LAPD’s Recruiting Woes Laid Bare: Only 30 Officers Per Class, Analysis Shows

The Los Angeles Police Department has graduated an average of 31 recruits in its past 10 academy classes, a Times review shows, about half the number needed to keep pace with Mayor Karen Bass’ ambitious plan to reach 9,500 officers. The smaller-than-hoped-for classes — coupled with the number of experienced officers who are retiring or leaving for other jobs — have fueled speculation around City Hall and LAPD headquarters about whether Bass will reevaluate the department’s staffing needs in her new budget proposal, due Monday. City officials have said they need to hire about 60 new officers a month to overcome the force’s attrition rate. The mayor gave no timetable for her police hiring plan. But the statistics indicate that increasing the size of the force from its current 8,832 sworn officers to 9,500 is unlikely to happen soon. Given the city’s steadily worsening financial picture, some leaders and progressive activists argue that it makes little sense to keep funding the department for staff it may not be able to hire. A Times analysis of graduation class data and news releases posted to the department’s website found that 309 recruits graduated from the LAPD academy since July 1. In the same span, the department lost 552 officers to retirement, dismissal or resignation — with another 113 expected to leave by June 30, the end of the budget year, according to a spokeswoman.

Los Angeles Times

LAPD Officers Injured During Fight In South Los Angeles

Two Los Angeles Police officers were injured and two people are in custody Saturday after a large gathering of juveniles turned into a massive brawl in South Los Angeles that drew a large police response. LAPD officers were called at 8:15 p.m. Friday to Compton Avenue and 53th Street, near the Slauson Recreation Center, regarding a large presence of juveniles who had begun fighting, LAPD Officer Drake Madison told City News Service. At approximately 9:30 p.m., additional officers responded regarding reports that a gun had been brandished and an LAPD officer had been attacked by members of the large crowd, Madison said. Officers formed skirmish lines and began to disperse the crowd. The officers and several of the participants were taken to a hospital in unknown conditions. A 12-year-old girl and her mother were also injured during the altercation. “There are still a lot of officers at the scene and they will be there for several hours,” Madison said.

NBC 4

Police Shoot Man Who Allegedly Ran At Officer With Knife

A 32-year-old man is in stable condition from gunshot wounds suffered while allegedly raising a knife to a police officer in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, authorities said Sunday. Officers were initially dispatched to the area of San Pedro and Sixth streets at about 2:20 p.m. Thursday regarding a woman possibly being sexually assaulted, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Officers determined that the possible suspect was no longer at the location and requested to be taken off the call. As they were standing near their patrol vehicle, Kyle Harpt — who police said was not a suspect in the sexual assault and had no connection to the radio call the officers were investigating — allegedly approached within several feet of the officers while holding a knife in his right hand before suddenly running toward an officer. Harpt was struck by gunfire and collapsed on the sidewalk. Paramedics who were already in the area began rendering aid and transported him to a hospital in stable condition. Harpt was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and an 8-inch folding knife with a 3-and-a-half-inch blade was recovered at the scene of the shooting, police added.

MyNewsLA

Los Angeles City Council Looks To Expand LAPD Surveillance Program

The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion seeking to expand a proposed surveillance program that would give the Los Angeles Police Department real-time access to private and business' security cameras. The council on Friday voted 12-1 in favor of the motion, which instructed LAPD to report back on their plans to expand their surveillance program and about the creation of real-time crime centers from an initial three divisions to 21. Additionally, other departments related to this matter are expected to report back on efforts to integrate feeds from the city's security cameras into these real-time crime centers. While Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez was the lone "no" vote. Her colleagues Nithya Raman and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote. Currently, more than 300 law enforcement agencies across the country, including New York City and Detroit, utilize what are known as real-time crime centers, which use security cameras to prevent and interrupt crime as it happens. Law enforcement agencies have created facilities with access to cameras such as Automated License Plate Readers, security cameras at private businesses and residences, as well as existing Department of Transportation cameras installed at large intersections -- all in one location. Individuals and business owners would be required to opt into the program in order to give the LAPD permission to access their live footage.

ABC 7

Woman Stabbed In Neck At Studio City Metro Station

An investigation is underway Monday after a woman was stabbed in the neck at the Studio City Metro station, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.  The stabbing was reported around 5 a.m. The woman was stabbed on the platform, police said. She was taken to the hospital for treatment. Her condition is unknown. No suspect information was released. Anyone with information is asked to call police. 

FOX 11

Suspect Arrested In Break-In At Home Of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass

A 29-year-old Los Angeles man smashed a window and broke into the home of Mayor Karen Bass early Sunday morning, police said. Ephraim Matthew Hunter was arrested without incident on suspicion of burglary around 6:40 a.m., according to Capt. Kelly Muniz, the Los Angeles Police Department’s chief spokeswoman. Bass was home at the time of the incident. Nothing was taken, and no injuries were reported, authorities said. “This morning at about 6:40 a.m., an intruder broke into Getty House through a window. Mayor Bass and her family were not injured and are safe. The Mayor is grateful to LAPD for responding and arresting the suspect,” Zach Seidl, deputy mayor of communications, said in a statement. Getty House, in the 600 block of Irving Boulevard in Windsor Square, is the official residence of the mayor of Los Angeles. Hunter is being held in lieu of $50,000, according to jail records. A case will likely be presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office this week.

Los Angeles Times

LAPD Needs Help Finding The Victims And Suspect Of A Street Takeover Hit-and-Run

The Los Angeles Police Department needs help finding both the suspect and the victims involved in a hit-and-run crash during a street takeover. The sideshow happened less than a week ago, on April 13, at the intersection of Machester Avenue and San Pedro Street near Avalon Gardens in South LA. Detectives said a group of cars and a group of about 100 onlookers packed into the intersection late at night. At one point, a red Infinity G37 started doing donuts in the middle of the group. The driver lost control and hit several spectators, including two young women. Investigators said one of them appeared to be bleeding from her head and knocked her out. Bystanders eventually picked her up and took her away from the street takeover as the driver took off. The detective in charge of the investigation said no one called 911 to get the woman help. "We started looking into it and are trying to figure out who this person is," Det. Ryan Moreno said. Moreno said there is a "slight chance" that the girl may have died. "We don't know who she is, where she is or how serious her injuries are," he said. "We want to try and identify this person to make sure she is OK." The city is offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the identity, arrest and conviction of the driver. 

CBS 2

LAPD Searching For 39-Year-Old Missing Man

Police are searching Monday for a 39-year-old man who disappeared from downtown L.A. Manuel Palacio is Hispanic. He was last seen on Feb. 25 in downtown Los Angeles. Palacio was last seen wearing a gray thermal and gray shoes with a black stripe. Palacio’s ears are pierced and he has a the name “Adele” tattooed on his chest over his heart. Palacio needs medication for an unspecified condition. His family told police that it was out of character for him to lose contact with them. Anyone who knows his whereabouts was asked to the LAPD’s missing persons unit at 213-996-1800. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

MyNewsLA

Suspect In Killing Of Idaho Deputy Fatally Shot By Police, Authorities Say

An Idaho sheriff’s deputy died after being shot by a driver during a traffic stop, and a man believed to be the shooting suspect was later fatally shot by police, authorities said Sunday. Deputy Tobin Bolter, 27, was shot as he approached the driver’s window at about 9 p.m. Saturday in Boise, and the suspect took off, Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford said Sunday. Bolter was the first sheriff’s deputy in the county to be killed in the line of duty, Clifford said. Boise police found the shooting suspect’s vehicle unoccupied about a half hour after the shooting, and found a man believed to be the suspect outside a home, Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said. The police’s tactical unit responded and tried for some time to get the man to surrender, Winegar said. Some nearby residents were told to evacuate but others in the area were warned to stay inside, he said. Shortly after midnight the man fired at officers, and one officer returned fire and shot him, Winegar said. The officers gave him aid but he was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, he said. The man’s name has not been released but authorities said he was 65 years old and wanted for arrest for a misdemeanor.

Associated Press

Firefighters Put Out Boyle Heights Pallet Fire

Firefighters battled a pallet fire Sunday evening in Boyle Heights. The blaze was reported about 6:35 p.m. at a lot located at 2900 E. 12th St., east of South Soto Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters arriving at the scene encountered heavy smoke and an exposed concrete wall, along with pallet storage and multiple vehicles, according to the LAFD. They used hoses to extinguish the flames within 10 minutes. An LAFD hazmat team responded to handle batteries found at the scene. No injuries were reported, and the cause was under investigation.

MyNewsLA

L.A. City Council, Weighing Cuts In Vacant City Jobs, Gives Workers 5 Years Of Raises

When Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass struck a salary deal last year with the union that represents police officers, her strategy quickly drew dire warnings from the City Council’s left flank. Bass, looking to beef up recruitment at the Los Angeles Police Department, negotiated a package of pay increases that’s expected to consume an extra $1 billion over four years. At a news conference outside City Hall, Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martínez described the deal as financially risky, warning that it would threaten other city services. All three voted no. On Wednesday, the council voted on another set of raises, this time for civilian city employee unions. Those increases are expected to consume an extra $3.5 billion over five years. But this time around, the three council members, who make up the body’s superprogressive bloc, did not voice cost concerns. Soto-Martínez, during a public hearing on the salary agreements, instead offered his congratulations to the civilian city unions that negotiated the new contracts. A day later, he told The Times he’s not worried that the increases will seriously hurt the city budget. Once council members approved the LAPD raises, they had an obligation to strike similar deals with other employee unions, Soto-Martínez said. “It would be unfair to say to these [civilian city] workers that you don’t deserve to have the same thing,” he said. Hernandez, for her part, acknowledged that the city is facing “a tough budget season.” But she put the blame for any bumpiness on raises for police, not those for other city workers. 

Los Angeles Times

LA City Council Approves $15 Million Deal To Assist Tenants In Chinatown Apartment

The Los Angeles City Council Friday approved a program to aid Chinatown apartment building tenants who have been fighting rent hikes since 2020. Council members voted 14-0 in favor of the 10-year deal that will require the city to spend about $15 million to provide subsidies for dozens of units at the property known as the Hillside Villa Apartments, a 124-unit building constructed in 1989. The proposal came out of negotiations between the Los Angeles Housing Department and the landlord, 636 NHP. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez was absent during the vote. As part of the agreement, Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the First District, which includes Chinatown, secured a six-month extension for tenants before a six-year repayment period is set to begin. "Throughout this process, my goal has always been to ensure that the tenants at Hillside Villa remain housed, and I believe this agreement is critical to achieving that goal," Hernandez said.

ABC 7

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education.