What improvements would you like to see on the Homicide Report?

July 22, 2015, 6:24 p.m.

The Homicide Report has been through many changes since it launched in 2007, but the mission remains the same: telling the stories of homicide victims in Los Angeles County.

The contributions of readers and the communities we cover are crucial to our mission. In fact, the original map of homicides was created by a reader, which led to one of The Times' first interactive mapping efforts. And the constant flow of comments ensures that discussion on the site remains strong.

Over the last few months, we've made some improvements to the site -- making it easier to sort victims by age group and adding a filter for homicides in the city of L.A. Now we're planning for features to add to the site in the future.

So we'd like to hear from you: How do you use the site now, and how would you like to be able to use it in the future? What would you change? What should we leave as is? Is there anything we should make more prominent or less? Do you have suggestions for the map or the homicide filters? Do you ever have trouble finding information?

Let us know by leaving a comment or sending an email.

-- Armand Emamdjomeh

22 reader comments

1. More timely updates like it was a few years ago before this blog almost ceased to exist.

2. Add photos of the victims if available. (Like it was several years ago before the main writer quit working on this blog)

3. Have a "submit button" which would allow readers to send information on murders that are not on the homicide report. Of course the information would have to be fact-checked by a LA TImes staffer. There have been several murders that I am aware of, that were never posted on this blog.

All in all, this is a great research tool. I thank the LA Times for hosting it.

I am a hard working, home owning parent in South Los Angeles and often worry about my children. I use this site to keep me informed of what & where violent acts are occurring on the Los Angeles streets. That way, I can avoid those areas and keep my kids out of those areas.

Thank you for your attention. I hope some of the ideas us readers have posted will be implemented.

— Kev Jackson July 29, 2015 at 12:25 p.m.

1) Fix the programming of your email communications to include the Time-Warner email system rather than limiting it to M/S Outlook. T-W does not handle Outlook so I and other T-W emailers cannot use it.
2) The criminal case file of every murder case with one or more defendants has an action number and tangible manila file folder somewhere that gathers all documents filed on the case. That file and 100% of its contents is a public record. Is that file yet posted online anywhere? If so, the LAT should include links to that file in The Homicide Report as well as all news items so the public can read quick and easy what is updated in that file. If it is not yet online, the Los Angeles Times should agitate to get it there ASAP since we are deprived of the convenience of reading something we could readily see should we get in our cars, drive to the court, pay to park, and take an elevator to wherever that file is and retrieve it. In this day and age that is not the way things like “homicide files” should be.
3) HOMICIDE: The times and all its writers should take care to insure that when a “homicide” is disputed by anyone that should be revealed. Some homicides are not murders and that fact should be shown to be either that it was resolved one way or the other, or that it is still in dispute as a self-defense homicide or a pending self-defense or by accident claims.
4) BIFURCATE THE REPORT: by launching a partition that would be limited to recommendations by readers/writers about needed upgrades in the system. As everybody who is anybody and anybody is everybody, we all know that homicides are a lot like immigration in that they are highly charged with POLITICS. Although nobody has yet put forth an acceptable definition of politics, other than Aristotle, someday that will change. Nevertheless, in the meanwhile readers of the LAT who want to, should be able to register their views with some concrete things needed to be done which are not now mentioned because either nobody before thought of them, or willfully suppressed because of disputes on the politics of the idea. If you want more ideas on this one just let me know and I will work on that one.
/s/ Kyle Ballard

— Kyle Ballard July 24, 2015 at 9:17 a.m.

Thank you Nicole and staff for the excellent work you do. I am on your page every single week and I am so thankful for your maps, stats and geographic layers.

1) I would like a map of all the "alleged and presumed" gangs thought out LA County starting with South LA. Please create this as layer and add it to your already excellent maps.

2) If possible identify WHO is the responding law enforcement agency in a layer to your map? Sheriff versus LAPD, etc.

3) PLEASE add information on how many patrol cars are assigned to which areas. For example South LA Station has # vehicles and out of those what # are assigned to what areas include unincorporated areas of LA county and all the cities.

4) Make your unincorporated LA county areas a different color on the maps please. A lot of people do not know or understand jurisdictional boundaries.

Thank you again for your continuous research and hard work. Even though some community members may feel you are "making their community look bad" I am 100% in awe of your work. The homicide report is an excellent resource to your readers.

— Sofia Kay July 23, 2015 at 2:24 p.m.

The Homicide Report

What improvements would you like to see on the Homicide Report?

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