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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.
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.