The Los Angeles County Violent Death Reporting System (LAC-VDRS) monitors the trends and circumstances of violent deaths affecting county residents. These data can inform decision-makers and program planners about ways to prevent and intervene on violence in the community, at home, and in the workplace. This system contributes to the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS).

• Collects data on violent deaths

  -          Homicides

  -          Suicides

  -          Unintentional firearm deaths

  -          Legal intervention deaths (those caused by law enforcement in the line of duty)

  -          Undetermined intent deaths (those where the cause could not be established)

• Utilizes multiple sources

  -          Death certificates

  -          Coroner/Medical Examiner reports

  -          Toxicology results

  -          Law enforcement reports

• Provides comprehensive information

  -          Who is killed (age, race/ethnicity, gender, etc.)

  -          When and where the injury occurred

  -          How the injury occurred (firearm, stabbing, fall, etc.)

  -          What drugs may have contributed (toxicology results for the victim)

  -          What circumstances may have led to the death (fight, gangs, job loss, mental health, etc.)

• Available data for Los Angeles County

  ·         2010-2015 (completed)

  ·         2016-2017 (to be completed in 2019)

Current data partners in Los Angeles County

Many agencies share data to be included in LA County VDRS.  Current partners in LA County are:

• Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner – Coroner [Link: http://mec.lacounty.gov/]

• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department [Link: http://lasd.org/index.html]

• Los Angeles Police Department [Link: http://www.lapdonline.org/]

• Long Beach Police Department [Link: http://www.longbeach.gov/police/]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds all 50 states, plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico to collect data for NVDRS. In California, the Department of Public Health (CDPH) provides funding to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to collect NVDRS data locally.

-          CDC’s NVDRS website: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdrs/index.html

-          CDPH’s NVDRS website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/SACB/Pages/
California'sViolentDeathReportingSystemCalVDRS.aspx

Los Angeles County initially participated in NVDRS from 2006-2008.  CDPH lost NVDRS funding after 2008 because of difficulties in obtaining law enforcement data, but developed their own California Electronic Violent Death Reporting System (CalEVDRS) to continue to collect available data on violent deaths throughout California.  Supported by funding from CDPH, Los Angeles County participated in CalEVDRS from 2010-2016, and when CDPH regained CDC funding in 2017, Los Angeles County again participated in NVDRS.

Scientific Publications

-          Comparison of veteran and non-veteran suicides in Los Angeles County

Presentations using LA County VDRS data

Los Angeles County staff have presented data on specific violent death topics at state and national conferences, including:

• Comparison of gang and non-gang homicides

• Examining incidents where a homicide is followed by the suicide of the suspect

•  Examining suicides that were witnessed by another individual

• Comparing suicide victims who made specific threats vs less specific suicidal statements

• Examining suicides with a reported intimate partner problem

For more information about the Los Angeles County Violent Death Reporting System, please contact: Isabelle Sternfeld, isternfeld@ph.lacounty.gov