Thread by @cerisecastle

Currently in the Community Conversation hosted by @LASDHQ and @LAPDHQ. Sheriff Villanueva and Chief Moore are answering questions from county and city residents.

Some families who have lost relatives to both of these departments have attempted to ask questions in these virtual forums and been ignored. It’s happened to me, too, as a member of the press. Lets see if that is any different today.

Chief Michel Moore of LAPD just said that “homeless people...threaten the sense of safety of communities.”

Chief Michel Moore of the LAPD also says that his department’s “effort is to ID and bring [homeless] before the criminal justice system”. He cites the disproven broken windows theory as evidence backing this plan.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva of @LASDHQ just said his department is the “most understaffed in the entire nation”, saying his deputies number at about one for every 1k LA County residents. He’s leaving out that many cities within the county rely on their own police departments.

Going now to live questions. First is from a woman who also submitted a written question. She wants to know how “No Loitering” and “No Camping” signs can be installed in the Pacific Palisades.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva of @LASDHQ recommends changing recently passed prison reform laws to “get people off the streets” to solve the homeless crisis. “The people who would argue and scream to the moon, ‘What about the homeless?’ look the other way when people are dying.”

In response to a question from a man asking why funds aren’t diverted away from hiring more law enforcement and instead use the money to hire mental health workers, Sheriff Villanueva says “less cops is part of the problem.”

I’m up! My question was if Sheriff Alex Villanueva had comment on my series. He sure did! I’ll tweet the video later, but his main point was that he believes that I am “trying to sell titles and [I] don’t have facts to support [the series].” He says he’s advising legal action.

On District Attorney George Gascón’s halt on sentencing enhancements, Sheriff Villanueva says, “he needs to have that come to Jesus moment that he’s on the wrong path.”

Sheriff Villanueva wrapping up the conversation 15 minutes ahead of schedule acknowledging someone who was “jumping up and down” to ask a question, but was not called in because they were involved in what the Sheriff called a “doxxing event.” He says, “You know who you are.”

Among the people not called on today were family members of Anthony Vargas, who was killed by @LASDHQ deputies in August of 2018.