Despite news out of City Hall this month that crime was down in 2012 for the 10th-straight year, there's a felonious hot-spot of ill behavior right in the middle of the Westside.

The community is called Del Rey. And while it has never been a crime-free neighborhood on a par with Bel Air, we were surprised to learn that, amid City Hall's back-slapping about low arrest stats, Del Rey has seen a minor explosion:

According to the LAPD violent crime in the Del Rey area, which is east of Marina Del Rey, north of Playa Del Rey, and south of Mar Vista, was up nearly 10 percent in 2012.


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The department's Pacific Division reported the statistics this week.

Aggravated assaults went from 22 in 2011 to 37 last year, the department says.

Property crimes were up 11.3 percent; rising rates of burglary and vehicle thefts contributed to that statistic.

The area comprised the core turf of the Culver City Boyz gang, but it's also home to much gentrification.

The good news: Robberies were down 23 percent last year, the LAPD says.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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