Arrest and Transfer – Lapd: Is "Protect and Serve" Being Compromised?

The data provided to the CGJ, as summarized in the “LAPD Response Times” chart, showed there have been increases in the response times for Code 2 and Non-code calls from the baseline year of 2010 by 20% and 60% respectively by 2018.

The shuttering of community station jails requires patrol units to transport arrestees to the regional jails. As shown in the “Distance and Travel times” chart, the distances they are required to travel as the result of the closed jails are greater, resulting in longer travel times; and additional time may be encountered if they encounter traffic congestion. This can be mitigated with the reopening of the shuttered jails.

As listed in the table “Arrestee Status/Action Matrix”, the wait time for patrol unit officers at the three regional jails for arrestees with medical conditions was reported to the CGJ and observed as often being excessive due to there being only a single line for the dispensary at each regional jail.

The program known as ‘Drop & Go’ which was implemented on a trial basis demonstrated that delays caused by transporting arrestees to the regional jails could be reduced by transferring control of the arrestee to a detention officer assigned in a dispensary support role.

The data provided to the CGJ regarding the improvement in booking times complementing the typical wait times listed in the “Arrestee Status/Action Matrix” chart, clearly indicates 2018-2019 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT ARREST AND TRANSFER 2 - 8 that the ‘Drop & Go’ program is able to significantly improve booking times and contribute positively to reducing patrol unit ‘out-of-service’ periods.

Dispensaries at each of the three regional jails have multiple booking windows; however, there is accommodation for only one arrestee at a time to receive a medical assessment at the dispensary causing long lines, which contributes to extended wait times.

Detention officers are civilian personnel and job openings are advertised in civilian workforce job listings. Recruitment and hiring of detention officers are handled by L.A. City Personnel Department. LAPD recruitment programs on the other hand focus solely on the recruitment of sworn officers. The LAPD does not promote or actively recruit detention officers. Opportunities for detention officers are not promoted on the LAPD website. (See Appendix).

LAPD officers indicated that long waiting times causes them to become frustrated since they are not performing their regular duties, having a negative effect on officer morale.

Based on feedback received during interviews, it is the understanding of the CGJ that the Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) and the System-wide Mental Assessment Response Team (SMART) can help with non-crime arrestees requiring mental evaluations. However, these resources are only available in the metropolitan downtown area.

The CGJ experienced difficulty reaching an individual at many of the community stations using their non-emergency telephone numbers. While some calls were answered promptly, most were forwarded to voicemail.