Responses to building and safety complaints vary widely across L.A.

When Angelenos phone the city to complain about illegal construction, trash piling up next door or other building nuisances, some parts of town have gotten a faster reaction from building inspectors than have others, a Times analysis of city data shows.

The delays have been greatest in eastern Los Angeles, where nearly a quarter of code enforcement complaints languished at least three months without a response. That was twice the comparable rate on the Westside and four times that found in South Los Angeles, according to the analysis, which spanned the period from January 2011 to July 2014. Central L.A., where 18% of complaints studied failed to receive a response within 90 days, was the closest to eastern Los Angeles in terms of delays. Read more