Gang crime fell sharply in the first half of the year in the San Fernando Valley, especially in North Hollywood, but homicides ticked up slightly, according to LAPD figures released Wednesday..
The chief said he was confident that the department's growing number of officers and the reining in of criminal gangs that traditionally account for the bulk of homicides would lead to fewer killings in 2008 over last year.
As of June 30, 193 people had been killed in the city, compared with 185 the year before. The Valley reported 37 homicides in the period, compared with 34 in the six-month period last year.
Gang crimes were down 15 percent overall in the city and 20 percent in the Valley. The North Hollywood and Devonshire divisions led the declines with 48 percent and 37 percent declines, respectively.
Gang homicides also are down despite several high-profile gang-related killings, including the slaying of 17-year-old Jamiel Shaw Jr., which sparked a heated debate over race, gangs and immigration.
Bratton has attributed the drop in gang crime to the buildup of officers in high-crime areas, work with interventionist groups and cross-agency cooperation.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa echoed the chief.
"There are more cops in our neighborhood, more resources on the ground and more young people moving toward a brighter future," he said. "These numbers paint a picture of progress for our communities."
In the city, gang homicides have decreased 13 percent and in the Valley they fell 35 percent over last year. Still, the percentage of young people among the dead has risen.
Last year, Bratton and Villaraigosa, who stood side by side during Wednesday's conference, named gangs as public enemy No. 1. They created lists of the Top 10 most-targeted gangs and most-wanted gangsters and the mayor appointed the Rev. Jeff Carr to be the city's gang czar.
Villaraigosa took over the city's troubled gang program and this year launched his first initiative, Summer Night Lights, modeled after a program that ran last year in Glassell Park.
The late-night summer youth programs will run in eight parks in some of the city's roughest and poorest neighborhoods, including Pacoima. The $1 million privately funded program offers sports, art and dancing for young people who often have access to few other free activities.
The mayor is expected to unveil later this week contracts with six agencies to develop new prevention and intervention programs.
"Every day, our communities and the LAPD are working closer and better than ever before, and it's yielding better results," the mayor said.
But for some, the help can't come soon enough.
"The resources are still not there for really dropping crime, and there's unreported crime, graffiti and robberies," said Moises Carillo, who, fed up with gangs, founded the Sylmar Youth Task Force last year. "Things are on the right track. But, we still have a way to go until we have some impact."
LAPD Cmdr. Jerry Szymanski, second in charge in the Valley, said police have made hefty strides since last year. A violent-crime task force formed as part of the gang crackdown has helped reduce gang crime in tough areas, and the addition of 35 officers to the Safer Cities Initiative in Panorama City also has helped tame gang activity.
But Szymanski said the summer months - traditionally the most violent - are still ahead.
"Right now we have some pretty significant reductions but by no means are we satisfied," he said. "Statistics mean nothing to the people that were killed and their family."
rachel.uranga@dailynews.com