CommentsRANTZ & RAVEZ-As a 50-plus-year sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department, which is recognized as one of the most professional law enforcement agencies in the world;
as a life-long resident of Los Angeles; and as a former vice-chair of the elected Charter Reform Commission and a 12-year elected member of the Los Angeles City Council, I am disgusted and appalled by the lack of respect, support and acknowledgement of the hard work, sacrifice and dedication to duty of the men and women of the LAPD now being shown by Mayor Eric Garcetti and members of the LA City Council. How dare elected City of LA officials call into question the professionalism and dedication of both sworn and civilian members of the Department while they have been the target of attacks by certain individuals and groups during these recent weeks.
Throughout their political careers, Los Angeles officials have traditionally stood with and supported law enforcement’s efforts to make LA the safest city in America. And now they desecrate the memory of the 210 LAPD officers who have given their lives protecting our once proud City of the Angels. These politicians and their colleagues, either by their comments or silence, have caved in to the make-believe notion that the LAPD and law enforcement agencies in general are responsible for racism and are against communities of color. If anyone is responsible for systematic racism it is these career politicians, including members of City’s commissions as well as other elected and appointed officials in California and nationwide, who have continued to establish planned housing developments in certain locations while neglecting minority and poor communities, including those of color.
I find it ironic that while members of the current LA City Council have been under investigation by the FBI for corruption, including R.I.C.O. violations, they are now pointing the fingers at the members of the LAPD. It is not widely known that on occasion, certain councilmembers use the LAPD for their own personal protection details, including 24-hour protection at their residences. While city officials demand expedited responses to their personal calls for service, city residents wait for extended periods of time for police response due to understaffed resources caused by the leadership at LA’s City Hall.
Mr. George Floyd died at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis and that has nothing to do with the LAPD. Mr. Floyd’s death was tragic, and every member of the LAPD immediately acknowledged this, including Chief Michel Moore. Everyone has called for an expediated investigation and swift criminal prosecution of all the officers involved. Yet somehow, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and members of the LA City Council have, by their comments or their silence, managed to erase every bit of dedicated work performed by the vast majority of police officers who bravely serve all Los Angeles communities, most importantly communities of color.
The LAPD has led the national effort for community policing. This is evidenced by the Community Police Advisory Boards, Clergy Council, Police Activity Leagues, Cadet, and Jeopardy programs along with many other community-based programs intended to engage the entire community from youths to the senior population in true partnership.
The LAPD has not been without sin over previous years. Proof of this can be found in the Federal Consent Decree that cost millions of dollars to implement and established major reforms within the Department. The LAPD emerged from this multi-million-dollar decree as a better organization and it continues to improve daily and move forward.
The LAPD has undertaken several steps to ensure proper training for all personnel. This training is not in response to recent events or protests but had already been instituted over the past number of years. Examples of this training include de-escalation, implicit bias, mental health awareness and crowd management. Strict policies are already in existence that require officers to immediately report any misconduct and take action to stop excessive force.
Additionally, the LAPD has been utilizing digital in-car video and body-worn video for a number of years. Since 1980, the LAPD has had a policy prohibiting the use of the carotid restraint, allowing its use only in situations where lethal force is necessary and justified. The LAPD has previously instituted training for all personnel to be able to identify excited delirium, as well as instituting strict policies prohibiting individuals from being placed in the prone position for an extended period of time.
As LA elected officials and others now push to reduce critical funding for the LAPD by reallocating millions of dollars, these same individuals advocate for more inmates to be released from prison and push for more lenient criminal sentencing. Los Angeles has an ever-growing homeless population that is increasingly dependent on drugs, as well as a high percentage of people suffering from mental illness. Los Angeles officials and other civic leaders will be directly responsible for subsequent increases in crime, additional victimization, and the deterioration of public trust in law enforcement.
The window to repair the damage caused by recent demonstrations, looting, fires and riotous activity is quickly as elected officials fail to defend the 10,000 sworn and 3,000 civilian employees of the LAPD – public servants who have dedicated their lives to ensure public safety while fighting bias, ensuring that everyone be treated with dignity and respect.
What about the legal obligation of people to cooperate with the police and peacefully submit to arrest without resisting? Does that matter in our society?
In any profession there will be a few bad apples, but that does not erase the hard work and dedication of the majority. The fact is there have been priests and teachers who molested children, financial experts who have stolen money and doctors who have committed malpractice. Every profession has its bad apples and a current FBI investigation shows that certain elected members and staff of the LA City Council are no different.
You cannot deny that the majority of law enforcement professionals across America are doing the right thing, serving their communities 24 hours a day. More importantly for residents of Los Angeles, the vast majority of LAPD officers do this every day, protecting and serving without bias or prejudice, all while risking and sacrificing their lives for complete strangers.
Based on logic, do we assume that since several current LA elected officials are under criminal investigation for corruption that means we should paint all with a broad brush, calling them corrupt, ineffective politicians who are stealing from the very communities they have taken an oath to protect and represent?
What many fail to recognize is that being a member of law enforcement is a noble profession, open to all people regardless of gender, race, creed or lifestyle. Law enforcement officers across this country are made up of community members. It is completely irrational to not realize that police officers who risk their lives to protect us are also our friends, family members, and neighbors. This is especially true for the LAPD, which has the best representation of community diversity among and within all ranks. The LAPD strives to achieve a department that exhibits parity with the broad community it serves.
As Mayor Eric Garcetti and other elected and appointed spineless civic leaders respond to those who call for a reduction of police funding, the Department will have no choice but to reduce the safety net for LA’s residents and businesses. Should the Department cut the S.W.A.T. Team, air support division, recruitment, in-service training, or patrol units? Should it not replace the black and white units that have been destroyed during recent riots? To be sure, any reduction of the LAPD budget will result in less protection for residents and business owners alike. Is it time to buy a gun, to arm yourself to protect your business and your family?
Cutting the LAPD budget is a huge mistake that will negatively impact every law-abiding Los Angeles resident, business owner, and guest. If you care about the safety and security of our city, get up and get involved. Let your civic leaders know that cutting funding to the LAPD is wrong and that you do not and will not support it.
Do not forget all the recent live TV news reporting on the demonstrations in and around LA which turned into riots, looting, arson, and the destruction of public and private property. Remember the sight of burning police cars. If you are someone who lost your business to looters and fire, think how much worse it could have been without the limited police and fire personnel serving you and your community. Put pressure on your elected officials to maintain public safety in Los Angeles by properly funding the LAPD and other critical public safety services for you, your family, and your community.
(Dennis P. Zine is a former and retired LAPD Supervisor, former and retired 12-year Los Angeles City Councilman and current General Manager at Bell Canyon in Ventura County. Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.)
