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L.A. Officers Doing Fire Duty A New Climate Challenge For Police

Crime and Justice News

Since the outbreak of the devastating fires, Los Angeles police officers accustomed to chasing 911 calls and patrolling city streets have suddenly found themselves thrust into an unfamiliar yet pivotal role: part aid worker, part night sentry, part wingman for firefighters. Across the U.S., police have for decades been pressed into crisis response duty during wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. Some experts predict law enforcement will increasingly be confronted with new climate-related challenges, which LAPD officers have been learning about firsthand over the last week, reports the Los Angeles Times. The LAPD has been grappling with how and when to enforce evacuation orders, and how to do their regular work investigating crimes while short-staffed. With around 750 officers deployed to the fire area, the crisis has strained a force well below what leaders say are optimum staffing levels due to long-standing issues with turnover and recruitment.


Each of the LAPD’s 21 patrol divisions has been expected to send extra bodies — patrol officers, supervisors and detectives — to the fire front lines. As a result, most low-level calls such as burglaries or other incidents where a suspect has already fled are not receiving immediate attention. LAPD officials have come under pressure to focus on opportunistic thieves suspected of using the chaos to burglarize the homes of people who fled the fires. This week, prosecutors charged nine people with looting in areas devastated by two major fires, including a trio suspected of stealing $200,000 worth of valuables from a home. Officers in Pacific Palisades enforcing the evacuation zone perimeter have faced blistering criticism from frustrated residents who were eager to return to their homes. City Council offices and social media have been flooded with complaints about inaccurate information and inconsistent enforcement by police. LAPD is a part of a new state and federal task force to combat wildfire-related crimes, including home break-ins, arson and flying drones over restricted airspace. Such initiatives and disaster-related policing activities are likely to become more routine. Chuck Wexler of the Police Executive Research Forum said law enforcement agencies across the country are taking notice of the LAPD’s performance. “Whether you believe it’s climate change or not, Los Angeles will be a wake-up call for everybody,” he said.

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