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.
An LAPD Jail Is Infested With Bed Bugs
Oscar Rincon holds a glass vial containing live bedbugs he uses to train dogs for The Bedbug Inspectors, on July 26, 2010 in the Queens borough of New York. (STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Station Jail has been closed down indefinitely due to an infestation of bed bugs, according to LAPD officials.
Pacific Jail is located in the Cypress Grove neighborhood, roughly in the middle of Culver City and Marina del Rey -- it serves westside areas like Venice and Playa Vista and is one of six jails operated by LAPD. The jail holds 30 people, most of whom stay a few hours or a day at most.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, bed bugs feast on blood and leave their targets with itchy bites. About the size of an apple seed and known to emit a musty odor (yes, gross), bed bugs don't spread disease, but they can be hard to identify and even harder to get rid of.
Earlier this month, the LAPD's West Valley Community Police Station was exposed to MRSA, a potentially deadly bacterial infection that can be difficult to treat. An officer and a lieutenant contracted the bacteria.
Sponsored message
Exterminators are spraying the building, and there could be a second spraying if more bugs are found.
Sounds like LAPD needs to get on the bed-bug sniffing dog train.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why 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. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why 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. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
