The Los Angeles Police Department seems to be taking the possibility of a state release of prisoners starting Jan. 25 seriously. California is under a federal order to release 40,000 prisoners, nearly one in four in the state, to relieve overcrowding, and the U.S. Supreme Court this week rejected a state appeal to stop the floodgates from opening. But another appeal is running its way through the system, and it's not clear if any convicts will go free by Jan. 25.

Still, the LAPD is preparing for the worst. Chief Jim McDonnell told the city Police Commission Tuesday that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told the department a release of 18,000 convicts is planed for Jan. 25, with with 5,940 of them headed for Los Angeles County.

According to a summary of his statement, "The Department has established a Parole Tracking Unit that will concentrate on the Skid Row area and all areas have Parole Outreach meetings which promotes interaction with parolees. The Department is also working with CDCR to apprehend parole offenders and Real-Time Analysis and Critical Response Division will track parolees who are outfitted with GPS tracking devices."