Robert Garrova
I cover mental health at a time when L.A. — and the nation — is failing people who live with a serious mental illness. The L.A. County jail system is the de-facto mental health institution for our region, and people who want help with their mental health often can’t get it, even if they can afford it. I’ll work to help Angelenos understand how we got here and what reforms aim to change things. I’ll do this through the stories of people struggling with their own mental health and those trying to get care for a loved one.
My reporting has taken me to the edge of wildfires in California, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, steps away from a robot that’s now exploring Mars, and into the homes of countless Angelenos.
I’ve had many jobs in radio. I used to help produce and direct the flagship show for Marketplace, a daily business and economic news show. I also spent a couple years in the Northeast working as a reporter. I found my love of audio journalism while interning on LAist's (formerly KPCC’s) Off-Ramp in 2013.
I was born and raised in SoCal. I’m most proud when my journalism can help raise the voices of people struggling in this beautiful region stricken by inequality.
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The vote was 3-2; Supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger said the voters should be allowed to determine the elected sheriff's future. -
American Legion posts are turning to stand-up comics and drive-in movie nights to stay afloat.
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American Legion posts across the country serve as a community hub for veterans and their families. But the pandemic has put the future of many posts in jeopardy.
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Of 672,569 officer-initiated stops in 2019, the study found that 27% of the people were perceived to be Black, in a city where Blacks make up just 9% of the population.
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The pilot program will use mental health experts to respond to people having a mental health crisis.
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There is video of the entire incident. We asked three use-of-force experts to review the footage.
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We asked three use-of-force experts to review the video of McClain's shooting. Two said it seemed justified; one felt it may not have been.
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Hate crimes against Blacks, Latinos and whites went down in 2019, but anti-transgender crimes were up 64% over 2018 and anti-Asian crimes were up 32%.
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'[F]or way too long we’ve really relied on law enforcement to solve our social issues — to deal with mental health, to deal with homelessness — when clearly they’re not trained to do that,' said Council President Nury Martinez.
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The findings are close to those of an independent autopsy, which found Kizzee was shot 15 times, seven from behind.
