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When you see a patrol car speeding by with its lights and sirens blaring, that's a Code 3 call, otherwise known as someone or something is in danger right now. It's these cases when officers can break the law by speeding and running red lights. But there's an old school rule on the books: in general, when responding to emergencies, only one unit is allowed to go Code 3 and all other cars must come via street law. Obviously, that doesn't help in situations when more units are needed immediately.
The LAPD has generally ignored this city governing law using an unofficial code called "Code 2 High" (or as the LA Times calls it, Code 2 1/2). This usually enacted by the officers in the cars who believe they need to get to an incident faster than normal traffic allows.
Now they want the law changed to better reflect their needs. The LAPD Commission passed the new policy change, but City Council in a rare move interfered and took the issue up themselves. Yesterday, a council committee passed the policy and it will head next to the full council where it is expected to be passed.
Code 2 usually means someone or something might be in danger and units may not break the law. Non-coded calls are low priority ones such as loud parties.
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Who monitors if only one car is speeding towards a crime scene? Only one car may be technically allowed to speed, but cops break the law all the damn time, so what restrictions are in place that could monitor how fast the backup police cars get there?
All cop cars are GPSed in real time. But I doubt every car is monitored at every moment, but dispatchers can tell where a car and sometimes will tell you if asked.
What about when cops turn on their siren so they don't have to wait at a red light? Is that an "emergency"? How do they monitor that?
I have no problem with this. We live in a city, there's noise. Big deal. It makes more sense for us to be able to see and hear them than for them to have to risk a crash otherwise. Cops need to get to where they need to get to. If I have a gun to my head somewhere, I don't give a flying f about siren noise.
C'mon - I am pretty left wing, but let them do their jobs. This is a dumb rule.
i was at the sunset and western intersection today for about 15 minutes and three cop cars turned on their lights and sirens just to turn left and go north on western. as soon as they made the turn the lights and sirens were turned off. cops are breaking traffic laws all of the time so what's the point of passing this new law. is it so they can't be sued when they kill someone after speeding through a red light?
I couldn't agree more with your point above: "Obviously, that doesn't help in situations when more units are needed immediately."
I believe I heard that Bernard Parks was the only one that voted against the change, justifying it by saying it would put the city at risk of more lawsuits. I fail to understand his reasoning or the opposition to the change in general, mostly for reasons highlighted by Zach's point.
As for the cops that turn on their lights to get across the intersection...I don't discount that some may do it for improper reasons, but I tend to believe that the vast majority of cases don't fall into the category of them breaking the law needlessly.
What one sees is only a 3 - 5 second slice of time that could be part of a 15 hour ordeal. Maybe they were headed to a situation 4 blocks down the road where someone has barricaded themselves in a house or there is a call for police backup half a mile away.
Point being, without seeing the end point/situation of where the cop was going, concluding that their actions are wrong is a misinformed passing of judgment on their actions.