L.A. Homicides Highest Since 1996

By Mandalit del Barco

Published December 1, 2002 at 10:00 PM MST

Killings in Los Angeles reach a six-year high, with more than 600 homicides since January. The new police chief, William Bratton, vows to reduce the violence, much of it gang-related. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports.

Mandalit del Barco

As an arts correspondent based at NPR West, Mandalit del Barco reports and produces stories about film, television, music, visual arts, dance and other topics. Over the years, she has also covered everything from street gangs to Hollywood, police and prisons, marijuana, immigration, race relations, natural disasters, Latino arts and urban street culture (including hip hop dance, music, and art). Every year, she covers the Oscars and the Grammy awards for NPR, as well as the Sundance Film Festival and other events. Her news reports, feature stories and photos, filed from Los Angeles and abroad, can be heard on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Alt.latino, and npr.org.

See stories by Mandalit del Barco