Pam Bondi makes 'crime' claims about Culver City; Mayor says stats say otherwise. Locals also disagree with AG

Bondi's Culver City crime claims puzzles residents

Trump administration's Pam Bondi made a claim that Culver City was among the Southern California spots where there are "violent, dangerous people." Bondi's claim raised eyebrows among residents and Culver City leaders. 

"It was so shocking," said Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza after learning Attorney General Pam Bondi referenced the city during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. 

Puza said he wasn’t watching the hearing live. Instead, he began receiving texts alerting him that Culver City had been mentioned. "Culver City? Like, what are you talking about?" Puza recalled.

The moment came during an intense back-and-forth between Bondi and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents Culver City. Kamlager-Dove was pressing Bondi about the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. "Stop taking down reports that you know the American people need to know about. There are violent, dangerous people with real threats," Kamlager-Dove said during the hearing. Bondi responded by saying, "There are in your district! Her district includes Culver City, and she’s not talking about any crime in her district."

Longtime resident and realtor Julio Leyva called Bondi’s comment "an insult" and "a deflection." He said, "It is a safe place to raise a family. It is convenient, it’s healthy, it’s a proud city, and I’m so happy to live here." Leyva has lived in Culver City for 25 years. Several residents said they believe the focus of that exchange should have remained on the Epstein files rather than shifting to crime in Culver City. "There’s no way that she actually wants to address any of the issues that she’s been asked about, so deflect, deflect, deflect," said Culver City resident Marize Alphonso.

Local perspective:

Mayor Puza pointed to recent crime statistics, saying overall crime in Culver City was down 9.7% in 2024. Through the third quarter of 2025, crime was down another 6.1% compared to the same period the previous year. "We are a very inclusive, welcoming city," he said. "We’re home to TikTok, Pinterest, Apple Studios, Amazon Studios, Sony Studios, but I like to define the city not by the number of corporations, but by the sense of belonging and community." The city’s full year-end crime report is expected in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, Puza says Attorney General Pam Bondi is welcome to visit Culver City and see the community firsthand.

The other side:

The DOJ sent FOX 11 the following statement, "The Attorney General was hoping to discuss crime and Department of Justice activity in Rep. Kamlager-Dove’s district, including an August 2025 case in which DOJ prosecutors federally charged a former Culver City government employee for coercing a 7-year-old into creating child sexual abuse material. Rep. Kamlager-Dove unfortunately showed no interest in discussing public safety in and around her district, where the DOJ also recently charged 11 people with operating a minor sex trafficking ring on the Figueroa Corridor."