latimes--2020-11-09--FBI raids on local officials mark latest probe targeting corruption in cannabis licensing

Since California voters legalized recreational cannabis four years ago , allegations of conflicts of interest , bribery and bias in the permitting process have plagued cities and counties as they try to regulate the fledgling industry .
The accusations have led to a series of high-profile arrests and prosecutions of local government officials and pot operators .
The latest law enforcement investigation involving cannabis licensing emerged in recent days after FBI agents served warrants at the home of a Compton councilman , the downtown L.A. law offices of the Baldwin Park city attorney and the home of a San Bernardino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properties as part of an investigation into how Baldwin Park has been dealing with cannabis businesses , according to sources familiar with the inquiry .
It ’ s not clear what exactly federal agents are investigating or whether the three local government officials are targets .
An FBI spokeswoman confirmed their addresses were among those searched Oct. 28 and said the three men were not arrested .
Compton Councilman confirmed that FBI agents searched his apartment .
He said the investigation had no connection to Compton city government but would not say whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park .
He referred other questions to his attorney , who did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails .
A lawyer representing Baldwin Park City Atty .
said in an emailed statement that his client “ is proud of his many years of distinguished service as city attorney of Baldwin Park ” and that it would be inappropriate to “ address the specifics of the federal investigation at this time.
” Attorney Mark Werksman also said Tafoya “ shares the federal government ’ s interest in rooting out corruption in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any kind .
“ There is no place for that in our community , ” he said in the statement .
( Werksman has represented Times journalists in unrelated matters . )
Gabriel Chavez , the San Bernardino County planning commissioner , did not return phone calls and messages for comment .
In an interview with the San Gabriel Valley Tribune , Chavez said FBI agents searched his home while he wasn ’ t there and seized his laptop computer .
He learned they also wanted his cellphone and drove to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it over , he told the newspaper .
He said he wasn ’ t “ clear as to what ’ s going on.
” The raids come amid controversy over Baldwin Park ’ s approval of licenses for cultivation , distribution , manufacturing and testing of cannabis .
In September , a former Baldwin Park police officer said in a sworn declaration that he had received complaints from three cannabis operations alleging “ questionable business practices , which included paying as much as $ 250,000 cash in a brown paper bag to city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a retired police lieutenant who had helped oversee regulating cannabis businesses in the city , was filed in defense of a former police chief the city accused of unrelated wrongdoing .
The declaration ’ s allegations about cannabis businesses do not mention Tafoya , Galvan or Chavez .
One of the sources familiar with the FBI investigation , who is not authorized to discuss an ongoing inquiry publicly and requested anonymity , said federal agents have been interviewing people about allegations that Baldwin Park officials requested illegal payments from cannabis businesses seeking permits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become familiar in cities that allow cannabis businesses .
Bribery charges have been filed in at least half a dozen counties in recent years , including Alameda , San Bernardino , Humboldt and Siskiyou counties .
In Adelanto , Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright was charged in 2017 with agreeing to accept a bribe from an undercover FBI agent masquerading as a businessman who wanted to move his cannabis cultivation operation into the city .
Wright has pleaded not guilty .
A Kern County supervisor was charged in 2018 with a misdemeanor crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband had financial ties to the industry .
The supervisor was the only official on the panel to vote against prohibiting cannabis sales in the county .
The Kern County district attorney ’ s office agreed this year to dismiss the charges in exchange for Supervisor Leticia Perez admitting to the allegations , paying thousands of dollars in fines and performing community service .
A combination of factors has made the industry vulnerable to corruption .
California voters legalized the possession and sale of recreational cannabis in 2016 but left it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would allow businesses in their jurisdictions to cultivate , manufacture , distribute or sell cannabis products .
Most cities from operating within their borders , and those that do allow pot operations typically place strict limits on the number of licenses they issue as well as their locations .
With permits limited , it is speculated that they could be worth millions of dollars , and competition for them can be fierce .
Cannabis businesses are also cash-intensive .
Because the drug is still illegal under federal law , the companies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baldwin Park officials continued the city ’ s ban on retail sales of cannabis but decided to allow local manufacturing , distribution and laboratory testing of the drug .
City officials began awarding licenses in late 2017 and have said the maximum number of permits they ’ ll allow is 25 .
The city ’ s approval process in 2017 after the council , Rukli Inc. , an exclusive permit to distribute cannabis produced in the city .
The arrangement prompted a resident and a cannabis business to challenge the contract in court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rukli a monopoly over distribution and asking a judge to set aside the contract ’ s exclusivity provisions .
A judge denied their request .
Nearly a week after the FBI raids , the city of Baldwin Park issued a statement saying it had not been contacted by federal agents and noting that Tafoya is not an employee but works for the city on a contract .
“ Baldwin Park ’ s officials recognize the need to continue to be transparent and to maintain public confidence ; the city will cooperate fully with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement said .
In an interview with The Times , Baldwin Park Mayor Manuel Lozano defended how the city has handled cannabis regulation and said he knew of no wrongdoing .
Galvan has raised campaign funds for Lozano , he said , and that fundraising was legal .
“ Everything that ’ s done in the city of Baldwin Park , including by me , is aboveboard , ” said Lozano , who last week lost his bid for reelection .
Baldwin Park City Councilwoman Monica Garcia said she was surprised to learn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city attorney ’ s office and had never witnessed anything improper by Tafoya .
“ He ’ s been an effective city attorney for us for seven years , ” she said .
“ I would just say let the authorities investigate and let justice prevail .
”

An FBI investigation into Baldwin Park City Hall’s dealings with cannabis companies marks the latest probe into cannabis business licensing.
Since California voters legalized recreational cannabis four years ago, allegations of conflicts of interest, bribery and bias in the permitting process have plagued cities and counties as they try to regulate the fledgling industry.
The accusations have led to a series of high-profile arrests and prosecutions of local government officials and pot operators.
The latest law enforcement investigation involving cannabis licensing emerged in recent days after FBI agents served warrants at the home of a Compton councilman, the downtown L.A. law offices of the Baldwin Park city attorney and the home of a San Bernardino planning commissioner.
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FBI agents searched the properties as part of an investigation into how Baldwin Park has been dealing with cannabis businesses, according to sources familiar with the inquiry.
It’s not clear what exactly federal agents are investigating or whether the three local government officials are targets. An FBI spokeswoman confirmed their addresses were among those searched Oct. 28 and said the three men were not arrested.
Compton Councilman Isaac Galvan confirmed that FBI agents searched his apartment. He said the investigation had no connection to Compton city government but would not say whether he has cannabis business interests in Baldwin Park. He referred other questions to his attorney, who did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails.
A lawyer representing Baldwin Park City Atty. Robert Tafoya said in an emailed statement that his client “is proud of his many years of distinguished service as city attorney of Baldwin Park” and that it would be inappropriate to “address the specifics of the federal investigation at this time.”
Attorney Mark Werksman also said Tafoya “shares the federal government’s interest in rooting out corruption in the cannabis industry and prosecuting political corruption of any kind.
“There is no place for that in our community,” he said in the statement. (Werksman has represented Times journalists in unrelated matters.)
Gabriel Chavez, the San Bernardino County planning commissioner, did not return phone calls and messages for comment.
In an interview with the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Chavez said FBI agents searched his home while he wasn’t there and seized his laptop computer. He learned they also wanted his cellphone and drove to the FBI’s West Covina office to turn it over, he told the newspaper. He said he wasn’t “clear as to what’s going on.”
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The raids come amid controversy over Baldwin Park’s approval of licenses for cultivation, distribution, manufacturing and testing of cannabis.
In September, a former Baldwin Park police officer said in a sworn declaration that he had received complaints from three cannabis operations alleging “questionable business practices, which included paying as much as $250,000 cash in a brown paper bag to city officials.”
The declaration, signed by a retired police lieutenant who had helped oversee regulating cannabis businesses in the city, was filed in defense of a former police chief the city accused of unrelated wrongdoing. The declaration’s allegations about cannabis businesses do not mention Tafoya, Galvan or Chavez.
One of the sources familiar with the FBI investigation, who is not authorized to discuss an ongoing inquiry publicly and requested anonymity, said federal agents have been interviewing people about allegations that Baldwin Park officials requested illegal payments from cannabis businesses seeking permits in the city.
Such allegations have become familiar in cities that allow cannabis businesses. Bribery charges have been filed in at least half a dozen counties in recent years, including Alameda, San Bernardino, Humboldt and Siskiyou counties.
In Adelanto, Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright was charged in 2017 with agreeing to accept a bribe from an undercover FBI agent masquerading as a businessman who wanted to move his cannabis cultivation operation into the city. Wright has pleaded not guilty.
A Kern County supervisor was charged in 2018 with a misdemeanor crime for allegedly casting a pro-cannabis vote while her husband had financial ties to the industry. The supervisor was the only official on the panel to vote against prohibiting cannabis sales in the county. The Kern County district attorney’s office agreed this year to dismiss the charges in exchange for Supervisor Leticia Perez admitting to the allegations, paying thousands of dollars in fines and performing community service.
A combination of factors has made the industry vulnerable to corruption.
California voters legalized the possession and sale of recreational cannabis in 2016 but left it up to cities and counties to decide whether they would allow businesses in their jurisdictions to cultivate, manufacture, distribute or sell cannabis products.
Most cities still prohibit cannabis businesses from operating within their borders, and those that do allow pot operations typically place strict limits on the number of licenses they issue as well as their locations. With permits limited, it is speculated that they could be worth millions of dollars, and competition for them can be fierce.
Cannabis businesses are also cash-intensive. Because the drug is still illegal under federal law, the companies are forced to deal mainly in cash.
Baldwin Park officials continued the city’s ban on retail sales of cannabis but decided to allow local manufacturing, distribution and laboratory testing of the drug. City officials began awarding licenses in late 2017 and have said the maximum number of permits they’ll allow is 25.
The city’s approval process erupted in controversy in 2017 after the council granted one business , Rukli Inc., an exclusive permit to distribute cannabis produced in the city. The arrangement prompted a resident and a cannabis business to challenge the contract in court, alleging that the city was giving Rukli a monopoly over distribution and asking a judge to set aside the contract’s exclusivity provisions. A judge denied their request.
Nearly a week after the FBI raids, the city of Baldwin Park issued a statement saying it had not been contacted by federal agents and noting that Tafoya is not an employee but works for the city on a contract.
“Baldwin Park’s officials recognize the need to continue to be transparent and to maintain public confidence; the city will cooperate fully with federal authorities if necessary,” the statement said.
In an interview with The Times, Baldwin Park Mayor Manuel Lozano defended how the city has handled cannabis regulation and said he knew of no wrongdoing. Galvan has raised campaign funds for Lozano, he said, and that fundraising was legal.
“Everything that’s done in the city of Baldwin Park, including by me, is aboveboard,” said Lozano, who last week lost his bid for reelection.
Baldwin Park City Councilwoman Monica Garcia said she was surprised to learn about the FBI’s search of the city attorney’s office and had never witnessed anything improper by Tafoya.
“He’s been an effective city attorney for us for seven years,” she said. “I would just say let the authorities investigate and let justice prevail.”


latimes--2020-11-09--Column: I couldn't stand 'Happy Days Are Here Again.' Then Biden and Harris were elected

For decades , that was the unofficial theme song of the Democratic Party .
A band played the song at the 1932 Democratic National Convention that nominated Franklin Delano Roosevelt for president .
Then FDR made it his campaign song .
As a young man I loved the song — until the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago .
Starting then , I abhorred it for 52 years .
I was a newspaper reporter , sitting in the convention hall during the joyless meeting ’ s final night when the band struck up “ Happy Days.
” Outside , the cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were protesting the Vietnam War .
Inside , pro-war and antiwar factions had ripped apart the party .
Delegates nominated Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey for president .
Millions considered him a stooge of the war-pushing President Lyndon B. Johnson .
With Democrats fractured , Republican Richard Nixon was elected in November .
That year , Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated .
There were very few happy days for Democrats — or for America — in 1968 .
The song was an affront to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away .
But on Saturday , the song would have been perfect for Democrats and much of America .
Joe Biden , illustrating the rewards of persistence and tenaciousness , was elected president .
Like President Truman , Biden tends to be underrated .
Both came from middle America and working-class roots .
There ’ s no flash .
But lots of homespun .
And that ’ s what more than 75 million Americans voted for after being worn down by four years of Trump ’ s classless bluster .
President Ford , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nixon in 1974 , “ perhaps put it best , ” said Charles McFadden , a former wire service colleague , in an email .
“ ’ Our long national nightmare is over.
’ ” People danced in the streets all over America on Saturday , celebrating Trump ’ s ouster and the historic election of the first female vice president , California Sen. Kamala Harris .
She ’ s also the first Black person and the first Asian American to be elected vice president .
Counting Biden , there will have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t recall people ever before taking to the streets to celebrate the election of a presidential ticket .
That ’ s what people do in authoritarian countries when a dictator is toppled .
And in most democracies , electing a woman to lead the nation is relatively commonplace .
This is the 100th anniversary of American women being granted the constitutional right to vote — and therefore the eligibility to run for office .
It has taken this long for a woman to be elected on a presidential ticket .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first female vice president .
We still haven ’ t elected a female governor — or any governor of color .
“ While I may be the first woman in this office , I will not be the last , ” Harris told a nationally televised victory rally Saturday night .
“ Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.
” My political junkie granddaughter , Frances Barbour , a senior at George Washington University in D.C. , emailed me after TV networks called the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day in America .
Too close of an election , though .
Nevertheless , [ Democrats ] did it.
” Yes , more than 70 million people voted for Trump .
Democrats failed to take control of the Senate — they still could in two Georgia runoff elections — and their House majority was trimmed .
As Congress now stands , it will require all of Biden ’ s honed political skills to achieve any compromise legislation .
Not just Republicans but liberal Democrats will need to give much to make Biden a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have to reflect on why 70 million people voted for Trump , ” my granddaughter said when I called her .
For starters , they feel left out of the Democrats ’ world , I told her .
I called her mom — my daughter — political strategist Karen Skelton , who as a teen constantly wore a T-shirt reading : “ Women belong in the House and the Senate.
” “ My daughters now have a belief that anything is truly possible in this country , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a future that has no barriers to leadership in this country .
“ Of course , Kamala stands on the shoulders of many women.
” She mentioned Rep. Shirley Chisholm , the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first Black candidate for the presidential nomination of a major party ; also Rep. Geraldine Ferraro , the first female vice presidential nominee of a major party , and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , the first female presidential nominee of a major party .
All were Democrats .
Harris turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden .
He was comfortable with Harris , largely because of her close working relationship with his late son Beau when both were state attorneys general .
Harris did what VP candidates must : not mess up .
In fact , she was an asset .
Harris had a good debate with Vice President Mike Pence in her most important campaign performance .
And she was a tireless campaigner .
As a Black woman , Harris helped Biden be competitive in Georgia .
Another asset for Biden in Georgia was Stacey Abrams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black woman to be nominated by a major party for governor , a race she narrowly lost .
In this election , she led a coalition that registered more than 800,000 previous nonvoters .
Perhaps Abrams should become the next chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee .
“ Today I see a city-on-a-hill country that I grew up believing in , ” granddaughter Frances told me .
“ The sun has come out.
” From that old Democratic theme song : “ The skies above are clear again So , let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enjoy .
Days will be gloomy again soon enough .

“Happy Days Are Here Again.”
For decades, that was the unofficial theme song of the Democratic Party. A band played the song at the 1932 Democratic National Convention that nominated Franklin Delano Roosevelt for president. Then FDR made it his campaign song.
As a young man I loved the song — until the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. Starting then, I abhorred it for 52 years.
I was a newspaper reporter, sitting in the convention hall during the joyless meeting’s final night when the band struck up “Happy Days.” Outside, the cops were beating up thousands of kids who were protesting the Vietnam War. Inside, pro-war and antiwar factions had ripped apart the party.
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Delegates nominated Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey for president. Millions considered him a stooge of the war-pushing President Lyndon B. Johnson. With Democrats fractured, Republican Richard Nixon was elected in November. That year, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated.
There were very few happy days for Democrats — or for America — in 1968. The song was an affront to the senses. And it gradually faded away.
But on Saturday, the song would have been perfect for Democrats and much of America.
Voters sent their lying, bullying, sourpuss president a stern message: “You’re fired.”
Joe Biden, illustrating the rewards of persistence and tenaciousness, was elected president.
There’s a Trumanesque quality to Biden.
Like President Truman, Biden tends to be underrated. Both came from middle America and working-class roots. There’s no flash. But lots of homespun. And that’s what more than 75 million Americans voted for after being worn down by four years of Trump’s classless bluster.
Advertisement
President Ford, after replacing the scandalized, resigned President Nixon in 1974, “perhaps put it best,” said Charles McFadden, a former wire service colleague, in an email. “’Our long national nightmare is over.’”
People danced in the streets all over America on Saturday, celebrating Trump’s ouster and the historic election of the first female vice president, California Sen. Kamala Harris. She’s also the first Black person and the first Asian American to be elected vice president.
Counting Biden, there will have been 15 U.S. presidents in my lifetime. I don’t recall people ever before taking to the streets to celebrate the election of a presidential ticket. That’s what people do in authoritarian countries when a dictator is toppled.
And in most democracies, electing a woman to lead the nation is relatively commonplace.
This is the 100th anniversary of American women being granted the constitutional right to vote — and therefore the eligibility to run for office. It has taken this long for a woman to be elected on a presidential ticket.
California shouldn’t gloat about producing the first female vice president. We still haven’t elected a female governor — or any governor of color.
“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” Harris told a nationally televised victory rally Saturday night.
“Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
My political junkie granddaughter, Frances Barbour, a senior at George Washington University in D.C., emailed me after TV networks called the election for Biden and Harris:
“Awesome day in America. Too close of an election, though. Nevertheless, [Democrats] did it.”
Yes, more than 70 million people voted for Trump. Democrats failed to take control of the Senate — they still could in two Georgia runoff elections — and their House majority was trimmed.
As Congress now stands, it will require all of Biden’s honed political skills to achieve any compromise legislation. Not just Republicans but liberal Democrats will need to give much to make Biden a successful president.
“We’re going to have to reflect on why 70 million people voted for Trump,” my granddaughter said when I called her. For starters, they feel left out of the Democrats’ world, I told her.
I called her mom — my daughter — political strategist Karen Skelton, who as a teen constantly wore a T-shirt reading: “Women belong in the House and the Senate.”
“My daughters now have a belief that anything is truly possible in this country,” she said. “For their generation, young women have a future that has no barriers to leadership in this country.
“Of course, Kamala stands on the shoulders of many women.”
She mentioned Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first Black candidate for the presidential nomination of a major party; also Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential nominee of a major party, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the first female presidential nominee of a major party. All were Democrats.
Harris turned out to be a perfect VP selection for Biden. He was comfortable with Harris, largely because of her close working relationship with his late son Beau when both were state attorneys general.
Harris did what VP candidates must: not mess up. In fact, she was an asset. Harris had a good debate with Vice President Mike Pence in her most important campaign performance. And she was a tireless campaigner.
As a Black woman, Harris helped Biden be competitive in Georgia.
Another asset for Biden in Georgia was Stacey Abrams, a former legislator and the first Black woman to be nominated by a major party for governor, a race she narrowly lost. In this election, she led a coalition that registered more than 800,000 previous nonvoters.
Perhaps Abrams should become the next chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.
“Today I see a city-on-a-hill country that I grew up believing in,” granddaughter Frances told me. “The sun has come out.”
From that old Democratic theme song:
“The skies above are clear again
So, let’s sing a song of cheer again.
Happy days are here again.”
Enjoy. Days will be gloomy again soon enough.


latimes--2020-11-08--L.A. megachurch pastor mocks pandemic health orders, even as church members fall ill

The words from the white-haired pastor echoed inside the cavernous megachurch in Los Angeles .
It was Aug. 30 , only 18 days after L.A. County public health officials had demanded that Grace Community Church stop holding indoor services .
But the pastor , 81-year-old John MacArthur , had kept the doors open , delivering defiance from his pulpit every Sunday .
County health inspectors had tried to enter the church in previous weeks but were blocked by security guards .
“ We do not consent to a search or visit , ” a security guard told the inspectors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August .
“ This is a Jesus Life Matters protest.
” If the inspectors had been allowed inside , they would have seen thousands of congregants sitting side by side , most without masks .
They hugged and sang hymns and shook hands and erupted in applause during MacArthur ’ s sermon .
When the offering plate came around , the congregants gave $ 40,046 , almost six times more than the previous Sunday , according to the church bulletins .
This picture of worship in the time of the coronavirus has emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drama that turns on sharply differing visions of safe behavior during a pandemic .
Most religious institutions have been following public health rules , turning to livestreams , outdoor services and drive-through events , but a handful have objected , arguing that the government doesn ’ t have the authority to restrict their prayer practices .
Few churches have captured a bigger spotlight for their defiance than the megachurch in Sun Valley .
The congregation has not only continued services but has also questioned the existence of the coronavirus .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it ’ s the virus of deception , ” MacArthur told the congregation in his Aug. 30 sermon .
“ And the one who ’ s behind the virus of deception is the arch deceiver Satan himself.
” Throughout the summer , MacArthur repeatedly insisted no one from the church had contracted the coronavirus or been hospitalized with COVID-19 .
Yet congregants have indeed been stricken and hospitalized with COVID-19 , according to MacArthur ’ s own account in a church interview in April .
They included a young couple who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died of the disease shortly after attending a church conference in March .
County health officials launched an outbreak investigation at the church in October after three other people contracted the coronavirus .
Church officials in a statement released last month dismissed the investigation , saying it involves three part-time employees who have not been hospitalized .
Three among 7,000 congregants is not an outbreak , they said , and they encouraged worshipers to keep attending services .
“ We are going to meet for worship this Sunday to celebrate the Lord ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
As of Sunday , the church had five confirmed cases .
` The church and its magnetic leader , a descendant of pioneering pastors who preached to cowboy stars from a bygone Hollywood age , seem to revel in their contrarian role .
When the county slapped a lawsuit against MacArthur and the church in mid-August , he quickly formed a legal team — including a senior legal adviser to President Trump ’ s reelection campaign — and kept holding services indoors .
When a judge sided with health officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet indoors , MacArthur mocked the county ’ s health guidelines .
And in a September appearance on `` The Ingraham Angle ” on Fox News , MacArthur seemingly dared authorities to throw him in jail .
Grace Community Church ’ s attendance has not suffered , even as a third major wave of infections looms and outbreaks of the disease continue to be reported across the country , including an outbreak in Shasta County at an evangelical church ’ s ministry school .
At times , Grace has been so crowded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to court records .
MacArthur and church attorneys declined to respond to repeated requests for an interview .
MacArthur , in the Fox News interview with host Laura Ingraham , stood his ground .
“ Our church is literally flooded with people .
We have them in every nook and cranny jammed together , ” he said , saying worshipers are attending “ to hear the message of forgiveness and salvation in a time when fear is being propagated on every street.
” Members of the church interviewed by The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their full names because of privacy concerns , gave a wide range of reasons for agreeing with the church ’ s stance .
Lance , 22 , a Santa Clarita resident , said “ it ’ s not that dangerous for someone like me , ” referring to the lower , but sometimes serious , health risks the virus seems to pose to young people .
A 33-year member wearing a surgical mask outside the church said that God knows when his believers will die and that they should not fear death .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we aren ’ t right with God , nothing else matters , ” said the woman .
Outside the church walls , however , neighbors plead with congregants to consider the health implications for the largely Latino neighborhood .
Many of the unmasked congregants park on nearby streets , worrying some residents so much that they fear coming out of their homes on Sunday mornings .
Aurora Perez , a 50-year-old marketing professional who lives nearby , expresses her own interpretation of the Bible on the sign she holds outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perez has light red spots across her body — scarring from COVID-19 , a testimony to her own brush with the disease .
MacArthur ’ s religious roots run deep in L.A. His father , Jack , drew throngs of worshipers while pastoring at Fountain Avenue Baptist Church in Hollywood , once erecting a giant tent on Santa Monica Boulevard for an event that featured celebrity believers like singer Roy Rogers and actress Dale Evans .
John MacArthur , after taking over Grace Community Church in 1969 , eventually became one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with a congregation estimated at about 7,000 .
An author of almost 400 books and study guides , he has a radio program that broadcasts across the world .
MacArthur , a former college athlete , avoids flashy services that he derides as showtime religion .
Members consider him an approachable pastor and call him “ John ” or “ J-Mac.
” They are drawn to his preaching style , which espouses a literal interpretation of Scripture .
Along with Christian parables come harsh judgments .
MacArthur has called Catholicism a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosperity gospel ” preaching of televangelist Joel Osteen to a spiritual Ponzi scheme and recently called Black Lives Matter “ an organization designed by Satan ” because of its support of LGBTQ equality .
His initial stance on the pandemic was hardly controversial .
In March , when the coronavirus outbreak struck , MacArthur complied fully with health orders requiring churches to close , telling his congregation that Christians should live peacefully under the government .
Defiance of safety measures is a “ foolish ” thing to do , he said , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ This is government law for the greater good of the population , ” MacArthur said in a March 28 interview with a Grace staff pastor .
But within one month , his views began to change .
Soon , he was echoing the same arguments and hyperbole that Trump and conservative media have spread about the pandemic — that the mainstream media have overhyped the pandemic ; that not that many people have died and the data are wrong , and those who did succumb actually died from other illnesses ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu — and saying it ’ s all the government ’ s ploy to control Christians .
But in other settings , he said otherwise .
In late April during an interview with a church elder , MacArthur said that a young couple in the Spanish-language ministry had contracted the coronavirus and wound up in a hospital .
“ It was such a virulent experience for them , ” he said .
In the same interview , he said that a 90-year-old Russian pastor who attended the church ’ s annual Shepherds ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men from around the world , became infected .
Alexey I. Kolomiytsev , a pastor emeritus at a Battle Ground , Wash. , church , died of complications from COVID-19 two weeks after attending the conference , according to his son ’ s online memorial message .
MacArthur said in the April interview that the Russian pastor is the “ only person that we know of that came out of the Shepherds ’ Conference and had that virus and ultimately died.
” But another man from the Washington church who attended the conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed symptoms in early March and died of COVID-19 on April 1 , according to a GoFundMe page by his family and news reports by Slavic Sacramento , a daily Russian-language news site in California .
A third person from the Washington church , Associate Pastor Sergey Yelchaninov , also came down with COVID-19 and was hospitalized about a week after Kolomiytsev died , his family told a local ABC affiliate .
He was hospitalized for 49 days and made a remarkable recovery .
He did not attend the conference , his daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a church-associated organization came in October .
The Master ’ s University , where many of the church ’ s pastors serve as professors and support staff , reported three students had tested positive for the coronavirus , said university spokesman Corey Williams .
As the pandemic spread across the county in midsummer , MacArthur began reopening the church doors .
He said he had to because people just started showing up on Sundays .
By July 12 , at least dozens of people were inside the church awaiting that day ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the day .
Two weeks later , the church made its stance official , saying Jesus would want the church to reopen : “ Christ , not Caesar , Is Head of the Church , ” MacArthur and church elders said in a statement on the church ’ s website .
The church provides masks and hand sanitizer outside the entrances and cleans worship spaces , a church member said , but no one ’ s temperature is taken and people are not screened for symptoms .
County officials appear to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric Garcetti ordered power be shut off at a Hollywood Hills home hosting large parties , it remains unclear whether the church will face similar sanctions .
At the next court hearing Friday , the county is asking a judge to find the church in contempt , which could lead to fines .
The church is an outlier in the region , according to county officials .
Most other houses of worship have complied with health orders , including more than 100 that asked for help in organizing outdoor religious services , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have argued that it ’ s MacArthur and Grace Community Church ’ s constitutional right to freely exercise their religion and that a key part of doing that is meeting in person , most practically indoors , given heat waves and smoke from fires .
They also cite the complications of organizing a large enough space to accommodate the 3,000-plus believers who usually attend each Sunday service .
“ Our position has been that L.A. County shutting down churches indefinitely amid a virus with a 99.98 % survival rate , especially when state-preferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without restriction , is unconstitutional and harmful to the free exercise of religion , ” said Jenna Ellis , a senior legal advisor to Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
The Sunday services don ’ t draw just congregants .
In recent weeks , residents of the surrounding neighborhood have protested along Roscoe Boulevard .
They place fliers on cars , wave signs and , at times , debate with congregants about the wisdom of worshiping without safeguards in the time of pandemic .
Perez , the Sun Valley resident who has spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs , said her protest is personal .
She contracted COVID-19 probably while delivering food to a sick family member who works at a hospital .
Months later , she has small round scars on her body , a lasting effect from the rash that the virus can cause .
As congregants stream out of church , Perez tries to strike up dialogues .
She thanks anyone wearing a mask , but they are far outnumbered by people who don ’ t .
“ Masks doesn ’ t work , ” a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Pomeranians and a cup of coffee , told Perez on a recent Sunday .
Perez ’ s husband , Felix , recording the encounter , disagreed .
“ It ’ s about doing the right thing , ” he said .
“ But he said it ’ s fake , ” said the woman , referring to MacArthur ’ s opinion of the pandemic .
Not all church members agree with MacArthur .
One member said his experience working in the healthcare industry conflicts with the pastor ’ s views .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the virus and have panic attacks or pass out from exhaustion .
At the height of the pandemic , he said , about four patients died in every 12-hour shift he worked .
Jesus , the man said , would focus on helping the sick , not deny the existence of the pandemic .
“ I have people ask me every day , ‘ Am I going to die ?
’ And [ MacArthur ] is saying , ‘ Everybody meet in here , no problem , ’ ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in two different worlds .
”

Pastor John MacArthur, shown in 2013, has continued to preach to thousands in indoor services at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley.
“There is no pandemic.”
The words from the white-haired pastor echoed inside the cavernous megachurch in Los Angeles.
It was Aug. 30, only 18 days after L.A. County public health officials had demanded that Grace Community Church stop holding indoor services.
But the pastor, 81-year-old John MacArthur, had kept the doors open, delivering defiance from his pulpit every Sunday.
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County health inspectors had tried to enter the church in previous weeks but were blocked by security guards. “We do not consent to a search or visit,” a security guard told the inspectors, reading from a prepared statement in early August. “This is a Jesus Life Matters protest.”
If the inspectors had been allowed inside, they would have seen thousands of congregants sitting side by side, most without masks.
California Coronavirus outbreak strikes L.A. megachurch that defied public health orders Three cases have been confirmed at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, which had defied orders from Los Angeles County public health officials and a judge to stop holding indoor services.
They hugged and sang hymns and shook hands and erupted in applause during MacArthur’s sermon. When the offering plate came around, the congregants gave $40,046, almost six times more than the previous Sunday, according to the church bulletins.
This picture of worship in the time of the coronavirus has emerged as a seemingly intractable legal and emotional drama that turns on sharply differing visions of safe behavior during a pandemic. Most religious institutions have been following public health rules, turning to livestreams, outdoor services and drive-through events, but a handful have objected, arguing that the government doesn’t have the authority to restrict their prayer practices.
Few churches have captured a bigger spotlight for their defiance than the megachurch in Sun Valley. The congregation has not only continued services but has also questioned the existence of the coronavirus.
“There’s another virus loose in the world, and it’s the virus of deception,” MacArthur told the congregation in his Aug. 30 sermon. “And the one who’s behind the virus of deception is the arch deceiver Satan himself.”
Throughout the summer, MacArthur repeatedly insisted no one from the church had contracted the coronavirus or been hospitalized with COVID-19. Yet congregants have indeed been stricken and hospitalized with COVID-19, according to MacArthur’s own account in a church interview in April. They included a young couple who were hospitalized and a visiting pastor who died of the disease shortly after attending a church conference in March.
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County health officials launched an outbreak investigation at the church in October after three other people contracted the coronavirus. Church officials in a statement released last month dismissed the investigation, saying it involves three part-time employees who have not been hospitalized. Three among 7,000 congregants is not an outbreak, they said, and they encouraged worshipers to keep attending services. “We are going to meet for worship this Sunday to celebrate the Lord’s Table together,” reads the statement. As of Sunday, the church had five confirmed cases. `
California Judge bars defiant Los Angeles megachurch from holding indoor services Grace Community Church in Los Angeles’ Sun Valley neighborhood draws thousands of worshipers, most of whom do not wear masks or socially distance.
The church and its magnetic leader, a descendant of pioneering pastors who preached to cowboy stars from a bygone Hollywood age, seem to revel in their contrarian role.
When the county slapped a lawsuit against MacArthur and the church in mid-August, he quickly formed a legal team — including a senior legal adviser to President Trump’s reelection campaign — and kept holding services indoors. When a judge sided with health officials in mid-September and ordered the church not to meet indoors, MacArthur mocked the county’s health guidelines. And in a September appearance on “The Ingraham Angle” on Fox News, MacArthur seemingly dared authorities to throw him in jail.
Grace Community Church’s attendance has not suffered, even as a third major wave of infections looms and outbreaks of the disease continue to be reported across the country, including an outbreak in Shasta County at an evangelical church’s ministry school. At times, Grace has been so crowded, people had to stand in the back, according to court records.
MacArthur and church attorneys declined to respond to repeated requests for an interview. MacArthur, in the Fox News interview with host Laura Ingraham, stood his ground. “Our church is literally flooded with people. We have them in every nook and cranny jammed together,” he said, saying worshipers are attending “to hear the message of forgiveness and salvation in a time when fear is being propagated on every street.”
Members of the church interviewed by The Times, most of whom declined to provide their full names because of privacy concerns, gave a wide range of reasons for agreeing with the church’s stance.
Lance, 22, a Santa Clarita resident, said “it’s not that dangerous for someone like me,” referring to the lower, but sometimes serious, health risks the virus seems to pose to young people.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
A 33-year member wearing a surgical mask outside the church said that God knows when his believers will die and that they should not fear death.
“When we breathe our last breath, and we aren’t right with God, nothing else matters,” said the woman.
Outside the church walls, however, neighbors plead with congregants to consider the health implications for the largely Latino neighborhood. Many of the unmasked congregants park on nearby streets, worrying some residents so much that they fear coming out of their homes on Sunday mornings. Aurora Perez, a 50-year-old marketing professional who lives nearby, expresses her own interpretation of the Bible on the sign she holds outside the church each Sunday on Roscoe Boulevard.
“Love thy neighbor, Matthew 22:39,” reads the sign. “And wear a mask.”
Perez has light red spots across her body — scarring from COVID-19, a testimony to her own brush with the disease.
::
Neighbors of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley have grown worried about the thousands of congregants who gather every week for services. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
MacArthur’s religious roots run deep in L.A. His father, Jack, drew throngs of worshipers while pastoring at Fountain Avenue Baptist Church in Hollywood, once erecting a giant tent on Santa Monica Boulevard for an event that featured celebrity believers like singer Roy Rogers and actress Dale Evans.
John MacArthur, after taking over Grace Community Church in 1969, eventually became one of the most successful evangelical preachers in the country, with a congregation estimated at about 7,000. An author of almost 400 books and study guides, he has a radio program that broadcasts across the world.
MacArthur, a former college athlete, avoids flashy services that he derides as showtime religion. Members consider him an approachable pastor and call him “John” or “J-Mac.” They are drawn to his preaching style, which espouses a literal interpretation of Scripture.
Along with Christian parables come harsh judgments. MacArthur has called Catholicism a “false religion,” compared the “prosperity gospel” preaching of televangelist Joel Osteen to a spiritual Ponzi scheme and recently called Black Lives Matter “an organization designed by Satan” because of its support of LGBTQ equality.
His initial stance on the pandemic was hardly controversial. In March, when the coronavirus outbreak struck, MacArthur complied fully with health orders requiring churches to close, telling his congregation that Christians should live peacefully under the government.
Defiance of safety measures is a “foolish” thing to do, he said, that makes “Christianity look anything but loving.” “This is government law for the greater good of the population,” MacArthur said in a March 28 interview with a Grace staff pastor.
But within one month, his views began to change.
Soon, he was echoing the same arguments and hyperbole that Trump and conservative media have spread about the pandemic — that the mainstream media have overhyped the pandemic; that not that many people have died and the data are wrong, and those who did succumb actually died from other illnesses; that it’s really just the flu — and saying it’s all the government’s ploy to control Christians.
But in other settings, he said otherwise.
In late April during an interview with a church elder, MacArthur said that a young couple in the Spanish-language ministry had contracted the coronavirus and wound up in a hospital. “It was such a virulent experience for them,” he said.
In the same interview, he said that a 90-year-old Russian pastor who attended the church’s annual Shepherds’ Conference in March, which drew 3,500 men from around the world, became infected. Alexey I. Kolomiytsev, a pastor emeritus at a Battle Ground, Wash., church, died of complications from COVID-19 two weeks after attending the conference, according to his son’s online memorial message.
MacArthur said in the April interview that the Russian pastor is the “only person that we know of that came out of the Shepherds’ Conference and had that virus and ultimately died.”
But another man from the Washington church who attended the conference with Kolomiytsev, 77-year-old Vladimir Dyachenko, developed symptoms in early March and died of COVID-19 on April 1, according to a GoFundMe page by his family and news reports by Slavic Sacramento, a daily Russian-language news site in California.
A third person from the Washington church, Associate Pastor Sergey Yelchaninov, also came down with COVID-19 and was hospitalized about a week after Kolomiytsev died, his family told a local ABC affiliate. He was hospitalized for 49 days and made a remarkable recovery. He did not attend the conference, his daughter said.
News of more infections at a church-associated organization came in October. The Master’s University, where many of the church’s pastors serve as professors and support staff, reported three students had tested positive for the coronavirus, said university spokesman Corey Williams.
As the pandemic spread across the county in midsummer, MacArthur began reopening the church doors. He said he had to because people just started showing up on Sundays. By July 12, at least dozens of people were inside the church awaiting that day’s sermon, according to social media posts from the day.
Two weeks later, the church made its stance official, saying Jesus would want the church to reopen: “Christ, not Caesar, Is Head of the Church,” MacArthur and church elders said in a statement on the church’s website.
The church provides masks and hand sanitizer outside the entrances and cleans worship spaces, a church member said, but no one’s temperature is taken and people are not screened for symptoms.
Grace Community Church has repeatedly held packed Sunday services, defying the county’s health order and, more recently, a court order directing it to halt indoor gatherings. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
County officials appear to be weighing their options. Although L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered power be shut off at a Hollywood Hills home hosting large parties, it remains unclear whether the church will face similar sanctions.
At the next court hearing Friday, the county is asking a judge to find the church in contempt, which could lead to fines. The church is an outlier in the region, according to county officials. Most other houses of worship have complied with health orders, including more than 100 that asked for help in organizing outdoor religious services, they said.
The church’s attorneys have argued that it’s MacArthur and Grace Community Church’s constitutional right to freely exercise their religion and that a key part of doing that is meeting in person, most practically indoors, given heat waves and smoke from fires. They also cite the complications of organizing a large enough space to accommodate the 3,000-plus believers who usually attend each Sunday service.
“Our position has been that L.A. County shutting down churches indefinitely amid a virus with a 99.98% survival rate, especially when state-preferred businesses are open and protests are held without restriction, is unconstitutional and harmful to the free exercise of religion,” said Jenna Ellis, a senior legal advisor to Trump’s reelection campaign.
The Sunday services don’t draw just congregants. In recent weeks, residents of the surrounding neighborhood have protested along Roscoe Boulevard. They place fliers on cars, wave signs and, at times, debate with congregants about the wisdom of worshiping without safeguards in the time of pandemic.
Perez, the Sun Valley resident who has spent about $600 on these fliers and signs, said her protest is personal. She contracted COVID-19 probably while delivering food to a sick family member who works at a hospital. Months later, she has small round scars on her body, a lasting effect from the rash that the virus can cause.
As congregants stream out of church, Perez tries to strike up dialogues. She thanks anyone wearing a mask, but they are far outnumbered by people who don’t.
“Masks doesn’t work,” a woman in a pink Gucci T-shirt, holding two Pomeranians and a cup of coffee, told Perez on a recent Sunday.
Perez’s husband, Felix, recording the encounter, disagreed. “It’s about doing the right thing,” he said.
“But he said it’s fake,” said the woman, referring to MacArthur’s opinion of the pandemic.
Sun Valley resident Aurora Perez, 50, holds a sign outside Grace Community Church on Sept. 13 to protest the church’s decision to gather without social distancing or requiring face coverings. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Not all church members agree with MacArthur.
One member said his experience working in the healthcare industry conflicts with the pastor’s views. He said he has watched co-workers get sick from the virus and have panic attacks or pass out from exhaustion. At the height of the pandemic, he said, about four patients died in every 12-hour shift he worked.
Jesus, the man said, would focus on helping the sick, not deny the existence of the pandemic.
“I have people ask me every day, ‘Am I going to die?’ And [MacArthur] is saying, ‘Everybody meet in here, no problem,’” he said. “It’s like I live in two different worlds.”
Times staff writer Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-08--Coronavirus continues to spread in Los Angeles County at summer levels

Coronavirus infections continued to rise in Los Angeles County on Sunday at levels seen during the summer surge , and public health officials warned that the street celebrations that greeted the election news over the weekend could easily increase the spread .
Officials on Sunday announced more than 2,200 new COVID-19 cases , marking the fourth consecutive day with more than 2,000 confirmed infections .
Officials also confirmed two more deaths from the disease , a number that was probably lowered by weekend reporting delays .
There were 23 deaths reported on Friday and 15 on Saturday ; Sunday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 deaths to date , according to a news release from the county Department of Public Health .
Across L.A. County , 322,207 COVID-19 cases overall have been recorded .
There are 851 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county ; 29 % of them are in intensive care , officials said .
Statewide , cases continue to climb , but top health officials say California is not seeing the kind of sharp rise that occurred this summer .
On Saturday , county health officials warned that crowds and street celebrations following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places where it is very easy and very likely for COVID-19 to spread.
” “ Let us remember that no matter how we feel , we all have an obligation to protect each other from COVID-19 , ” said Barbara Ferrer , director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health .
“ Gathering with people outside of your household , especially in settings where people are shouting , chanting or singing and not distancing , can easily lead to increased cases of COVID-19 .
”

Customers are reminded they must wear masks at the Westfield Santa Anita shopping mall in Arcadia.
Coronavirus infections continued to rise in Los Angeles County on Sunday at levels seen during the summer surge, and public health officials warned that the street celebrations that greeted the election news over the weekend could easily increase the spread.
Officials on Sunday announced more than 2,200 new COVID-19 cases, marking the fourth consecutive day with more than 2,000 confirmed infections. Officials also confirmed two more deaths from the disease, a number that was probably lowered by weekend reporting delays.
There were 23 deaths reported on Friday and 15 on Saturday; Sunday’s numbers bring the total to 7,172 COVID-19 deaths to date, according to a news release from the county Department of Public Health. Across L.A. County, 322,207 COVID-19 cases overall have been recorded.
There are 851 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county; 29% of them are in intensive care, officials said. Statewide, cases continue to climb , but top health officials say California is not seeing the kind of sharp rise that occurred this summer.
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On Saturday, county health officials warned that crowds and street celebrations following the results of the presidential election “are places where it is very easy and very likely for COVID-19 to spread.”
“Let us remember that no matter how we feel, we all have an obligation to protect each other from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health. “Gathering with people outside of your household, especially in settings where people are shouting, chanting or singing and not distancing, can easily lead to increased cases of COVID-19.”


latimes--2020-11-08--Coronavirus is again stalking California, but there is still time to prevent a third wave

Although California has started to see a rise in coronavirus cases , the pace of increase is slower than that seen in the rest of the United States , and experts said there is still time to prevent a third wave .
There are clear warning signs , including a troubling increase in daily cases in Los Angeles County .
But statewide , the uptick — for the moment — is proceeding at a pace considered relatively slow , and health officials say there ’ s no conclusive sign of the kind of surge that roiled California this summer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have a much more muted uptick that ’ s beginning to occur , ” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
“ And I think it ’ s because we are still adhering , for the most part , to this tiered approach of gradual opening of the economy and schools.
” California ’ s slow reopening process has prompted criticism from some businesses , including executives of the state ’ s largest theme parks , which remain ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t offer meals remain largely closed statewide .
And in the hardest-hit counties , including Los Angeles , Riverside and San Bernardino , indoor dining rooms are ordered closed , as are indoor gyms and houses of worship .
Although the slow-moving reopening strategy may be frustrating to some , health experts and officials are crediting the framework with keeping California ’ s hospitals from being overwhelmed by a surge of new COVID-19 cases .
California ’ s first attempt at reopening the economy in late spring ended in disaster , with state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speed up the pace without meeting their own previously established criteria .
That led to a summertime surge in cases that brought California ’ s deadliest season of the pandemic .
The milder situation currently in California , Kim-Farley said , could be considered “ somewhat of a modest success story compared to the rest of the nation.
” Although California ’ s cumulative COVID-19 death toll of more than 17,900 is far worse than that of some countries — Japan , for example , has recorded only 1,800 deaths — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths of New York , the hardest-hit state , with nearly 34,000 .
The number of weekly coronavirus cases California has recorded recently is far below its peak .
For the seven-day period that ended Thursday , California recorded nearly 34,000 cases , about half as many as the state ’ s worst week , July 17–23 , when 66,341 cases were diagnosed .
By contrast , the nation recorded more than 662,000 cases in the last week — the second consecutive weekly record .
“ Part of California ’ s success is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our reopening — that we ’ ve allowed ourselves time to see how our reopening efforts impact our healthcare delivery system , ” said Dr. Mark Ghaly , the California Health and Human Services Agency secretary .
Ghaly said he believed California has been helped in places that have high compliance with the state ’ s mandatory mask order , which he called “ one of the most valuable tools at play to reduce transmission.
” By contrast , some of the states seeing the worst per capita case rates have residents who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation , newly diagnosed coronavirus cases for the first time exceeded more than 100,000 daily in recent days .
Since the pandemic began , the U.S. has recorded the most coronavirus cases and fatalities of any country worldwide , with more than 9.9 million people infected and more than 237,000 deaths .
The pandemic is rapidly worsening in most states , with the exception of the West Coast , Hawaii , New York , Louisiana and parts of New England , Dr. George Rutherford , an epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On a per capita basis , coronavirus cases have been highest over the last week in the Midwest , where there has been plenty of controversy over managing the pandemic .
In Wisconsin , the Democratic governor and the Republican-dominated Legislature and conservative Supreme Court have sparred over control measures .
Texas on Halloween surpassed California as the state with the most coronavirus cases .
By Sunday , more than 985,000 cumulative cases were reported in the Lone Star State ; the Golden State stands at more than 973,000 .
Texas has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-September surpassed California as the state with the second-highest number , after New York .
Over the last week , Texas , Illinois and Wisconsin tallied more new coronavirus cases than California , Rutherford said .
It ’ s remarkable how much density of infection there is in Illinois , Iowa , Minnesota and scattered across metro areas in the Mountain West , Rutherford said .
By contrast , the West Coast has been “ relatively spared , ” he said , and “ here in California , we continue to be somewhat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an uptick in cases in California that began roughly two weeks ago was the start of a significant surge , in which the state would be recording 8,000 new cases a day , up from about 3,200 earlier in October .
But the dire scenario hasn ’ t happened .
Over the last week , there has been an average of 5,050 cases a day .
“ Just because we ’ ve seen other parts of the country experience a surge , it ’ s not a foregone conclusion that we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Ghaly said .
“ Our choices matter a great deal.
” Like California as a whole , Los Angeles County has started to see an uptick in cases in recent weeks , but it ’ s not at the point where it ’ s a surge that is expected to imminently stress local hospitals .
“ There ’ s definitely surges happening across the country .
We ’ re not seeing that yet here in L.A. County , ” said Dr. Paul Simon , chief science officer for the L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven-day period that ended Thursday , 10,490 cases were reported , slightly down from the previous week ’ s tally of 10,987 but still higher than the count three weeks ago , which was 7,921 .
These numbers are still below the county ’ s worst week , July 10-16 , when more than 22,000 cases were reported .
“ We ’ re pretty convinced at this point that these smaller gatherings — where people feel pretty safe because they ’ re with friends and extended family — are in fact fueling a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barbara Ferrer , L.A. County ’ s director of public health .
“ They ’ re just not as safe as we would like to believe.
” Seemingly wholesome gatherings , where people are inside eating and drinking , can easily spread the virus .
“ Please don ’ t bring people inside your house who aren ’ t a part of your household , because it just keeps accelerating this increase in the number of cases , ” Ferrer said .
“ We , like everybody else , do not want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the only steps open to us are very dramatic sorts of reclosings.
” Social gatherings are also a problem in the Bay Area .
In Solano County , almost all the cases from a recent surge “ came from family and social gatherings , ” Dr. Bela Matyas , the county ’ s public health officer , said at a public meeting .
“ And some of those that were reported were clearly in violation of common sense : We had a funeral with 300 people , and nobody wearing masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s home with 40 individuals — nobody wearing masks , ” Matyas said .
In Southern California , other counties are reporting week-over-week increases in cases , but at levels still below the summertime surge .
For the seven-day period that ended Thursday , San Diego County reported 2,738 cases , up from 2,400 the previous week but below the mid-summer high of 3,753 .
The five-county region of L.A. , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino and Ventura reported 18,558 cases in the last week , up from 17,704 the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what was seen in the summer , when nearly 39,000 cases were reported in one week in mid-July .
The increase in cases is still a sign of concern , and Kim-Farley suspected an uptick reported Thursday and Friday may be related to gatherings around Halloween .
If a jump in cases tied to Halloween did occur , it would put the region in a worse position heading into Thanksgiving , Christmas and other winter holidays .
“ We are in a critical time where we have many established cultural familial traditions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ That just really can not be the same as it was last year.
” The state generally bans large gatherings and has set up requirements for how small gatherings can occur : outdoors , for no more than two hours , with members of no more than three households who stay six feet apart and wear masks when not eating or drinking , and with food and drink in single-serve disposable containers .
“ This is not the year to party in large crowds , particularly inside , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of public health .
“ We want to be here for the next holiday season .
We want all of us to be here.
” Much of the concern nationwide is that major transmission occurs in small groups of friends and families .
Health experts are urging people to not host or attend large gatherings and say it ’ s safest to celebrate in person only with members of your household .
“ With the exception of some large rallies , it seems to be smaller groups of people who are clustering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on , ” Rutherford said .
“ And so the concern is that Thanksgiving , in and of itself — because it is a time when people cluster together with their masks off so they can eat and drink — will be a major amplifier.
” L.A. County officials are also monitoring a deepening of the disparity in coronavirus cases among Latino residents compared with other racial and ethnic groups .
The disparity improved in August and early September but began to worsen again in October .
Lin reported from San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Thousand Oaks .

Although California has started to see a rise in coronavirus cases, the pace of increase is slower than that seen in the rest of the United States, and experts said there is still time to prevent a third wave.
There are clear warning signs, including a troubling increase in daily cases in Los Angeles County. But statewide, the uptick — for the moment — is proceeding at a pace considered relatively slow, and health officials say there’s no conclusive sign of the kind of surge that roiled California this summer.
“We are fortunate in the sense that we have a much more muted uptick that’s beginning to occur,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. “And I think it’s because we are still adhering, for the most part, to this tiered approach of gradual opening of the economy and schools.”
California’s slow reopening process has prompted criticism from some businesses, including executives of the state’s largest theme parks, which remain ordered shut. Indoor bars that don’t offer meals remain largely closed statewide. And in the hardest-hit counties, including Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino, indoor dining rooms are ordered closed, as are indoor gyms and houses of worship.
Although the slow-moving reopening strategy may be frustrating to some, health experts and officials are crediting the framework with keeping California’s hospitals from being overwhelmed by a surge of new COVID-19 cases.
California’s first attempt at reopening the economy in late spring ended in disaster, with state officials, under political pressure, agreeing to speed up the pace without meeting their own previously established criteria. That led to a summertime surge in cases that brought California’s deadliest season of the pandemic.
Coronavirus cases in California have risen, but not to the extreme levels seen nationally. (Los Angeles Times)
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The milder situation currently in California, Kim-Farley said, could be considered “somewhat of a modest success story compared to the rest of the nation.”
Although California’s cumulative COVID-19 death toll of more than 17,900 is far worse than that of some countries — Japan, for example, has recorded only 1,800 deaths — the Golden State has about half the total deaths of New York, the hardest-hit state, with nearly 34,000.
The number of weekly coronavirus cases California has recorded recently is far below its peak. For the seven-day period that ended Thursday, California recorded nearly 34,000 cases, about half as many as the state’s worst week, July 17–23, when 66,341 cases were diagnosed.
By contrast, the nation recorded more than 662,000 cases in the last week — the second consecutive weekly record.
“Part of California’s success is because we have gone really slow with our reopening — that we’ve allowed ourselves time to see how our reopening efforts impact our healthcare delivery system,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California Health and Human Services Agency secretary.
Ghaly said he believed California has been helped in places that have high compliance with the state’s mandatory mask order, which he called “one of the most valuable tools at play to reduce transmission.”
By contrast, some of the states seeing the worst per capita case rates have residents who largely are not wearing masks.
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Across the nation, newly diagnosed coronavirus cases for the first time exceeded more than 100,000 daily in recent days. Since the pandemic began, the U.S. has recorded the most coronavirus cases and fatalities of any country worldwide, with more than 9.9 million people infected and more than 237,000 deaths.
The pandemic is rapidly worsening in most states, with the exception of the West Coast, Hawaii, New York, Louisiana and parts of New England, Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco, said Friday.
On a per capita basis, coronavirus cases have been highest over the last week in the Midwest, where there has been plenty of controversy over managing the pandemic. In Wisconsin, the Democratic governor and the Republican-dominated Legislature and conservative Supreme Court have sparred over control measures.
Texas on Halloween surpassed California as the state with the most coronavirus cases. By Sunday, more than 985,000 cumulative cases were reported in the Lone Star State; the Golden State stands at more than 973,000.
Texas has seen more than 19,000 COVID-19 deaths and in mid-September surpassed California as the state with the second-highest number, after New York.
Over the last week, Texas, Illinois and Wisconsin tallied more new coronavirus cases than California, Rutherford said.
It’s remarkable how much density of infection there is in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and scattered across metro areas in the Mountain West, Rutherford said. By contrast, the West Coast has been “relatively spared,” he said, and “here in California, we continue to be somewhat fortunate.”
Dyana Elam, center, accompanied by her children Jackson Love, 11, left, and Jordan Love, 11, votes at Union Station in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Rutherford said he was worried that an uptick in cases in California that began roughly two weeks ago was the start of a significant surge, in which the state would be recording 8,000 new cases a day, up from about 3,200 earlier in October. But the dire scenario hasn’t happened. Over the last week, there has been an average of 5,050 cases a day.
“Just because we’ve seen other parts of the country experience a surge, it’s not a foregone conclusion that we’ll just see it down the road,” Ghaly said. “Our choices matter a great deal.”
Like California as a whole, Los Angeles County has started to see an uptick in cases in recent weeks, but it’s not at the point where it’s a surge that is expected to imminently stress local hospitals.
“There’s definitely surges happening across the country. We’re not seeing that yet here in L.A. County,” said Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the L.A. County Department of Public Health. For the seven-day period that ended Thursday, 10,490 cases were reported, slightly down from the previous week’s tally of 10,987 but still higher than the count three weeks ago, which was 7,921.
These numbers are still below the county’s worst week, July 10-16, when more than 22,000 cases were reported.
“We’re pretty convinced at this point that these smaller gatherings — where people feel pretty safe because they’re with friends and extended family — are in fact fueling a lot of the increase,” said Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County’s director of public health. “They’re just not as safe as we would like to believe.”
Seemingly wholesome gatherings, where people are inside eating and drinking, can easily spread the virus.
“Please don’t bring people inside your house who aren’t a part of your household, because it just keeps accelerating this increase in the number of cases,” Ferrer said. “We, like everybody else, do not want to be at the place where we feel like the only steps open to us are very dramatic sorts of reclosings.”
Social gatherings are also a problem in the Bay Area. In Solano County, almost all the cases from a recent surge “came from family and social gatherings,” Dr. Bela Matyas, the county’s public health officer, said at a public meeting.
“And some of those that were reported were clearly in violation of common sense: We had a funeral with 300 people, and nobody wearing masks. We had a wedding in a person’s home with 40 individuals — nobody wearing masks,” Matyas said.
In Southern California, other counties are reporting week-over-week increases in cases, but at levels still below the summertime surge. For the seven-day period that ended Thursday, San Diego County reported 2,738 cases, up from 2,400 the previous week but below the mid-summer high of 3,753.
The five-county region of L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura reported 18,558 cases in the last week, up from 17,704 the previous week. The numbers are half of what was seen in the summer, when nearly 39,000 cases were reported in one week in mid-July.
The increase in cases is still a sign of concern, and Kim-Farley suspected an uptick reported Thursday and Friday may be related to gatherings around Halloween. If a jump in cases tied to Halloween did occur, it would put the region in a worse position heading into Thanksgiving, Christmas and other winter holidays.
“We are in a critical time where we have many established cultural familial traditions of getting together and celebrating,” Kim-Farley said. “That just really cannot be the same as it was last year.”
The state generally bans large gatherings and has set up requirements for how small gatherings can occur: outdoors, for no more than two hours, with members of no more than three households who stay six feet apart and wear masks when not eating or drinking, and with food and drink in single-serve disposable containers.
“This is not the year to party in large crowds, particularly inside,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, the San Francisco director of public health. “We want to be here for the next holiday season. We want all of us to be here.”
Much of the concern nationwide is that major transmission occurs in small groups of friends and families. Health experts are urging people to not host or attend large gatherings and say it’s safest to celebrate in person only with members of your household.
“With the exception of some large rallies, it seems to be smaller groups of people who are clustering together where most of the transmission is going on,” Rutherford said. “And so the concern is that Thanksgiving, in and of itself — because it is a time when people cluster together with their masks off so they can eat and drink — will be a major amplifier.”
L.A. County officials are also monitoring a deepening of the disparity in coronavirus cases among Latino residents compared with other racial and ethnic groups. The disparity improved in August and early September but began to worsen again in October.
Lin reported from San Francisco, Lee from Los Angeles and Greene from Thousand Oaks.


latimes--2020-11-09--Nearly 9 in 10 LAPD officers felt unsupported by Moore after summer protests, survey finds

Nearly nine out of 10 Los Angeles Police Department officers did not feel supported by Chief Michel Moore and did not believe he or other commanders provided strong leadership during recent protests and unrest , according to a summer survey conducted by the officers ’ union .
Many officers said Moore should resign , accusing him in comments they submitted with the survey of “ cowering ” to Black Lives Matter protesters , “ pandering ” to city politicians and “ not having an organized plan ” during the unrest , the union said .
Nearly 70 % of respondents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests , which following the May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , and close to 40 % said they were thinking of leaving the force .
The results , published this week in the union ’ s Thin Blue Line newsletter , reflect low morale among officers at a critical time in American policing and should raise alarms for Angelenos about the LAPD ’ s path forward at a time of increasing violence , Los Angeles Police Protective League officials said .
“ It speaks loud and clear what the membership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going right now .
They ’ re starving for leadership both from the chief and from his command staff .
It ’ s obvious , ” said Craig Lally , the union president .
“ It just doesn ’ t seem like law enforcement and public safety is a priority in this city.
” More than 2,700 of the department ’ s 10,000-plus sworn members participated in the survey , union officials said .
Moore , in a written statement provided to officers , struck a conciliatory tone and promised to “ do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expressly acknowledge that I hear you , see you , and am committed to doing a better job as your Chief , ” Moore wrote .
“ Second , I apologize to those of you who I failed by my actions or words .
I believed in my heart each action was the right thing to do .
However , there are things that I wish I could go back in time and do over.
” Moore , who has faced calls to resign from protesters and other activists , promised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do better.
” Moore declined through a spokesman to discuss the survey results beyond his written statement to the union .
The vote underscores the political balancing act Moore faces as he tries to address concerns about policing from activists and some in government while also keeping morale up inside his department .
He is already dealing with cuts to the police budget — which is are less than what some critics are demanding — while also grappling with a spike in homicides and shootings this year .
Law enforcement experts said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wherein officers and police unions complain about leadership whenever they are confronted with broad societal criticisms — which force elected officials and police commanders to acknowledge mistakes , implement reforms and scrutinize officers ’ actions more closely .
“ One thing to recognize about policing , as with many institutions , is that there is a significant gap between management and rank-and-file , in which street cops often feel that management cops are adversaries rather than supporters , ” said Eric Miller , a professor at Loyola Law School who focuses on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen that civilian calls for reform often result in some policy changes at the top from the police command staff that are then deeply resented and resisted by the rank and file.
” Merrick Bobb , a former federal monitor of the Seattle Police Department and former special counsel to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who advised the Christopher Commission after the L.A. unrest in 1992 , said he felt Moore “ had handled himself quite well in recent protests and had taken steps to work with all sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price among the rank-and-file for “ trying to establish open lines of communications with the community and activists.
” Protests occurred downtown , in the Fairfax district and elsewhere in the city in late May and early June .
While many remained peaceful , several devolved into chaos , with arsons and burglaries occurring , among other property damage .
Police responded by forming skirmish lines , declaring the gatherings unlawful and then using hard-foam projectiles and batons to clear crowds .
Many officers and protesters were injured .
The entire response is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department and by the National Police Foundation on behalf of the Police Commission .
The department is also facing several lawsuits over its tactics , including its use of hard-foam projectiles — which badly wounded some protesters .
According to the union survey , Moore got high marks for going out to the Fairfax protests and being on the ground as things escalated .
However , officers panned the chief for kneeling with protesters — a sign , to them , that he was capitulating to a violent crowd .
Many questioned why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positives about officers as protests spawned more and more questions about LAPD behavior , the union said .
Some officers said that curfews should have been better handled and communicated to crowds .
Some said officers should have been equipped with more weapons , such as pepper balls and tear gas .
Some said the National Guard should have been called in earlier .
Others criticized how officers were deployed , and suggested they needed better training to handle large crowds .
Moore in June acknowledged racial inequities in American society , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to show his willingness to listen .
He has said that some mistakes were made in the department ’ s response to the protests , but defended the work of police overall as appropriate in the face of violence and destruction .
He also has spoken out for officers more forcefully after recent events , like the celebrations of the Lakers and Dodgers victories , led to destruction .
In his response to the survey , Moore acknowledged officers ’ concerns , saying that he had recently launched “ hands-on crowd control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence not seen in decades , ” and “ issued protective equipment for new threats such as eye wear for green lasers and riot shields for projectiles.
” He acknowledged that recent budget cuts will mean the department will have a smaller work force , but told officers he “ will continue to be vocal toward our elected officials , our communities , the media , and critics so that I can more effectively tell your story.
” The survey marks the first time an LAPD chief has had his leadership openly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nearly two decades , but stops short of past rebukes .
In January 2002 , the union held an official no-confidence vote over the leadership of Chief Bernard Parks , and 93 % of respondents said they wanted Parks gone .
Within nine months , Parks was replaced by Chief William J. Bratton .
Bratton had widespread support among officers , and Bratton ’ s successor Charlie Beck , known as a skilled dealmaker , also avoided the union ’ s wrath .
Lally said the union has no plans to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part because union officials don ’ t believe that Mayor Eric Garcetti — another target of officers ’ ire in the survey comments — would replace Moore with anyone better .
The survey does not represent a direct threat to Moore ’ s tenure at the top of the LAPD , in part because he still enjoys political support , including from Garcetti .
“ 2020 has been an enormously challenging year for everyone .
All City departments , including the LAPD , have been asked to do more with less — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women of our police department , have answered that call .
I am proud of the heroic work they do to keep Los Angeles safe every day , ” Garcetti said in a statement Monday to The Times .
“ The Chief has led the LAPD with resolve and compassion through one of the toughest years it has ever faced .
I have full confidence in him , our officers , and the work they ’ re doing to lead in 21st century policing and get our city through these very difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Los Angeles Police Commission , which oversees Moore and the department , said he and other commissioners also have confidence in Moore .
Soboroff said Moore has “ handled the issues that have been coming up very well , ” and that low morale has just as much to do with a cultural moment of criticism for police as Moore ’ s individual performance as the LAPD leader .
“ It ’ s a difficult industry , ” Soboroff said “ The idea that it became OK to be disrespectful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ is ] coming from political places — is hard .
”

LAPD officers said they did not feel supported by Chief Michel Moore in a survey conducted this summer by their union.
Nearly 9 out of 10 Los Angeles Police Department officers did not feel supported by Chief Michel Moore and did not believe he or other commanders provided strong leadership during recent protests and unrest, according to a summer survey conducted by the officers’ union.
Many officers said Moore should resign, accusing him in comments they submitted with the survey of “cowering” to Black Lives Matter protesters, “pandering” to city politicians and “not having an organized plan” during the unrest, the union said.
Nearly 70% of respondents said the department was unprepared for the protests, which followed the May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and close to 40% said they were thinking of leaving the force.
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The results, published this week in the union’s Thin Blue Line newsletter, reflect low morale among officers at a critical time in American policing and should raise alarms for Angelenos about the LAPD’s path forward at a time of increasing violence, Los Angeles Police Protective League officials said.
“It speaks loud and clear what the membership thinks about the direction the department is going right now. They’re starving for leadership both from the chief and from his command staff. It’s obvious,” said Craig Lally, the union president. “It just doesn’t seem like law enforcement and public safety is a priority in this city.”
More than 2,700 of the department’s 10,000-plus sworn members participated in the survey, union officials said.
Moore, in a statement provided to officers, struck a conciliatory tone and promised to “do better.”
“First, I mean to expressly acknowledge that I hear you, see you, and am committed to doing a better job as your Chief,” Moore wrote. “Second, I apologize to those of you who I failed by my actions or words. I believed in my heart each action was the right thing to do. However, there are things that I wish I could go back in time and do over.”
Moore, who has faced calls to resign from protesters and other activists, promised to “get back up and strive to do better.”
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Moore declined through a spokesman to discuss the survey results beyond his written statement to the union.
The vote underscores the political balancing act Moore faces as he tries to address concerns about policing from activists and some in government while also keeping morale up inside his department. He is already dealing with cuts to the police budget — which are less than what some critics are demanding — while grappling with a surge in homicides and shootings this year.
Law enforcement experts said the survey reflects a long trend in policing, wherein officers and police unions complain about leadership whenever they are confronted with broad societal criticisms — which force elected officials and police commanders to acknowledge mistakes, implement reforms and scrutinize officers’ actions more closely.
“One thing to recognize about policing, as with many institutions, is that there is a significant gap between management and rank and file, in which street cops often feel that management cops are adversaries rather than supporters,” said Eric Miller, a professor at Loyola Law School who focuses on policing issues. “Historically, we’ve seen that civilian calls for reform often result in some policy changes at the top from the police command staff that are then deeply resented and resisted by the rank and file.”
Merrick Bobb, a former federal monitor of the Seattle Police Department and former special counsel to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who advised the Christopher Commission after the L.A. unrest in 1992, said he felt Moore “had handled himself quite well in recent protests and had taken steps to work with all sides,” but may be paying a price among the rank-and-file for “trying to establish open lines of communications with the community and activists.”
Protests occurred downtown, in the Fairfax district and elsewhere in the city in late May and early June. While many remained peaceful, several devolved into chaos, with arsons and burglaries occurring, among other property damage. Police responded by forming skirmish lines, declaring the gatherings unlawful and then using hard-foam projectiles and batons to clear crowds. Many officers and protesters were injured.
The entire response is now under review, both by the department and by the National Police Foundation on behalf of the Police Commission. The department is also facing several lawsuits over its tactics, including its use of hard-foam projectiles — which badly wounded some protesters.
According to the union survey, Moore got high marks for going out to the Fairfax protests and being on the ground as things escalated. However, officers panned the chief for kneeling with protesters — a sign, to them, that he was capitulating to a violent crowd. Many questioned why he did not highlight more of the positives about officers as protests spawned more and more questions about LAPD behavior, the union said.
Some officers said that curfews should have been better handled and communicated to crowds. Some said officers should have been equipped with more weapons, such as pepper balls and tear gas. Some said the National Guard should have been called in earlier. Others criticized how officers were deployed, and suggested they needed better training to handle large crowds.
Moore in June acknowledged racial inequities in American society, and said that, by kneeling, he meant to show his willingness to listen. He has said that some mistakes were made in the department’s response to the protests, but defended the work of police overall as appropriate in the face of violence and destruction. He also has spoken out for officers more forcefully after recent events, like the celebrations of the Lakers and Dodgers victories, led to destruction.
In his response to the survey, Moore acknowledged officers’ concerns, saying that he had recently launched “hands-on crowd control training to improve our readiness for riotous violence not seen in decades,” and “issued protective equipment for new threats such as eye wear for green lasers and riot shields for projectiles.”
He acknowledged that recent budget cuts will mean the department will have a smaller workforce, but told officers he “will continue to be vocal toward our elected officials, our communities, the media, and critics so that I can more effectively tell your story.”
The survey marks the first time an LAPD chief has had his leadership openly and directly challenged by officers and the union in nearly two decades, but stops short of past rebukes.
In January 2002, the union held an official no-confidence vote over the leadership of Chief Bernard Parks, and 93% of respondents said they wanted Parks gone. Within nine months, Parks was replaced by Chief William J. Bratton.
Bratton had widespread support among officers, and Bratton’s successor Charlie Beck, known as a skilled deal-maker, also avoided the union’s wrath.
Lally said the union has no plans to hold an official no-confidence vote for Moore, in part because union officials don’t believe that Mayor Eric Garcetti — another target of officers’ ire in the survey comments — would replace Moore with anyone better.
The survey does not represent a direct threat to Moore’s tenure at the top of the LAPD, in part because he still enjoys political support, including from Garcetti.
“2020 has been an enormously challenging year for everyone. All City departments, including the LAPD, have been asked to do more with less — and Chief Moore, and the men and women of our police department, have answered that call. I am proud of the heroic work they do to keep Los Angeles safe every day,” Garcetti said in a statement Monday to The Times. “The Chief has led the LAPD with resolve and compassion through one of the toughest years it has ever faced. I have full confidence in him, our officers, and the work they’re doing to lead in 21st century policing and get our city through these very difficult times.”
Steve Soboroff, a member of the Los Angeles Police Commission, which oversees Moore and the department, said he and other commissioners also have confidence in Moore.
Soboroff said Moore has “handled the issues that have been coming up very well,” and that low morale has just as much to do with a cultural moment of criticism for police as Moore’s individual performance as the LAPD leader.
“It’s a difficult industry,” Soboroff said “The idea that it became OK to be disrespectful to officers — [which] officers feel [is] coming from political places — is hard.”