NBC Los Angeles-
While overall crime decreased in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of murders increased by 20% this year compared to 2019, according to a report released Monday.
Between January and September 2020, 239 people were murdered in Los Angeles compared to 199 people during the same period in 2019, according to the report produced by Crosstown, a nonprofit news organization based out of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. Meanwhile, the city has seen a drop of 9.7% in overall crime.
July had the most murders in at least a decade with 40 reported homicides, a 48% increase from June, which had 27 homicides, Crosstown said. The number decreased back to 27 in August, then jumped back up to 36 in September.
The California Right 