LA Mob Attack on Trains and Businesses: Retired Sergeant Discusses Police Crisis

Weekend Mob Attack in Los Angeles

• 🚨 A large group, estimated at hundreds, vandalized metro trains, buildings, and a police car in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend.
• vandalism included extensive graffiti on buildings and businesses.
• 💰 Business owners anticipate significant costs for cleanup and repairs.

Reaction from Retired LAPD Sergeant Dennis Zine

• 😠 Sergeant Zine expressed outrage at the deterioration of Los Angeles, where private and public property are destroyed by "hoodlums."
• 🗣️ He criticized the lack of immediate public statements from the Police Chief regarding the incident.
• 🏛️ Zine highlighted his extensive experience, including 33 active years with LAPD and a term on the LA City Council, while still remaining an active reserve officer.

LAPD Personnel Crisis

• 📉 Zine stated the LAPD is in crisis due to insufficient personnel, with numbers dropping from 10,072 officers in 2019 to 8,720 currently.
• ⚠️ This shortage impacts the department's ability to police the city effectively, especially with major international events like the Olympics approaching.
• 🚒 Response to incidents like the mob attack requires officers to be mustered from other divisions, leaving those areas without patrols.

City Council and Prosecution Concerns

• 🚫 Zine criticized the City Council for not being supportive and for advocating for unarmed police officers.
• ⚖️ He pointed out the difficulty in apprehending and prosecuting individuals involved, noting that no arrests had been made despite an estimated thousand individuals present.
• 😥 The lack of arrests and prosecution for criminal activity was described as "pathetic."

Mayor's Response

• 📢 Mayor Karen Bass described the event as "pandemonium" and acknowledged it got "completely out of control."
• 🚫 She stated that the city will not send the signal that this behavior is acceptable and that authorities must be "very aggressive."
• ❓ Sergeant Zine expressed shock that no arrests had been made, questioning the leadership of the police department in preparing for upcoming events.