Recently in SWAT Category

This from the Friendly Fire Blog at LADN.

Crime Scene reader Robert CJ Parry blogged the latest news about LAPD's planned SWAT reorganization. here's an excerpt:

The LAPD SWAT Board of Inquiry report that Police Chief William Bratton unveiled this morning is a remarkable insult to the people and police officers of Los Angeles. It recommends a litany of politically correct changes that have been used to eliminate 13 of the 18 standards SWAT has used for two decades in selecting its new officers. It even goes so far as to describe SWAT - not the criminals it captures - as “a threat to” Los Angeles as a whole.

In my research on this issue, I’ve interviewed officers whose experience totals more than 150 years on the department, a century in SWAT. Their comments on a draft copy of the un-released BOI report have been consolidated in a “Counter Analysis,” which will be released later today. It is a point-by-point review of both the BOI’s recommendations and their methodology for reaching them. In short, there was none.

These officers refuse to be identified because of an unprecedented campaign of intimidation LAPD management has pressed on SWAT. Bratton has gone so far as to remove officers from operations because of the comments of their wives and threatening to transfer out any officer who speaks his mind – publicly or privately.

Eric Leonard, one of the better cop reporters in the county, got his hands on a copy of the Board of Inquiry investigation into the LAPD's SWAT unit. Here's a link to the pdf. LA Observed has some other links.

Among those on the board was Pasadena police Chief Barney Melekian, noted for his opposition to gang injunctions, and this blog. Included in the recomendations are proposals to bring more women and minorities onto the team; go to 24-hour 7-days a week scheduling; and rotation of members out of SWAT and into other assignments.

The board implies that SWAT has become an anachronistic arm of LAPD and change is necessary.

Besides Melekian, Merrick Bobb and several prominent members of the local community participated in the board.

Here's an excerpt from an LADN story on the panel's formation in 2005:

``Almost as important as the review is that we are looking at a cultural change in the process,'' Villaraigosa said. ``Chief Bratton and I are committed to changing the department from its days of a closed-door attitude. The LAPD is opening itself up for an outside review. This is the kind of opening that I as mayor want to see continue.''

Among the members of the Board of Inquiry is Merrick Bobb, an attorney who oversaw an inquiry into the Sheriff Department's use of force policy and is a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Other members include attorney Richard Aborn, who investigated misconduct inside the New York Police Department; William Geller, a consultant on police use of force policies; Lt. Phil Hanson of the Sheriff's Department; attorney Greg Longworth, a retired NYPD officer considered an expert in deadly force cases; Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian; LAPD Assistant Chief Linda Pierce, who oversees the LAPD Criminal Investigations Bureau; and attorney Eugene Ramirez, a former Deputy District Attorney who has worked with SWAT teams.

Bobb said he was pleased to be part of the group and welcomed the chance to look at SWAT.

``As far as I know, this is the first time a police department has voluntarily opened itself up for this kind of review,'' Bobb said.

The panel was formed after the death of Susie Pena, a 19-month-old killed in a standoff between LAPD officers and her father Jose Pena.

BTW, blogger Miss Havisham has posted the contents of an email interview she did with Melekian, now the interim City Manager of Pasadena. Here's a link.

 *It's only right to point out that the story was broken originally by Monrovia resident Robert CJ Parry in an opinoin piece that ran in last Sunday's LA Times. We blogged it last week. In case you missed it here's a link.

Monrovia resident, blogger and commentator Robert CJ Parry wrote quite an interesting opinion piece Sunday on LAPD's plans for the future of its SWAT team.

The column created enough buzz that the Times followed it an A-1 piece today.

Interestingly enough a group of former and current U.S. Marines that I know are keeping an eye on the situation. There is a chain mail with Parry's entire column circulating in Armed Forces circles. I've always believed that if you write something powerful enough to make a chain mail, you are having an impact. Here's the header:

Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:12:51 -0700
Subject: Fw: LAPD SWAT

Another taste of " Political Correctness" coming soon....
 
So much for Chiefs being hired from "out of state"
 
Lets all hold hands and sing koumbaya......B.S !!