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Shootings by LAPD double in ‘alarming’ trend

Officers have opened fire 45 times this year compared to 23 times during the same period last year

By Kate Mather
Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The new president of the Los Angeles Police Commission called Tuesday for improvements in the way the LAPD polices the city, citing what he called an “alarming” rise in shootings by officers and a “crisis of confidence” in the department among the city’s minority residents.

President Matt Johnson unveiled a road map for the LAPD that focused on two key goals: reducing L.A.'s rising crime and the instances in which officers use force.

To accomplish that, Johnson requested an extensive analysis of incidents when LAPD officers have used force and how that compares to other major police departments. He has also asked for reviews of the LAPD’s new body cameras, training and less-lethal equipment, like Tasers and bean-bag shotguns.

Johnson said he hoped the information presented in the reports would “guide us how and where we can improve the department.”

“Despite the progress the LAPD has made, we are living in challenging times. The LAPD, like police departments across our country, is facing a crisis of confidence with minority communities, particularly African Americans,” Johnson said. “As a result of both real and perceived racial disparities in policing, there are deepening wounds in Los Angeles and cities across our country.”

“My goal,” he continued, “is to use these challenges as turning points and make the LAPD the model for the entire nation.”

Johnson said he believed extensive training and tactical changes could reduce the number of shootings by officers. He said officers have opened fire 45 times this year compared to 23 times during the same period last year.

A fatal shooting Monday at Lake Balboa marked the 34th time that a police shooting this year has resulted in a death or injury. Nineteen people have been killed. Last year, officers shot 26 people, 18 fatally. The number of people shot by LAPD officers fluctuated in previous years: 35 people were shot in 2013, 29 the year before and 47 in 2011.

Johnson, the city’s newest police commissioner, joined the civilian board nearly two months ago and was elected its president. At his first meeting, he said he intended to set forth specific goals after hearing from the public and police officers about the LAPD.

In his remarks Tuesday, Johnson praised many LAPD initiatives: the community-policing model used in some of the city’s housing projects, the implementation of body cameras and wider distribution of Tasers.

But Johnson also said he would like to see more bean-bag shotguns distributed to officers to better maximize the effectiveness of less-lethal options. Although the LAPD’s new de-escalation training was an “encouraging start,” Johnson said, there must be “enthusiastic acceptance” at every level of the department for it to be effective.

“Culture and habits do not change overnight,” he said. “We will have to reward excellence and hold accountable those who do not comply. We cannot expect to change behavior if there are not real consequences for those found to be out of policy.”

Although Johnson’s agenda focused on improving the LAPD, he called on others for help. “Strong, effective oversight” by the Police Commission was necessary, he said, along with support from the community.

“This work requires everyone in Los Angeles to accept more responsibility,” he said. “Respect is a two-way street and communities and police in Los Angeles must work together. Though much work lies ahead, the changes we make in our city will serve as an example to other cities facing the same issues.”

Johnson’s agenda was praised at Tuesday’s commission meeting, drawing support from the three other commissioners in attendance and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who said his department “absolutely and enthusiastically” supported Johnson’s initiatives.

Beck said later that he and Johnson “share a vision for what needs to happen in not only the LAPD but in all of law enforcement.”

“It’s exactly where the department wants to go. It’s where I’ve tried to lead the department over the last six years,” Beck said. “But that’s a constant evolution. You’re never done. ... We have a ways to go, and this agenda will help us get there.”

Johnson’s remarks also drew support from those who attended Tuesday’s meeting, although some of the Police Commission’s most vocal critics were not there when he outlined his agenda. The board recessed its meeting earlier and cleared the room after one activist spoke past her allocated time limit and refused to leave the room after warnings from Johnson to do so.

The group of activists, many of whom are affiliated with the local chapter of Black Lives Matter, filed out of the room after briefly chanting, “Shut it down!” They moved into the lobby of the LAPD’s downtown headquarters and refused to leave, prompting police to declare an unlawful assembly.

Most of the crowd left, however two men were arrested on suspicion of refusing to disperse.

Copyright 2015 the Los Angeles Times

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