The two websites are related in that the LA Times borrows data on homicides and other crimes from the LAPD crime mapping page. In the past, the former reported independently, often finding discrepancies in the way that the LAPD reported data on crimes. However, today, the LA Times crime page is a replica of the data contained in the LAPD page with insignificant differences in the two reports. Consequently, therefore, it is not surprising that the two sites have almost similar reports regarding homicides in the wider Los Angeles County. However, they also have differences largely in their manner of reporting. Consequently, the number of homicides reported in the two websites differs significantly.

The LAPD’s data on homicides is quite limited showing that only 17 homicides have been reported over the past year. This is in contrast to data on the LA Times which show that over 644 people were killed in the past one year. In addition, data from the LAPD website does not extend to cover last year’s homicides. On the other hand, the LA Times adequately covers this data with some of the most hit regions being the South LA and Compton. Evidently, data on the two websites are different owing to honesty in reporting with the LAPD targeting to underestimate the problem of crime in the county. However, the nature of reporting is similar in that the regions depicted as having the mots cases of homicide are constant.

The websites are quite informative with reference to the crimes reported in the county of Los Angeles by the LAPD. In fact, almost all the crimes that happen within the locality are reported in either or both of the two websites. This means that almost all crimes find their way on one of the websites thus providing a deeper understanding of the situation in the county. However, the difference between data on the two websites has taught me the importance of data distortion in order to achieve desired outcomes. The LAPD has great motivations to portray that the county is safe thus ending up underestimating the numbers (Johnson et al, p 362). I was very much surprised to realize that only a few locations within the county have data on homicides with others having no cases reported. Also, some of the cases of homicide reported by external parties did not find their way into the LAPD website. Moreover, data is skewed with regards to the regions that are most hit with homicides. Both websites portray some few regions as being the most prone thus depicting them as the most insecure.

I am deeply convinced that Steve Herbert would not agree with the reports from the two websites. Police departments manifest their power through territorial and space control (Herbert, p 16). This scenario is widely evidenced in the reporting of crimes by the LAPD to reflect only data that they seem to approve. In addition, data reported is skewed to reflect a scenario where only a few sections of county are faced with insecurity. However, part of the insecurity within the region is perpetrated by the police officers through the use of brutal force. Accordingly, LAPD is riddled with these tendencies resulting in the murder of hundreds of people annually (Reinhold, p. 10). However, most of these murders are concealed and their reporting is never done.

Works cited

Herbert, Steven K. Policing Space: Territoriality and the Los Angeles Police Department. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. Print.

Johnson, James H., et al. “The Los Angeles rebellion: A retrospective view.” Economic Development Quarterly 6.4 (1992): 356-372.

Reinhold, Robert. “Riots in Los Angeles: The thin blue line; surprised, police react slowly as violence spreads.” New York Times (1992): A1.

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