Community Corner
Has LAPD Made Progress in Serving 'Those Without A Voice'?
LAPD Chief Beck says Thursday at the L.A. River Center that the department has come a long way in representing those on the "fringes of society." A recent LAPD shooting of an Echo Park resident has some questioning that.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck stood before an audience of law enforcement officials and civil rights activists at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens on Thursday to celebrate labor leader Cesar Chavez.
"César Chávez, his legacy is a representation of those who have a small voice, the representation of those who want to move from the fringes of society to the center of society. And that's how I see the role of the Los Angeles Police Department," Beck said.
Among those who attended Thursday's event, there seemed to be a consensus that LAPD had indeed moved away from its former status as protector of the elite--in particular, through Chief Beck's commitment to protecting residents no matter what their immigration status.
Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
But just across the Los Angeles River, in Echo Park, the March 19 shooting of Echo Park resident David Martinez by Rampart officers is again raising questions about the LAPD, and, in particular, its Rampart division.
Martinez remains hospitalized after he was shot by police who thought he was armed.
Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The LAPD now admits a weapon was never found at the scene of the crime and that the officers initiated the encounter with Martinez.
The Martinez family is holding a press conference on Saturday to provide more details about their version of the story.
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