I love the Dodgers, Dodger Stadium, and the LA summers dedicated to watching a game— cold beer, peanuts, hot sun above, Dodgertown swag, nighttime fireworks for the lucky— so I extend a generous applause to LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, the LAPD SWAT team and the parole agent responsible for the recent arrest of Giovanni Ramirez on San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow’s vicious, coma-induced beating.
In a city as diverse, frenetic, clearly fanatic and, at times, polarized as Los Angeles, it’s uplifting to know that a collective effort—300 billboards and a $250,000 reward fund– facilitated the assault investigation. The Los Angeles Police Department placed 20 detectives on the case, working 6,000 hours, and chasing 630 leads.
Frank McCourt’s public and MLB image as co-owner of the beleaguered Dodgers franchise, however, are less than desired. Additional security at a Dodgers game would be nice, of course. It’s not surprising that crimes in and around Dodger Stadium occur on event days. My opinionated quip about the patronage at a Dodgers game: the fan base may often times be gang affiliated. Regular law-abiding Angelenos—families, hipster transplants, college students, season pass holders—diversify attendance while enjoying America’s pasttime. Giovanni Ramirez, 31, a documented member of VNE (Varrio Nuevo Estrada), a Boyle Heights-based gang, is being held on $1 million bail.
For those interested in our collective public safety, let’s make Dodgertown neutral. Frank, it may be time to sell your LA real estate and move back to Boston.
Anyone with additional information on the attack may call Northeast Detectives L. Burcher or P.J. Morris at 213-847-4261 or 213-847-4261.
A map of LA gang injunctions: LAPD Gang Injunction – Central
