There were nearly 400 recorded arson incidents in the first eight months of 2020, a 43% increase from the same period last year. Could the coronavirus pandemic be partly to blame?
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — While wildfires rage across the state of California, in the city of Los Angeles, there’s been an increase in a different kind of fire: arson.
This is according to an analysis of LAPD data by USC’s data journalism organization, Crosstown.
An updated analysis by ABC7 found that between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of this year, there were nearly 400 recorded arson incidents, a 43% increase from the same period in 2019 and the highest in the last five years.
Source: Arson fires increasing in city of LA amid COVID-19 pandemic, LAPD data shows – ABC7 Los Angeles
