CommentsJUST THE FACTS-I am pushing my article on the Los Angeles Police Commission to a later date due to the “rants” I received about my last piece in CityWatch on the Second Amendment and guns.
My last article about the second amendment and guns really brought out the anti-gun community of our city – all those do-gooders that believe guns kill and not the people that pull the trigger, committing robbery, murder and other vicious crimes. These are crimes that impact the innocent and unarmed public of our region and America.
My comments simply pointed out that, given all the gun stores that closed in anti-gun San Francisco and considering the anti-gun attitude among Los Angeles’ elected officials, it might be time to consider purchasing a gun for your protection and the protection of your family. Time may be running out before more restrictions are imposed on the few remaining gun stores in Los Angeles. I wrote this article after my neighbor, a liberal Democrat and staunch Obama supporter, contacted me about purchasing a gun. He feared for his family after the power in our neighborhood was knocked off for many hours and was scheduled to be off for many more evening hours. This man is now the owner of a handgun and he has learned how to use it. He tells me that this has given him the confidence he needs to protect himself and his family.
While many choose not to provide protection for themselves and their families with the ownership of a gun, I respect that and can only say that I hope you are not the next victim of a violent crime that impacts you or your loved ones – crimes like home invasion robbery that we frequently read about in the news.
Talking about crime, the latest Los Angeles statistics are gaining attention in the news. Unlike Chicago with an 80% increase in shootings throughout the city and a 90% drop in police stops of individuals, Los Angeles is struggling to maintain a strong visible presence on the streets of our city. But that mission is becoming more difficult as the LAPD shrinks in size. If you are interested in joining the LAPD or any of the local police agencies including the CHP, this is a perfect time to apply for a job. There are many openings and very few takers.
The LAPD is currently budgeted for 10,000 officers, but their current deployment is at 9878 – that his 122 officers short of the mark. Looking at the 9878 officer level, you must reduce it by the number of officers that are at any given time on vacation, sick, injured on duty, assigned to administrative duties and working jail details. In reality, the LAPD field force is much less than 9800 officers to protect and serve our sprawling city of over four million people.
With the homeless, gangs and all the other social and crime issues facing Los Angeles, to be warned provides us an opportunity to be prepared.
(Dennis P. Zine is a 33-year member of the Los Angeles Police Department and former Vice-Chairman of the Elected Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission, a 12-year member of the Los Angeles City Council and a current LAPD Reserve Officer who serves as a member of the Fugitive Warrant Detail assigned out of Gang and Narcotics Division. He writes Just the Facts for CityWatch. You can contact him at [email protected].) Photo: Breitbart. Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
