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LAPD Chief Wants Federal Bucks to Buy More Cops
Los Angeles now has more cops in the Department than ever before--9,895 active-duty sworn officers, to be precise--but Chief William Bratton said yesterday "he will ask the federal government to allocate billions more from the economic stimulus package to law enforcement agencies across the country to combat a potential rise in crime triggered by the worsening economy," according to the Daily News. The Chief would like to see hundreds more police added to the LA force; despite our growing ranks, the LAPD remains "one of the smallest per-capita departments of any major city in the country." In addition to a likely increase in "property crimes, domestic violence and shoplifting," other concerns regarding safety in LA include terrorism and the potential for trouble to cross our border due to the violence caused by Mexican drug cartels.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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