The major employee union for the Los Angeles Police Department wants to have officers divert over twenty different sorts of calls to other city departments so they can concentrate on more severe crimes.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League plans to inform city negotiators that it is willing to allow other city departments or nonprofit organisations to respond to calls about dangerous dog complaints where “no attack is in progress,” panhandling, unlawful sidewalk vending, urinating in public, mental health episodes where there is no threat of violence, and so forth, as part of its upcoming contract negotiations.
According to the union, such a change would free up cops to concentrate more on violent crime, solve more cases, and boost officer morale.
Union’s President’s Statement Over The Issue
Mayor Karen Bass’s spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But, Tim McOsker, a council member and member of the city’s influential negotiating committee, said he is looking forward to working with the union on the city’s “unarmed response” programme.
The list includes requests for assistance that “reasonably and safely don’t necessitate an armed officer,” according to McOsker, a lawyer who previously represented the LAPD union.
The plan comes at the same time as initiatives by some council members to remove from the LAPD some responsibilities, like as traffic enforcement and nonviolent mental health calls. Last year, two of the council’s more recent members demanded that the city divert funding away from the department and into other social services.
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What Is league’s Argument?
The agency has lost around 800 policemen since the COVID-19 breakout in 2020, according to the league’s months-long argument. The union stated in its proposal that “certain requests for service may not need an armed response.”
As a result, the union is ready to stop sending LAPD officers to clean up homeless camps unless a city agency requests their deployment. The majority of “welfare checks” would end at the public’s request, according to officers.
Also, they would stop responding to requests involving quality of life issues like illegal dumping, unlawful use of fireworks, loud gatherings, and public intoxication.
The council wants to invest $1 million in an Unarmed Response and Safety Office. On the campaign trail, Bass pledged to establish a public safety office independent of the LAPD.
Yet, the union has made it clear that it is unwilling to abandon some responsibilities. Despite advocating for other authorities to respond to non-injury traffic accidents, the league plans to keep its overall traffic enforcement responsibilities in light of the rising number of pedestrian, bicycle, and car-related fatalities in the city.
The Department of Transportation is primarily responsible for several of the calls included in the union’s plan, such as illegally parked autos and abandoned vehicles.
The city’s Executive Employee Relations Committee, which consists of the mayor, Paul Krekorian, Curren Price, Bob Blumenfield, and McOsker, would need to hear the union’s proposal. The City Council must eventually approve any employment contract.
The list in its entirety can be found below:
1. Non-criminal and/or non-violent homeless and quality of life-related calls;
2. Non-criminal mental health calls;
3. Non-violent juvenile disturbance or juveniles beyond parental control calls; (won’t go to school);
4. Calls to schools unless the school administration is initiating a call for an emergency police response or making a mandatory reporting notification;
5. Public Health Order violations;
6. Non-violent calls for service at City parks;
7. Under the influence calls (alcohol and/or drugs) where there is no other crime in progress;
8. Welfare Check – WELCK;
• Non-Criminal;
• Courtesy request from Drs/Hospitals;
9. Non-Fatal Vehicle Accidents – 1181/1182/1183/1179;
• Non-DUI/Non-Criminal; Property damage only (including City property), Verbal disputes involving non-injury traffic collisions, refusing to share ID at traffic collisions;
10. Parking violations;
11. Driveway tow;
12. Abandoned vehicles;
13. Person dumping trash;
14. Vicious and dangerous dog complaints where no attack is in progress;
15. Calls for service for loud noise, loud music, or ‘party’ calls that are anonymous or have no victim;
16. Landlord/Tenant Disputes;
17. Loitering/Trespassing With No Indication Of Danger;
18. Code 30 Alarm Response (except 211 silent alarm);
19. Syringe Disposal;
20. DOT Stand-By;
21. Homeless Encampment Clean-Ups, unless officers are requested or prescheduled;
22. Panhandling;
23. Illegal Vending;
24. Illegal Gambling;
25. Fireworks;
26. Defecating/Urinating In Public;
27. Drinking in Public;
28. Suspicious circs-possible dead body, where no indication of foul play
