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. Read More »

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. Read More »

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. Read More »

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. Read More »

Coming Together During Challenging Times to Honor the Fallen

While the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of people around the world and forced the cancelation of May’s memorial gatherings, it will not stop the law enforcement community from being there for one another on National Peace Officers Memorial Day and during National Police Week as we honor the brave officers killed in the line of duty both last year and throughout history, including Los Angeles Airport Police Officer Tommy Scott, who was tragically taken from us 15 years ago today. From sundown on April 28 to sunrise on April 30, the LAX pylons will proudly glow blue to honor Officer Scott’s sacrifice. Read More »