You got to feel for poor Charlie Beck — he was always going to get left holding the bag.
Here was a street cop who Chief Bill Bratton snatched from the middle ranks of his command staff to anoint as his successor.
Bratton could do no wrong. He was bigger than City Hall, bigger than LA, and got whatever he wanted even when the treasury was bare because he could keep the crime statistics falling and falling to the point the mayor could boast we are safer than we were in 1956.
Bratton was no street cop. He was a police theorist who built highly-trained specialized units who attacked crime wherever there was a statistical blip.
But now “in the wake of New York City’s failed terrorist attack,” Beck is facing a lost of questioning about his own commitment to protect LA’s target-rich environment from Muslim extremists.
Much is being made of Beck’s decision to “dismantle” the massive anti-terrorist operations that Bratton put together. But what’s poor Beck to do other than repeat his lament that “we are robbing Peter to pay Paul” because of the budget crisis that has curtailed hiring and overtime and forced cops to work desk jobs of civilians whose jobs are being eliminated.
No less than the pseudonymous cop “JackDunphy” asks on Patterico’s Pontifications, “Times Square Car Bomb: Could Los AngelesBe Next?”
“It is reasonable to assume that some sites in Los Angeles are every bit as tempting to terrorists as Times Square, which would seem to call for added vigilance on the part of the Los Angeles Police Department. Incredibly, the very unit within the LAPD responsible for such vigilance was quietly disbanded not long ago, with its personnel reassigned to more mundane duties.
“Given this close brush with disaster in New York, perhaps some in the LAPD are having second thoughts about where those officers would be best utilized.”
The Police Protective League piped in with its own two cents, commenting “perhaps the LAPD needs to reconsider its decision to disband its anti-terrorism unit – and reassign those officers to do what they were specially trained to do.”
“With so many possible terrorist targets in our city, it’s foolish and irresponsible to ignore the possibility of a Times Square incident. In addition to watchful residents, we need sufficient numbers of officers and specialists to prevent and react to threats. We again call on the city leadership to reject any more cuts to the public safety budget.”
The LA Weekly found a “source with knowledge of department” who says “Counter-Terrorism, sometimes cited as a national beacon in high-tech terror policing, is now a shell with only Deputy Chief Michael Downing at the top and a few hands left over. The source says it has been quietly disbanded with cops taking other, more quotidian roles in policing L.A.’s neighborhoods.”
The Times gets to Downing himself to report that only the elimination was the Protective Security Task Force, a unit of “about two dozen plainclothes cops who could be dispatched to provide a ‘cloak’ of high-level security at a building or event that had been
threatened with attack or was otherwise believed to be at risk.”
“(The task
force) was a valued asset, and I would have liked to keep it,” Downing said,
“but every part of the department has to make sacrifices right now, and
this made the most sense.”
Even Bratton cannot help but note that “across the country, cash-strapped cities are cutting funds for police
counter-terrorism” and that our system is full of holes and poor communication between the various federal and local agencies who are supposed to protect us.
“The Times Square plot, much like the Christmas Day
airplane plot, was not on our radar.
Those plots failed not because we did everything right; they failed
because the terrorists made technical errors in bomb-making,” Bratton wrote in the New York Daily News, which identified him only as a former NYC Police Commissioner.
So no less an authority than Bratton tells us our anti-terror efforts have a long way to go. Downing, good cop that he is, grits his teeth about cutting off “a valued asset” in the effort to protect us from terrorists but points us to what is really going on in the LAPD that goes far beyond the Protective Security Task Force.
“Every part of the department has to make sacrifices right now” — that’s what is really going on.
What Downing has lost is 10 percent of his total counter-terror staff of more than 250, which leaves him in better shape than a lot of LAPD special units.
The crack team of 50 officers Bratton dispatched wherever crime seemed to be getting out of hand is gone. The elite Metro team has lost officers. Dozens of officers with special training are on routine patrol or even staffing desk jobs in the absence of civilian workers who have been furloughed or whose jobs were cut. Beck is even laying off police dogs, retiring them to save money..
The mayor’s “10,000″ cops mantra was meaningless, a typical political slogan. What mattered was giving the LAPD the tools to fight our home-grown terrorists in gangs as well as Al Qaeda.
Beck is caught in a box. He doesn’t have the clout to get whatever he wants like Bratton. He is forced to choose between specialized units and street patrol and staffing desk jobs.
He has been lucky so far. Major crime is down more than seven percent this year under his watch and nobody has tried to blow up one of LA’s many prime terrorist targets.
Luck can only get you so far. The numbers can turn quickly and a tragedy can occur any moment. Fair or not, Beck will be the fall guy.
The real issue is what we are doing to our city in this budget crisis, or more accurately, what the mayor and City Council are doing to our city.
It isn’t just the cops or the firefighters. It’s the parks and libraries and other core services. It’s planning healthy communities and enforcing building codes.
Our leaders are papering over the budget problems they created with gimmicks and one-time savings. They are counting on job creation and revenue generation to save them no matter how much they harm the quality of our lives or even put our lives at risk.
This is no way to run a city.
We need a new deal, a new deal with city unions that protects jobs long-term and services today, a new deal for the residents and businesses that restores credibility and trust in our government.
This statement by Beck shows how clueless he is.
“Beck said he believed the LAPD had become too dependent on special crime-fighting units that operated independently from the regional stations and that he planned to give station commanders control over more officers.”
Helloooooo lame ass, specialized units are trained to handled certain incidents and spend hours knowing the ins and outs of resolving it. LAPD has the best trained SWAT that go to other cities and trains their officers. Can Beck really be this naive? Does he think an average patrol officer can do the job of a “specialized Unit” cop? LA’s terrorist targets are #1 LAX, Federal Bldgs. downtown, Temples, Big Banks etc. Because of the specialized anti-terrorism unit LA hasn’t been hit yet. Now that its all over the nation the stupidity of Beck we may have a threat
“Here was a street cop who rose to the rank of captain where top cop Bill Bratton who reach deep below his platoon of assistant chiefs and deputy chiefs and give him the nod as his successor.”
Seriously. You *need* a copy editor.
What a scary thought to know LAPD Chief doesn’t understand priorities in deployment. The anti terrorism unit hasn’t been touched in over 7 years but now Beck throws a wrench. BECK needs to get rid of the sworn on the 10th floor like Patrol cops have been saying for years. Put the Assistant Chief’s and Deputy Chief’s sworn secretaries who do nothing out on the streets with patrol. Why does BECK have 8 Senior Lead Officers in his newly community relations section? Common sense should have told Beck when you are #1 target for Bin Laden and the Taliban who are responsible for New York with the car bombing you get your best unit in order.
Once again the Newspaper does little to “investigate”, “dig”, reveal facts. Only a superficial hard guess printed as fact. First of all Charlie Beck (son of a Deputy Chief who served with Parker, Davis and Gates) served every rank but I think one in his career and placed number one in every promotional exam he took. So this keystone cop “tearing apart” LAPD is way off base. Yes the social give-away programs, over paid union workers and pork belly politicals have painted the City into a corner. Beck, unlike so many REACTIONARY back slapping idiots is trying to get a handle on it quickly. Davis and Gates started Team policing and Neighborhood watch and even tried to stop the gangs when they were small, but liberal judges and ACLU lawyers stopped that. Worked out good for bad guys. Only three strikes and hard effort combined with some creative statistical manuvering by Bratten have cut into crime. Do you feel safer walking alone at night in south central LA then you did 20 years ago? Why don’t we get a newspaper that gets behind some of our leaders and helps us dig out of this nightmare instead of finding issue with every move they make. What exactly have you accomplished MR. Kaye in your life? Why not be part of the cure, not part of the problem. Journalism. Why don’t you find out what Beck has done and who he is. I’ll bet a big part of that readership would like to know that or have they all gone to other sources for their information?
10:39am Most likely a Beck sworn staffer. Cops especially veterans will tell you they don’t have much confidence in a Chief who is a lapdog to the Mayor. Ask the vets how Beck got selected and its wasn’t because he was the best. Beck allows the Mayor to use his cops for photo ops which they hate. Beck’s dad was from the old school and didn’t believe women belonged on the job. Ask any veteran female officer. The point is Beck could have pulled from many other sources to increase back up on the streets. To pull from a specialized unit that has been successful in shutting down terrorist cells in the city and not put it out in the media is logical enough reason not to mess with it. Beck needs to learn you don’t mess with what works.
Another paper is reporting that Beck didn’t actually disband the entire unit and it still has 270 officers. I find that odd because that is not what papers this morning were reporting. The Police Political Protective League weighing in without knowing the facts were slamming Beck yesterday. “Los Angeles Police Department officials acknowledged Wednesday that they disbanded a counter-terrorism unit earlier this year as part of Chief Charlie Beck’s efforts to put more patrol officers on the streets amid budget cuts.” Who is telling the truth?
Another paper is reporting that Beck didn’t actually disband the entire unit and it still has 270 officers. I find that odd because that is not what papers this morning were reporting. The Police Political Protective League weighing in without knowing the facts were slamming Beck yesterday. “Los Angeles Police Department officials acknowledged Wednesday that they disbanded a counter-terrorism unit earlier this year as part of Chief Charlie Beck’s efforts to put more patrol officers on the streets amid budget cuts.” Who is telling the truth? Since taking over the department late last year, Beck has reassigned about 300 officers, using them to bolster the ranks in the department’s 21 regional police stations.
We have and overabundance Vice units in this city, yet we did disband some of our operational counter terrorism units??? What kind of Bizarro world do these “leaders” live and operate in? And Cheif Downing used a little self preservation in giving you only a small amount of the story. And I understand, from a public safety standpoint why he didn’t disclose quite a few things. LAPD has a counter terrorism unit, and yes they’re VERY busy… But, they are not conducting ANY operational surveillance in an effort to spot these terrorists, both home grown and foreign nationals, before the act while conducting pre-operational reconnaissance. From what I know, PSTF was filling that very important void. We (LAPD) are reactive only right now. It’s a little late after the wolf kicks in the door, at post blast you gathering evidence only, which is a little late. You need to catch these people before they detonate a device or attack like they did in Mumbia.
What’s the less exigent crime enforcement detail to take Officers from? Vice and targeting, ABC violations as well as prostitution and enforcing misdemeanor crimes associated with those quality of life issues, OR an operational counter terrorism unit designed and trained to stop terrorists who are looking to blow up bombs and cause mass casualties to our citizens? Also, I think we in patrol can deal with the hookers for a while and I like my operational resources going to thwarting terrorism, and my administrative Police Officers coming out to the field and supplementing patrol. Not to mention the “Valley Crime Task Force”, and the “West Bureau Crime Task force” that should be set back to Patrol. Not to mention all the administrative positions that LAPD Offiers are occupying. Keller could see the differences and necessity to redeploy these units. So, yes, you still have your Vice and other Non-essential Units in play, but terrorism in the eyes of the department is an after thought, until the wolf has kicked in the door. Then you’ll hear all these Johnny-come-Lately types waxing about how they would have done this, and they would have done that, had they been in-charge. It’s unconscionable that the unit who’s job it was to respond to intelligence and targeted assets within the City Of Los Angeles, has been disband. Their job was to Identify/Detect, Interdict and Mitigate homicide bombers, right? And/or identify people conducting pre-operational surveillance in the planning stages for a Mumbia style attack or plotting to place a device like the one in Times Square. And that was the unit that made the chopping blocks???? Not to bright, even in the current financial crisis, that’s a very callow and obtuse move. There are quite a few attacks on LA that have been thwarted by hard working professionals, and quite a few of those quiete professionals are still doing what is necessary. But there are those in the LAPD upper ranks that are far to ignorant, arrogant or just plain under qualified to do what is needed to keep our city safe and make the tough decisions. I do think that Chief Beck wants to do the right thing, but the people that have been advising him are advising him incorrectly. It’s sad to say, but they (his immediate subordinates) will benefit professionally by his failure if/when we’re hit. But that means that people will die, due to either their incompetence, or worse from their arrogance and intellectual dishonesty. I think the Police Commission and the City Counsel need to step in and advise the department behind closed doors to do the right thing, because they’re not doing it on their own. PSTF’s training and gear has already been paid for with federal funds from what I’ve been told and it will be of zero additional cost to the city. The Departments administrators demonstratively believe that they know more than they do, and due too their names being on the door plate, they’re above taking advice. They must remember that they are here to protect and to serve, and are municipal Law Enforcement Officers, first. They might be big fish in the City of Los Angeles, but when we get attacked and these men are called up to a Congressional hearing, and all the emails and phone records and other tangible evidence of their dereliction of duty are on display, they will be lucky if there are spots working security at the swap-meet that they would be considered for. I fear that the people of LA and the Country in general will have already suffered a great loss in blood, lives and critical infrastructure. The administrators at the top need to check their ego’s at the door and do the right thing before it’s to late. The terrorists can get it wrong 1000 times, we cannot get it wrong once!
I hope Chief Beck solves this mess before we’re hit, because this is the time for a proactive posture. But I am not holding my breath, due to the incompetence and egos advising him. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the praise. But these people want to reinvent the wheel. And right now, the wolf is at the door! I just pray the body count is low, if these egomaniacs are going to continue to embrace mediocrity. And at the end of the day, who pays the price? The people of Los Angeles, that’s who, and the failure to interdict these terrorists before they act, makes more work for Patrol.
I hope that Chief Beck is paying attention to the pulse of the city, and his department here, the safety of our citizens is at stake.
As for Downing talking about everyone in the department making sacrifices, I call BS.
The 270 number that downing and Beck are trotting out is a BOLD FACED LIE!!!
What I find astounding is with the illegal demonstators yesterday closing down main streets in downtown LA, the cowboy Beck should have come out loudly and made a statement that lawlessness in this city will not be tolerated. No, he sat back like the pussy he is and did nothing. Glad we have a City Attorney who is going to file on these losers and send the message that breaking the law in our city will get you arrested and filed on. YOU GO NUCH!!!
7:12 & 7:39 As another insider, I completely agree.
As for “robbing Peter to pay Paul”, what are Chiefs Beck and Deputy Chief Downing talking about? Let me see if I can get this straight, you have enough money for all these admin units to sit on their asses all day? And enough money for all these Vice units to make prostitution arrests and liquor violation arrests, but not enough to stop some terrorist from detonating a device downtown Los Angeles? Well, with all the minorities working downtown, it’s clear that Beck and the people who are towing his line don’t really care about them. If you have enough money for vice units and all these other life threatening Law enforcement projects, I think you can dig deep and spare 24 police officers for a counter terrorism unit. If you cannot figure out how to do that then you have zero business being the Chief of a major metropolitan police department. And, no one cares how great Becks resume is if he cannot save this city from a terrorist attack, so save all you adulation for someone who walks the walk. Just because someone holds a variety positions doesn’t mean they were good at them. And this current situation doesn’t make Beck look like he is a smart man. And Assistant Chief Moore is only interested in getting his name on the top slot, so don’t wait for that guy to speak up. I agree with public servant, in Moore directly benefiting from Becks failure. And trust me, Moore only cares about Moore, and nothing else! And I pray that if we are hit, these idiots are brought up to Congress in DC for a hearing, and all the emails and phone records are subpoenaed, as well as the officers that worked that unit. This way all the incompetence will be proven and these “leaders” will be shown as the weak sauce they are on C-SPAN.
And yes, the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ we will pay when we get hit will be astronomical. Put those 24 officers back to work doing what’s necessary, and what they are training to do. Also quit playing with this cities safety and make a proper decision once in a while.
The incompetence is palpable.
sorry, I meant non-life threatening.
Cops are shaking their heads in disbelief as to how horribly the dept. is being run under Beck. He has absolutely ZERO leadership and is listening to a f–king criminal defense attorney Chaleff$^^& WTF? Most cops on the streets were never told Chaleff is Beck’s advisor. Beck needs to put his words into action when he said at Gates funeral he will take care of his LAPD. You think Gates would put up with the bullshit out of city hall. Hell no, he would have already come out strong to put all those assholes in their place and could careless what the failures in city hall had to say. Beck better start speaking out and sounding like a Chief instead of a Mouse.
So now you say Bratton not only did something right but acknowledge he was at the forefront of fighting anti-terrorism, something long acknowledged in New York and around the world?
But this blog and you Ron did nothing but bash him as did the LA Weekly and certain others, for allegedly “cooking the stats” and for endorsing the city attorney candidate who did more than anyone else in the city outside the force to beef up precisely that anti-terror unit, and to put into place and constantly develop new anti-terror strategies with other law enforcement agencies here and in Israel, etc. You all attacked him for being “political,” and an outsider with a big enough name and clout to push for what he wants, and not cave in to the likes of councilmembers who can’t understand the big picture or the value of units like anti-terror or DNA testing. But now blame poor Charlie Beck for piled on along with the clueless City Council critics (including former Chief Parks, former cops Zine and Smith leading the pack) for having to give in to their budget demands. (Unlike your hero Trutanich, he can’t sue them on OUR dime to try to throw his weight around – in fact, the LAPD whose Politcal League bought Trutanich for a Million bucks and more, is pitted AGAINST the City Attorney’s office by your hero, in a game of “we’re just as important as them! WE’re just as vital to public safety!”
Also, what’s the truth of the cuts to the unit: Is the Weekly right that the unit is now a mere shell, or have they just lost 10% of the people? This is the Council’s fault, as is the fact that cops have to do desk duty even more than before, when THAT was a chief criticism against Bratton and one of the phony ones against Weiss by Trutanich and his bunch, that there were any cops on desk duty instead of hiring more civilians. Even as Zine was among those siding with the PPL to cut down numbers in favor of retaining pensions as they are (Parks, Zine and Smith know all about those).
WHERE are the critics on that NOW, Ron, including you? Now we’ve got everyone including that late-night KFI talkshow ranter blaming the city and Beck for cutting the anti-terror dept. BUT where were you the last DECADE in supporting funding/specialist cops for it, during the entire past decade post 9/11? Again, a case of selecting out certain issues in a way that hurts those you’re pre-determined to dislike, and to avoid at all costs letting them tinge those you’re biased in favor of.
Yes it’s potentially tragic that this city has been run by myopic city councilmembers on Public Safety who see nickels and dimes, not big issues and the reality of the threat that could undo all their nickel-and-diming in a flash: but these outcries are a decade too late, and in directing them at Beck, aimed at the wrong guy.
10:14 a.m., if you’re so hot against Chaleff as a former criminal defense attorney, and claim cops are disgusted that someone like that is advising Beck, where was the outcry when the Police Political League sold its soul to its leadership like Paul Weber, Repovich and former PPL head Zine, pushing to make the city attorney a criminal defense attorney? And not even a big one like Chaleff, but some guy from Long Beach who was a lifelong Republican but made his name in a way that has raised many eyebrows and earned him the name “the fixer?” His only stint working FOR public safety was decades earlier. More hypocrisy.
Beck signed the contract and is the one making the mistakes RIGHT NOW, so he needs to OWN his decisions. Most of the last comment was spot on, but Beck doesn’t get a pass on his head in the sand moves being made. He’s the one at the top, so he gets the good and the bad in his choices. Bratton isn’t holding his hand or spooning with Beck, that’s Tony V right now. So get over it and buck up!
What up-right walking person with an IQ over 3 would give up that PSTF unit? Unreal!!!!!
It is an unfortunate situation all around. Ever since Beck took the helm the LAPD has been set back 50 years. The inside group elitism attitude is sickening. Beck is NO leader and has the speaking skills of a rock. It is a shame that we are being run by the Mayor’s lap dog and Chaleff, WTF is exactly right. I agree, send out the cops on the 10th floor and leave the critical units alone to do their job.
An interesting L.A. connection….
On one of today’s talking head shows (I believe it was Bill Kristol on FoxNewsSunday) a panelist recounted a question to Jack Valenti at the time of 9/11 re terrorism directed at something such as Universal City.
Jack’s response was he was more worried about the impact on the industry of a half-dozen back-pack bombs carried into six movie-plex’s throughout the country and detonated virtually simultaneously.
His words from eight-years ago should be carefully considered in light of what direction the IslamoFascist threat seems to be heading.
If Beck had nothing to hide why hasn’t he told the troops who the hell Chaleff is? They’re being kept in the dark. Wonder how they would react knowing that a criminal defense attorney low life like Chaleff who defended murderers and criminals, criticized cops his whole career is now Beck’s #2 guy.Command staff are worried the dept. is slowly going downhill. They’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. What about Metro who know where the Mayor’s bodies are buried. Why isn’t the media reporting all the drunken nights the Mayor is having and rendezvous to meet up with his sleaze bags at the hotels? Employees are beginning to spill their guts but media won’t report.
There was a female Metro Officer that was reassigned, because the mayor was speaking Spanish in front of her on a regular basis, degrading her and speaking of her being in sexual positions for him. He had the be told by someone other than the female police officer that she spoke Spanish, and to knock it off. So the answer from the department was not to pull the security team from the mayor, but to reassign the officer. This was just after his wife gave him the boot. Sounds like one heck of a guy this clown of a mayor we have. And what a message to send this female officer about how sexism, and misogynistic treatment of women is a thing of the past and not to be tolerated. Unbelievable.
And now we dissolve our counter terrorism unit that is trained to stop a terrorist attack? This city is doomed with all these morons in-charge.
The police chief is a lap dog of another incompetent moron. We cannot get a break in this city. But didn’t the Chief and the Mayor back in the 50′s conspire to kill a political enemy, and bombed his house as a means? So someone please tell me what about the Mayor picking the Chief of police is a good idea, even today? Bring back civil service protection and selection for the Chief.!
LOL, I just heard a news piece where Cheif Beck told the reporter that he has 300 counter Terrorism Officers that can “RESPOND” to a terrorist attack. WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THIS MORON?, Respond, respond, respond???? How about putting your Counter Terrorism unit back to work that is TRAINED to STOP IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS YOU MORON! Seriously, this guy is a Chief of a major metropolitan police department> He sounds, and seems to be demonstrating that he couldn’t run a local McDonald’s french fry cooker. It’s to late Chief, once the horses are out of the barn! I hope some LA news agency is looking into these matters. Someone has to take our safety seriously, and it sure isn’t Chiefs, Beck, Moore or Downing. The 3 blind mice!
Hi Ron,
Interesting posts here, but it seems that nobody is asking these direct questions with logical follow up questions. Because the LAPD is still doing nothing to detect these terrorists in the recruitment, material acquisition and reconnaissance phases of their attack. Nothing. They wait until someone else detects them. The public eyes and ears are a necessity in this fight, but the public pays the police to direct it’s forces in the right direction.
More attention needs to be placed on Chief Moore in this situation, because from what I was told by several high ranking LAPD personnel, it was he, along with the incompetence of Captain Frank and some others on the 10 floor of the LAPD’s headquarters who are to blame for the utterly moronic break up of that counter terrorism unit.Not to mention Beck, Moore and Downing have a dysfunctional relationship with each other. Moore wants Becks job, yet he wants the notoriety of Downing in the counter terrorism world. Of coarse the hierarchy of their dysfunction is according to their rank, so Downing is at the bottom of the food chain, just above the ever incompetent Captain Frank. Incidentally, Captain Frank is a man who has most cost the city millions upon millions from his weak leadership. We lost millions with police officers suing the city under his command, and his arrogance and ignorance in his field of responsibility. Yet Downing and Moore still have this man in charge at the Bomb Squad. Why is that? The numbers don’t lie, and it’s all public record!
In short, what the city is dealing with here is a bunch of petulant egotistical children in Frank, Downing and Moore. With Chief Beck wrapping it up by not making an educated decision, and allowing the counter terrorism units to be gutted, and in some cases not properly staffed.
So Moore wants to be Cheif, Downing likes his jet-setting around the world as the “LAPD Counter Terrorism Expert.” Beck is to timid to make the changes needed to make this city safe, and is instead using semantics to mislead the public into thinking that we have all four corners covered. A bet that he’s hedging and praying that we don’t get hit on, so he can exhale. If Moore is to scared to make the decision to keep that unit even in the current financial mess, then he is an empty suit and has no business being Chief in four years. We should beg Chief McDonnell to come back and sort this mess out!
The number that news reporters and the city should be questioning Chief Beck on is “0″, which is the number of officers he has assigned to looking for these terrorists proactively. And if he states otherwise, he’s not telling the truth, and should be held accountable.
I would like to know, has anyone heard from the 21 officers that are back in the field in patrol, that used to be in the PSTF unit? I know they’re there, I saw them on the transfer. I would be interested to hear what they think, if the department has the courage to ask them? I do know that some of the officers that used to be in there were not qualified to be there, but some where very qualified and should be spoken too. My guess is that Beck, Moore and Downing are to high and mighty to ask some bottom dwelling P-3 what’s needed. Which is why they will forever be less than mediocre at what ever they do.
Non-transparency, ego and incompetence are a virtue and a hallmark at the upper ranks of the LAPD.