Skid Row Drug Dealers New Target

Intent on restoring lawfulness to skid row, Chief Bratton and Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley have partnered to implement an interagency plan that targets skid row drug dealers. The Chief and the District Attorney made the announcement on Oct. 3. The aggressive new strategy seeks to ban convicted drug dealers from the heart of skid row.

Persons arrested and convicted for narcotics-related crimes under the new initiative will be subject to a condition of probation that prohibits them from returning to the area. Those who violate this "stay away" order—effective for as long as five years in felony cases—will face incarceration. This type of injunction has also been successful in combating gangs and prostitution.

The Chief called this measure imperative to regaining control of skid row where most of the homeless population faces drug and alcohol addiction, and mental health issues. Drug dealers fuel drug use, and play a significant role in the commission of violent and property crimes. The District Attorney said the success of this initiative will be tracked, and may be implemented in other parts of Los Angeles County.

The "stay away" initiative focuses on a narcotics hot spot known as the 5^th Street Corridor, including 4^th and 5^th Streets, between Broadway and Central.

Confident in the potential of this creative, new legal tool, Chief Bratton called the "stay away" plan a dose of radiation to break up a form of cancer. He has mobilized 50 additional police officers to assist with enforcement. To further abate skid row crime, officers have regained the legal power to arrest transients sleeping on skid row between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Chief Bratton stressed that the condition of homelessness is not a crime in and of itself. Those seeking shelter and rehabilitation in skid row will not be pursued. Instead, the Department’s focus is on those who carry out unlawful behaviors, such as illegal drug sales and use, and prostitution.

The LAPD remains committed to achieving its public safety goals in the skid row area. The Chief’s latest approach to curtailing skid row drug sales is part of a strategic plan, endorsed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Comments

[Jennie]

This sounds like a good idea. I think it will work in helping to alleviate some problems. Put a stangle hold on the dealers and make it so inconvenient so that they go back to where they came from. It is my understanding that many of the dealers and buyers are not even from the area. Then once that is done, maybe the victims of drugs and those that are really ill can start to get the help they need rather than being a victim to the dealers day in and day out.

Hopefully nobody will fight this idea. Seems like whenever the LAPD finds a creative solution to try and deal with an issue, someone tries to stop it or people do nothing but criticize and complain. It is almost as if some organizations and people want to keep the down and out, down and out.

Anyway, I for one think it will work as will the additional officers and whatever other clever solutions the LAPD will come up with in the future to reduce crime. Some may say I am overly optimistic but I do believe the LAPD is going to accomplish its goal of making Skid Row safer. It will never be perfect, Skid Row has been around for many years and the issues will never completely go away but someday it may serve its intended purpose of helping those in need rather than being the Disneyland of drug dealers and hookers.

[Ryan Smith]

I am juust curious why so many police officers in the LAPD dont work patrol? I was doing some research and found articles about LAPD only having 3200 or so police officers on the street when there are over 9200 police officers on the force. The Chief says he is committed to reducing crime and cleaning up LA. What could happen if at least half the department worked the street? I was looking at other departments and more then half of the departments force work patrol. Why is the LAPD structured the way it is? Will it change? will they move people from office jobs and put them on the street? I drove by one of the stations a few days ago and observed so many police cars in the parking lot. I can only imagine what could happen to skid row and other areas if officers on the LAPD did not work behind a desk and on patrol.

[SacPD Sgt]

Ryan, this percentage is not uncommon. Everybody on patrol would work about as well as having a baseball team where everyone could hit but no one could play outfield. Detectives are essential, and most often, they aren't bound to a desk. You just don't notice them when they drive by you on the street because they are dressed just like everyone else.

[Ed O'Shea]

Hi Ryan, welcome to our (Patrol Officers) world. I would ask you yo do even more research and you will find that even less than 3200 are actually working in patrol. We have more Officers working the desk and other admin jobs than our leadership will admitt. Chief Bratton touched on it in the beginning of his term, but he lost steam in changing it. The majority of thses jobs can and should be done civilians. Your on the right path, but the leadership will only change these things when and if citizens like you make enough waves about it. We on the low end of the totem pole are not listened to. The ego's at the upper end are way inflated to listen to the rank and file Officers. Some of the things you are noticing now are the reason the rank and file are so disillusioned with our leadership.

To all my fellow Worrior Coppers, Stay Safe.

Ed O'Shea

Ed O'Shea,

I love your posts, but worrior is actualy spelled warrior.

Keep up the good work brother!

[J B]

Ed you are right on the money decrying the lack of resources (ie patrol officers) available for the most basic police service:patrol. If the citizens of this city knew the amount of officers we have assigned to implement the consent decree and to the Professional Standards Bureau (IA they have to call it a bureau meaning it is much larger than a typical patrol division) they would revolt! We have more police policing the police one a typical day than we have patrolling the entire city. This is entirely unacceptable. Not only does it put the citizens of this city at risk, it puts the officers patrolling it in danger too. When will the department and the city leaders grow a backbone and stop caving in to very vocal minority of special interest groups that drive this perversion?

[Harry]

The LASO has civilain employees working their desks taking reports. They also have some civilains riding in police cars taking reports.
On the LAPD it takes hours to complete an easy arrest report.

First- the body is taken to the police station to get the arrest approved. A booking form is completed.
Second-the arrestee is transported miles away to a jail division. There officers have numerous jail formes to complete. If the arrestee has a head ache he is seen by a doctor so they can give him asprin. If the arrestee has a more serious head ache officers have to transport him to a area hospital so a real doctor can give him asprin. Once he has his medication he is taken back to the jail division and seen again by the jail doctor. Then officers can book him. They have to complete a jail segregation form, a medical form, a rapid booking form, and then they have to wait for a jailer to type up the arrest face sheets. The process could take up to an hour or longer depending on the number of other officers at the jail waiting to do the same thing.

3rd- once the arrestee is handed off to the jailers officers return to their division station to type their arrest report. This requires numerous other forms. Evidence/property forms. Receipt for property forms, and a PCD FORM. Officers aslo have to get 3 copies of the arrestees criminal history. We used to only need one but someone thought we should make records and filing teams job easier. We also need 3 copies of what is called a CHRS wrap history of the arrestee. It shows the same thing as the criminal history but it has a cool picture of the suspect. After the forms are completed you have to complete a report check list to make sure you have all the required formes and reports. Then your partner has to initial all pages of the report.
Finally- the divisional watch commander reads you arrest report and makes changes to it as he sees fit. Then we make another copy of the report for the Probable Cause Declaration Log. And the arrigianal goes to records.
Now all of those reports have to have the incident number from the initial radio call on the bottom of the report. The arrest report also has to have FDR # on it so the federal decent decree guys can see if we are doing our jobs.
Now I'm sure I have left something out. All of this takes on average3-4 hours to complete an easy arrest. A more difficult one with a use of force,evidence, or a pusuit, could take 6 hours or more.
This department has made a mess for its officers to handle. They keep making the jobs of its patrol officers harder and longer. It also shows how long it has been since the command staff and the brass have been in the field. If they had to do this every night you could be darn sure they would make it easier and less time consuming. For the most part detectives are not seen. They are at the desks making the phone calls and filing the cases. There are too many desk officers and I believe detectives could do more handling of field investigations and field reports.

[Dave]

>I would ask you yo do even more
>research and you will find that
>even less than 3200 are actually
>working in patrol.

I noticed a recent press advisory from the LAPD which stated that at least seven senior-level LAPD personnel would be attending a press conference announcing a new traffic light downtown.

The first thought that came to my mind was: what an incredible waste of police resources. There was utterly no reason why more than one LAPD person was needed at a low-priority press conference.

To me, that underscored the problem with the LAPD. Like the LAUSD, it's top-heavy with administrative and under-staffed in the rank-and-file where it counts.

[gonzo1510]

I said the exact same thing that Hairy said when it comes to using police resources more effectively. The LASD and other agencies in the state have non-sworn personnel performing tasks that can free up officers and get them back on duty. I mentioned in one of the other threads that some depts have their ofcr's phone or record their arrest reports. the report is given to a records clerk who transcribes the report. Other agencies have their officers complete their reports from their onboard laptops. Then there are the General Services security guards who walk around acting as if they are sworn ofcr's. Why not put them to work on skid row with the B.I.D guys? If the purple shirts can ride around skid row and downtown unarmed for $10-12 and hour, then why can't the $18 an hour city guards do it ?

[laurie]

I still don't understand what the purple shirt people do. I have never seen them actually doing anything except chitchatting on their walkie talkies.

Of course, there isn't much you can do in the way of law enforcement when your key peacekeeping equipment is a bicycle, a walkie talkie and a purple shirt.

We need to see more real officers on the streets, especially here in downtown! Last week on San Julian a crazy guy was directing traffic from his wheelchair (fully blocking the intersection). No police, no purple shirts anywhere. Just a few blocks away, though, right off Flower Street, there was a movie or TV show shooting and there was all kinds of police and security. (I'm sorry, I don't know if they are Sherriff officers or LAPD, but they have motorcycles and regular black-and-white cars).

Anyway, I guess it's just frustrating to me that all the movies that shoot downtown can get (read: pay for) tons of officers to help them keep the sidewalks clear, but the city won't pay up for all the officers needed to keep the sidewalks (and intersections) clear and safe for just normal residents.

Even the purple shirt people show up for the movie shoots.

[what Harry forgot]

In speaking with another officer recently,I realize you forgot about the itemization of the arestee's property, and how you have to stand around and wait for the civilian employees to finish their personal conversations and their Snicker bars before you can leave the property with them.