better.