Violent crime increased in Los Angeles for the third straight year as police tried to stem a rash of homicides and gang-related shootings while dealing with a growing homeless population.

With more than 290 people killed in the city this year, homicides also rose for the third year in a row. Still, the city remains far safer than a decade ago, when 480 people were killed and there were 46% more robberies than this year.

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But supporters of Prop. 47 dispute the theory that crime increases are connected to the measure. Misdemeanors can still result in sentences of up to a year in jail, and it is up to police officers and prosecutors to enforce those penalties, said Michael Romano, a lecturer at Stanford Law School.

“The idea that Prop. 47 has been responsible for an increase in crime in California over the past year or two is fake news, as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “There’s not one shred of evidence supporting the idea that Prop. 47 has had any impact on crime one way or another.”