Today on AirTalk, we take a look back at the LA Riots of '92. Also on the show, we speak with Mayor Garcetti about protesters' calls to defund police; get the latest on COVID-19; and more.
Mayor Garcetti Interview: Calls For Defunding The Police, The Latest On Reopening LA
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has defended himself from criticism on both sides following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis: from protesters and activists who say the mayor has defended LAPD officers, despite their aggressive tactics on peaceful demonstrators; and from the LAPD union, which said the mayor has not defended or supported them enough.
Following nationwide cries to “defund police,” Garcetti now says he wants to redirect $250 million from the city's budget towards health and education in the black community and other communities of color, adding that he is listening to "what people are saying" about racial inequities in society. He directed the city administrative officer to find the cuts, which he said would come from every department, including the LAPD. Garcetti also promised concrete changes to how the LAPD operates. Activists have also filed a lawsuit calling on L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer to dismiss charges against peaceful protesters arrested for curfew violations or failure to disperse.
Feuer now says they won’t face jail or fines, but I want them to talk it out with the police. While Feuer will not file charges, his office said in a statement that it "will be creating opportunities for violators to participate" in a “non-punitive” process outside of the courts that in some cases would bring protesters together with police “to directly share their experiences and views.” This week, Garcetti
I fully support @CityAttorneyLA's decision not to prosecute or seek punishment for those who broke curfew or failed to disperse during the recent protests, unless those cases involve violence, vandalism or looting.
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) June 8, 2020
that he agreed with Feuer’s decision. Today on AirTalk, Larry talks with Garcetti about the latest with mass anti-police brutality protests and where the city stands in battling the coronavirus pandemic.
With files from LAist
Topics include:
Reallocating $150 million from LAPD’s budget to social services
Criticisms over arrests and police conduct at protests
The reopening of Los Angeles and COVID-19 and small business loans
As of the end of April, the city had only given out a little over $1M of $11M in small business loans. What’s the update on that money? How much has been given out and where has it gone?
Homelessness and COVID-19
The ongoing corruption probe at City Hall
Guest:
Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles; he tweets
The Push For LAPD Reform And The Contentious Role Of Police Unions
Amid the national conversation about community policing and police reform, the discussion over the role police unions play in facilitating the kinds of macro-level reforms being discussed has resurfaced and now finds itself a central part of the discussion.
Like most public sector labor unions, those that represent police officers work to secure things like fair wages and better working conditions. And like many of those other labor unions, they also represent officers in disciplinary issues, which in the case of police can often involve allegations of excessive use of force or other types of misconduct. This is one area where critics say the deck is stacked in favor of officers and against any systemic reform because of the way police union contracts are negotiated, they say, with built-in protections for officers who might be subject to an internal investigation. The political sway police unions hold with politicians is often another point of criticism, specifically that police unions make large campaign donations to politicians who then are expected to hold police accountable at the state and federal level, which they say creates a conflict of interest.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll dig deeper into the role of police unions. We’ll also discuss budget cuts from the LAPD, various police departments’ suspension of the carotid hold and the federal proposal that would overhaul policing and officer accountability.
Guests:
TJ Tarjamo, LAPD police officer and director with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the labor union representing LAPD officers
Melanie Ochoa, staff attorney for criminal justice and police practices at the ACLU of Southern California
COVID-19: Deaths Spike in LA County, Where Do We Stand With Asymptomatic Transmission?
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry speaks with Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of pediatric infectious disease at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
Today’s topics include:
COVID-19 deaths spike in L.A. County
So far, many countries avoid second wave of cases
New Zealand lifting remaining COVID-19 restrictions
Are COVID-19 infections and deaths higher among those with intellectual disabilities?
Where do we stand with asymptomatic transmission?
Gene study: coronaviru came to CA several times
Guest:
Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
Looking Back To ‘92: The Los Angeles Riots And The Reforms That Followed
Almost three decades ago, four police officers were acquitted of brutalizing Rodney King, a black man whose nearly fifteen-minute beating was captured on camera and broadcast nationwide.
Five days of unrest followed, labelled by some as riots and by others as an uprising, in which fires were lit and stores were looted, largely in South Los Angeles. But the Rodney King verdict was just the final straw, which broke on the back of years of economic and racial disparity, as well as the killing of fifteen-year old Latasha Harlins by a Korean store owner, which stoked tensions between the Korean and black communities of Los Angeles.
We look back to the events of 1992, as well as the police reforms that followed and what parallels and contrasts can be drawn to the events of today.
If you were in Los Angeles in 1992, share your memories with us by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Frank Stoltze, correspondent covering the Los Angeles area, with a focus on politics and criminal justice; he tweets
Cheryl Dorsey, retired sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD); She served between 1980-2000
Raphe Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA; author of “Politics in Black and White: Race and Power in Los Angeles” (Princeton University Press, 1993)
Angela Oh, lawyer and mediator; in 1992, she was the incoming president of the Korean American Bar Association and was active in L.A.’s Korean community