City crime rates have decreased this summer in Los Angeles. This is the first time in four decades when the fewest number of homicides have been recorded. 84 homicides were committed since June to the end of August. The summer of 1967, for example, left Los Angeles without 79 residents because of an increased crime rate.

Still, the highest crime rate was recorded in 1991 when there were 323 slayings during the summer’s three months. Over the last decade, 125 killings happened each summer in Los Angeles. Police Chief William J. Bratton showed the numbers Tuesday during his weekly briefing to the Police Commission, the civilian body that oversees the Los Angeles Police Department.

Part-1 crimes categories like rape, robbery, aggravated assaults or homicide this year are lower than 2007. For example, the number of rapes this year raised only to 14% and the auto thefts to 7%.

No explanation has been found about the fact that last year’s 394 murders have decreased to so little this year. Last year’s crimes were nearly 40% over. But in spite the fact that the new statistics ended people’s fear, Bratton said that killings’ rate would reverse itself. "It’s a continuing good-news story that's moving forward," Bratton added.

The police chief also tried to explain that the unemployment is up and the economy is not good in the city. These are the factors that make crimes to go up, “but it’s not happening here,” he said.