LAAPOA Says “Nope” to Maggard’s Leadership
LAAPOA’s strong disdain for the leadership of Deputy Executive Director of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security David L. Maggard Jr. is no secret. Since he first joined the City of Los Angeles in 2015 as the assistant chief of LAXPD, we have repeatedly called attention to his questionable management style. However, despite our concerns, in the five years of his employment, he has been promoted twice — from assistant chief to chief in 2016, and then from chief to his current director position in 2019.
Surge in Violence Shows Cost of Defunding Police
A small sign of a return to normalcy seemed to peek through over the Fourth of July weekend as families gathered by the pool and barbecue to celebrate the birth of this great country. But in cities all over the nation, a surge of gun violence over the holiday weekend gave citizens a bitter taste of what life may be like if policymakers continue to bow to extreme demands to defund the police. In Atlanta, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency and activated 1,000 National Guard members following an increase in shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that injured 31 people and killed five, including an 8-year-old girl.
Enforcing Street Food Vending During COVID-19
As coronavirus restrictions begin to ease up, certain businesses and venues across the country are reopening their doors to serve the public while adhering to social distancing and local and national health guidelines. During this time, many cities have stepped up to help business owners navigate, transition and adapt to the “new normal”; however, in the city of Los Angeles, a sizeable group of business owners were initially left out of reopening discussions — the city’s 50,000 street vendors. The omission creates a complicated enforcement challenge for police.
Defunding Police Is Not the Answer
Following nationwide protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the Los Angeles City Council introduced a motion to cut $150 million from the LAPD budget — a decision so apparently spontaneous and unilateral that the association representing the department’s command officers had to hear about it on Twitter, without any opportunity to discuss or address the issue. On June 8, the Los Angeles Times editorial board opined that this should be only the beginning of a process to slash the city’s policing budget. This is a dangerous and ill-thought-out idea that will bring further damage to the communities it purports to help and places the entire city’s safety at risk.
Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste, Part 3: Releasing Prisoners Early? Be Careful What You Wish For
As Americans continue to fear for their job security, health and financial future during these uncertain times, the coronavirus pandemic has caused yet another thing for citizens to worry about — their safety. As victims and law enforcement officials warned would be the case after states announced the release of thousands of inmates as a way to slow the spread of the coronavirus, repeat offenders have wasted little time in taking advantage of their newfound freedom by wreaking havoc on their communities and committing similar — or worse — offenses than the ones that originally landed them in jail in the first place.
Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste, Part 2: The Zero-Bail Fail
Attempts to reform the bail system have been brewing in California for years. Back in 2017, LAAPOA spoke out against the flawed SB 10, which eliminated the state’s pretrial cash bail system and replaced it with a “risk-based release and detention system.” The bill was signed into law in 2018, but implementation was put on hold after opponents collected enough signatures to qualify for a statewide referendum in 2020. More than six months before voters had a chance to weigh in, however, zero bail became a reality anyway — thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste, Part 1: The Challenge of Enforcing Social Distancing
COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of our lives, including public safety. Law enforcement working the front lines of the pandemic have been inundated with a new set of challenges that have made their already difficult jobs even more difficult, stressful and dangerous. In particular, statewide shutdowns and shelter-in-place orders across the country have forced officers, park rangers and other public servants to perform the near-impossible task of enforcing social distancing guidelines prescribed by health officials.