With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
How LAPD liaisons could help grieving families
File: Tritobia Ford lights candles at a memorial for her son, Ezell Ford, a 25-year-old mentally ill black man, at the site where he was shot and killed by two LAPD officers in August, on Dec. 29, 2014 in L.A. A new LAPD plan would have officers reaching out more to families shot by police.
(
David McNew/Getty Images
)
Listen
0:55
How LAPD liaisons could help grieving families
The LAPD wants to hire liaisons as a comforting resource for the families of people shot by police. Despite the program's limits, one grieving mom supports the idea.
When her 18-year-old son was fatally shot by an LAPD officer in Watts last month, Lisa Simpson says the department never called her, and she had to learn from news reports that he allegedly shot at officers.
"They should have been more acceptable to a mother’s feelings about losing their child," Simpson told KPCC. “They should have come up to me and apologized for the loss of my son.”
Under a new plan, the LAPD would have a department liaison for the family members of people shot by police.
“I really do like the idea,” Simpson said. “At least have somebody on my side that can walk me through all the steps.”
Sponsored message
The plan, introduced by Police Commission President Matt Johnson Tuesday, calls for a department official to act as the primary contact for families. In the past, the LAPD contacted family members on an “ad hoc” basis, Johnson said.
“We are trying to show empathy here,” Johnson said. “These are traumatic events for families.”
The liaison would provide details about the shooting, information about how to obtain a death certificate and a time frame for the investigation. Family members could contact the liasion at any time to find out the status of the investigation.
At the same time, the family would likely receive no more information than the public, said Johnson.
“That won’t change,” Johnson said. "We are under certain constraints."
The LAPD, like most police departments, declines to release details of an investigation, citing California law that allows police agencies wide latitude in keeping information secret. Images from body worn cameras on officers, for example, are never released.
Still, Johnson said, assigning one person to help people whose loved ones have been shot by police is a good idea.
Sponsored message
“This will make sure that the information we can share, the family and loved ones will get it in a timely manner.”
The move comes amid increasing scrutiny of police shootings across the country and loud protests at police commission meetings over the past year. Those protests have included family members, including Simpson, who have made impassioned statements about the lack of information from the LAPD about loved ones shot by officers.
“I am responding to what I’ve been seeing in police commission meetings recently,” Johnson said.
But even if a department spokesperson had reached out to her, Simpson said she would not have believed the LAPD's story that her son, Richard Risher, shot at officers.
“I know for sure he didn’t have one," Simpson said of police reports that he had a gun.
She said she plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the department.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
