latimes--2020-01-21--UC enrolls record number of California students in the fall

The University of California enrolled a record number of in-state undergraduates in the fall , marking the fourth consecutive annual increase , according to data released Tuesday .
UC ’ s nine undergraduate campuses enrolled a total 185,559 California residents during the current academic year — a 10.3 % increase of 17,369 since 2015 .
All campuses but Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz increased their in-state students .
Although total California undergraduate enrollment increased in fall 2019 , new freshmen and transfer students declined slightly by 1 % .
During this period UC experienced the first dip in freshman applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether that was a temporary blip triggered by wildfires and other natural disasters that made it harder for students to apply , or the start of a gradual decline as the number of high school graduates decreases , immigration policies tighten up and more students start at community college under a new state tuition waiver .
UC did admit a record number of California students for fall 2019 , but it appears that fewer accepted the admission offers and enrolled .
UC President Janet Napolitano said the overall enrollment growth “ means expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
The University of California is looking forward to providing these talented , hardworking students a world-class education , while expanding access for future Californians.
” Systemwide , 40 % of those enrolled this academic year are the first in their families to attend college , while 36 % qualified for Pell Grants — federal financial aid most often awarded to students whose annual family incomes are less than $ 30,000 .
Asian Americans remained the largest group at 33.5 % , followed by Latinos at 24.8 % , whites at 21.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And more female undergraduates enrolled than men , 54 % to 45 % , the continuation of a longtime trend .
The most popular majors among women were social sciences and life sciences , compared to engineering and computer science for men .
The UC system has been under pressure from state officials to enroll more Californians after that group ’ s freshman admission rates fell from 85 % in 2009 to 59 % in 2018 .
Campuses rapidly increased nonresident students in the years following the 2008 recession because they pay supplemental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the base amount charged to all students .
But controversy over their rising numbers prompted the UC regents to cap their enrollment in 2017 .
Not all student groups increased enrollment .
Freshmen from foreign countries declined for the first time in more than a decade — dropping 4.77 % in fall 2019 over the previous year .
Many undergraduates say they chose a UC school because of the system ’ s reputation as the nation ’ s top public research university , relatively low cost and generous institutional and state financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yi Fang , who emigrated from China at age 9 , learned English in two years and became the first in her family to attend college when she enrolled in the fall at UC Irvine .
She attended Downtown Magnets High School near Chinatown , where her mother works at a beauty salon .
“ I ’ m really proud of myself , ” said Fang , 19 .
“ To receive acceptance from the UCs I had heard about from the time I was young , I said , ‘ Wow !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ” Emmanuel Ross Hartway , a freshman at UC Santa Cruz , said a Cal Grant covered his $ 12,570 annual tuition and UC provided another $ 8,300 in financial aid — allowing his family to pay just $ 9,000 without any student loans to cover the rest of his first-year expenses .
In contrast , he said , he would have had to pay $ 40,000 more to attend Emerson College in Boston , which offered strong programs in his interest areas of film and creative writing but limited financial aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factor in my choice , ” said Ross Hartway , who also attended Downtown Magnets .
“ It made it seem that privates were not an option .
And there ’ s a lot of prestige that comes with going to a UC of any kind.
” Lynda McGee , the Downtown Magnets college counselor , said she tries to encourage more students to consider options outside California — Middlebury College in Vermont or Dixie State University in Utah , for instance — to expose them to different experiences .
But many parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tell them that UC is “ the best college in the entire world , ” she said .
Nearly two-thirds of 88 Downtown Magnets seniors who applied to a UC school for fall 2019 were admitted .
But McGee said UC schools , while increasing enrollment , are becoming ever more selective and some of her top students failed to win admission to any campus engineering program .
“ Admission is one thing , but admission to STEM majors is another , ” she said , referring to science , technology , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrollment has squeezed campuses and sparked calls for more funding to ease overcrowding in classes and dorms , hire more faculty and expand and repair aging facilities .
Natalie Deng , a freshman at UC Berkeley , said her classes are huge : 1,000 students in an introductory computer science class , 500 in statistics and 350 in math .
Study spaces also are crowded , she said , especially around finals season .
She lucked out getting a two-bed dorm room but most freshmen she knows , she said , are squeezed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s great that UC keeps increasing its enrollment because I believe in the university ’ s mission to make education accessible to as many as people as possible , ” said Deng , a South Pasadena High School valedictorian .
“ However , I would like to see an increase in enrollment be complemented by an increase in staff and housing.
” UC officials echo her sentiment .
On Wednesday , the Board of Regents will discuss whether to increase tuition beginning in the fall to meet the myriad campus needs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial aid .
One plan would increase tuition and fees for all students annually by the rate of inflation — a projected 2.8 % increase of $ 348 over last year , to $ 12,918 for fall 2020 .
Another plan would raise tuition and fees once for each incoming class , called cohorts , but keep those costs flat for six years .
Under that plan , the costs for the entering class of 2020-21 would increase over last year by 4.8 % , or $ 606 , to $ 13,176 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students would be frozen at their current levels .

Students and staff cheer on a student after he completes his intent to enroll at UCLA during Bruins Day, when the school welcomes to campus all admitted students.
The University of California enrolled a record number of in-state undergraduates in the fall, marking the fourth consecutive annual increase, according to data released Tuesday.
UC’s nine undergraduate campuses enrolled a total 185,559 California residents during the current academic year — a 10.3% increase of 17,369 since 2015. All campuses but Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz increased their in-state students.
Although total California undergraduate enrollment increased in fall 2019, new freshmen and transfer students declined slightly by 1%. During this period UC experienced the first dip in freshman applications in 15 years.
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Experts were unsure whether that was a temporary blip triggered by wildfires and other natural disasters that made it harder for students to apply, or the start of a gradual decline as the number of high school graduates decreases, immigration policies tighten up and more students start at community college under a new state tuition waiver.
UC did admit a record number of California students for fall 2019, but it appears that fewer accepted the admission offers and enrolled.
UC President Janet Napolitano said the overall enrollment growth “means expanded opportunities for a new generation of young people. The University of California is looking forward to providing these talented, hardworking students a world-class education, while expanding access for future Californians.”
Systemwide, 40% of those enrolled this academic year are the first in their families to attend college, while 36% qualified for Pell Grants — federal financial aid most often awarded to students whose annual family incomes are less than $30,000.
Asian Americans remained the largest group at 33.5%, followed by Latinos at 24.8%, whites at 21.4% and blacks at 4.1%. And more female undergraduates enrolled than men, 54% to 45%, the continuation of a longtime trend. The most popular majors among women were social sciences and life sciences, compared to engineering and computer science for men.
The UC system has been under pressure from state officials to enroll more Californians after that group’s freshman admission rates fell from 85% in 2009 to 59% in 2018.
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Campuses rapidly increased nonresident students in the years following the 2008 recession because they pay supplemental tuition of nearly $30,000 in addition to the base amount charged to all students. But controversy over their rising numbers prompted the UC regents to cap their enrollment in 2017.
Not all student groups increased enrollment. Freshmen from foreign countries declined for the first time in more than a decade — dropping 4.77% in fall 2019 over the previous year.
Many undergraduates say they chose a UC school because of the system’s reputation as the nation’s top public research university, relatively low cost and generous institutional and state financial aid
One newly enrolled UC student is Yi Fang, who emigrated from China at age 9, learned English in two years and became the first in her family to attend college when she enrolled in the fall at UC Irvine. She attended Downtown Magnets High School near Chinatown, where her mother works at a beauty salon.
“I’m really proud of myself,” said Fang, 19. “To receive acceptance from the UCs I had heard about from the time I was young, I said, ‘Wow! I’m really going somewhere!’”
Emmanuel Ross Hartway, a freshman at UC Santa Cruz, said a Cal Grant covered his $12,570 annual tuition and UC provided another $8,300 in financial aid — allowing his family to pay just $9,000 without any student loans to cover the rest of his first-year expenses. In contrast, he said, he would have had to pay $40,000 more to attend Emerson College in Boston, which offered strong programs in his interest areas of film and creative writing but limited financial aid.
“Definitely financial aid was a factor in my choice,” said Ross Hartway, who also attended Downtown Magnets. “It made it seem that privates were not an option. And there’s a lot of prestige that comes with going to a UC of any kind.”
Lynda McGee, the Downtown Magnets college counselor, said she tries to encourage more students to consider options outside California — Middlebury College in Vermont or Dixie State University in Utah, for instance — to expose them to different experiences. But many parents prefer their children stay close to home and tell them that UC is “the best college in the entire world,” she said.
Nearly two-thirds of 88 Downtown Magnets seniors who applied to a UC school for fall 2019 were admitted. But McGee said UC schools, while increasing enrollment, are becoming ever more selective and some of her top students failed to win admission to any campus engineering program.
“Admission is one thing, but admission to STEM majors is another,” she said, referring to science, technology, engineering and math.
The increased UC enrollment has squeezed campuses and sparked calls for more funding to ease overcrowding in classes and dorms, hire more faculty and expand and repair aging facilities.
Natalie Deng, a freshman at UC Berkeley, said her classes are huge: 1,000 students in an introductory computer science class, 500 in statistics and 350 in math. Study spaces also are crowded, she said, especially around finals season. She lucked out getting a two-bed dorm room but most freshmen she knows, she said, are squeezed into triples.
“I think it’s great that UC keeps increasing its enrollment because I believe in the university’s mission to make education accessible to as many as people as possible,” said Deng, a South Pasadena High School valedictorian. “However, I would like to see an increase in enrollment be complemented by an increase in staff and housing.”
UC officials echo her sentiment. On Wednesday, the Board of Regents will discuss whether to increase tuition beginning in the fall to meet the myriad campus needs, as well as raise more money for financial aid.
One plan would increase tuition and fees for all students annually by the rate of inflation — a projected 2.8% increase of $348 over last year, to $12,918 for fall 2020.
Another plan would raise tuition and fees once for each incoming class, called cohorts, but keep those costs flat for six years. Under that plan, the costs for the entering class of 2020-21 would increase over last year by 4.8%, or $606, to $13,176 for California undergraduates. The tuition of existing students would be frozen at their current levels.


latimes--2020-01-21--Mountain lion attacks are rare. But people should be on guard

A family hike Monday afternoon turned into a terror-filled fight to save a 3-year-old boy from a mountain lion after the predator snatched the child by the neck and began to haul him away , authorities said .
Attacks like the one in Orange County are rare , officials say , but humans and the wild cats share hillside and mountain terrain , and experts say the incident is a reminder for people to use caution when in mountain lion country .
A 3-year-old boy was walking through Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park on Monday with his family when a mountain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The lion seized the boy by the neck , creating puncture wounds , and started to drag him away , said Capt .
Patrick Foy of the California Fish and Wildlife law enforcement division .
The child suffered abrasions from being dragged along the ground .
The boy ’ s father threw a backpack at the big cat , which released the child and snatched the bag instead .
Someone later took a picture of the cat with the backpack up a tree .
The child suffered neck injuries and abrasions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be life-threatening .
What happened to the mountain lion ?
A sheriff ’ s deputy killed a mountain lion near where the child was attacked a short time later .
Authorities are confident they killed the same cat that attacked the child because it was in a tree along with the backpack the boy ’ s father had thrown at it .
Wasn ’ t there another attack at the park some time ago ?
In January 2004 , a mountain lion , 35 , of Foothill Ranch .
He apparently was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the animal attacked .
Experts at the time said a big cat will sometimes interpret a crouching animal as a sign of weakness .
Reynolds was probably in greater danger because he was alone .
The mountain lion partially buried Reynolds ’ body , another common behavior with prey .
The same cat then attacked another biker , possibly because she unknowingly came near Reynolds ’ body .
A friend and other bikers pried the woman away from the cat , which later was killed .
How can I stay safe while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends the following tips : • Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active : dawn , dusk and at night .
• Do not hike , bike or jog alone .
Stay alert on trails .
• Off-leash dogs on trails are at an increased risk of becoming prey for a mountain lion .
• Never approach a mountain lion .
Give them an escape route .
• Do not run .
Stay calm .
Running may trigger chase , catch and kill responses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the animal , make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms or opening your jacket if wearing one ; throw rocks or other objects .
Pick up small children .
• Do not crouch down or bend over .
Squatting puts you in a vulnerable position of appearing much like a four-legged prey animal .
• Be vocal ; however , speak calmly and do not use high-pitched tones or screams .
• Teach others how to behave during an encounter .
Anyone who runs may initiate an attack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bear spray to deter a mountain lion .
Bear spray has been shown to be successful in emergency situations with mountain lions .
Have the spray readily accessible .
Carry it in a holster or attached to a bike .
Make sure you know how to properly use bear spray ; people have been known to spray their own faces when attempting to use it .
• If a lion attacks , fight back .
Research suggests that many potential victims have fought back successfully with rocks , sticks , garden tools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands .
Try to stay on your feet .
If knocked down , try to protect your head and neck .

A family hike Monday afternoon turned into a terror-filled fight to save a 3-year-old boy from a mountain lion after the predator snatched the child by the neck and began to haul him away, authorities said.
Attacks like the one in Orange County are rare, officials say, but humans and the wild cats share hillside and mountain terrain, and experts say the incident is a reminder for people to use caution when in mountain lion country.
What happened?
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A 3-year-old boy was walking through Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park on Monday with his family when a mountain lion pounced on the child, officials said.
The lion seized the boy by the neck, creating puncture wounds, and started to drag him away, said Capt. Patrick Foy of the California Fish and Wildlife law enforcement division. The child suffered abrasions from being dragged along the ground.
The boy’s father threw a backpack at the big cat, which released the child and snatched the bag instead. Someone later took a picture of the cat with the backpack up a tree.
The child suffered neck injuries and abrasions, but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
What happened to the mountain lion?
A sheriff’s deputy killed a mountain lion near where the child was attacked a short time later.
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Authorities are confident they killed the same cat that attacked the child because it was in a tree along with the backpack the boy’s father had thrown at it.
Wasn’t there another attack at the park some time ago?
In January 2004, a mountain lion killed avid biker Mark Reynolds , 35, of Foothill Ranch. He apparently was crouched over, fixing his bike, when the animal attacked. Experts at the time said a big cat will sometimes interpret a crouching animal as a sign of weakness. Reynolds was probably in greater danger because he was alone.
The mountain lion partially buried Reynolds’ body, another common behavior with prey. The same cat then attacked another biker, possibly because she unknowingly came near Reynolds’ body. A friend and other bikers pried the woman away from the cat, which later was killed.
How can I stay safe while in mountain lion territory?
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends the following tips:


latimes--2020-01-21--More human bones found at Joshua Tree National Park

For the second time in a month , skeletal remains have been found in a desolate section of Joshua Tree National Park .
A San Bernardino County sheriff ’ s deputy responded to the national park shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday after someone reported finding bones .
The deputy sent photographs of the remains to the coroner , who confirmed they were a portion of a human skeleton , according to the Sheriff ’ s Department .
The following day , homicide detectives , crime scene investigators and coroner ’ s officials retrieved the remains and began trying to determine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death .
In late December , law enforcement officers found human remains at Joshua Tree along with the personal belongings of Paul Miller , a 51-year-old Canadian man who was believed to have been hiking in the Fortynine Palms Oasis area when he went missing in 2018 .
Those remains were found after an outside agency analyzing aerial photographs spotted them in the image .
The photos were taken during the summer and focused on a steep , rocky portion of the national park away from any trails .
Anyone with information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is asked to contact Det .
James Tebbetts or Sgt .
Ryan Smith at ( 909 ) 387-3589 .
Anonymous tips should be directed to ( 800 ) 782-7463 .

For the second time in a month, skeletal remains have been found in a desolate section of Joshua Tree National Park.
A San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy responded to the national park shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday after someone reported finding bones. The deputy sent photographs of the remains to the coroner, who confirmed they were a portion of a human skeleton, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The following day, homicide detectives, crime scene investigators and coroner’s officials retrieved the remains and began trying to determine the person’s identity and cause of death.
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In late December, law enforcement officers found human remains at Joshua Tree along with the personal belongings of Paul Miller, a 51-year-old Canadian man who was believed to have been hiking in the Fortynine Palms Oasis area when he went missing in 2018.
Those remains were found after an outside agency analyzing aerial photographs spotted them in the image. The photos were taken during the summer and focused on a steep, rocky portion of the national park away from any trails.
Anyone with information about the latest set of human remains is asked to contact Det. James Tebbetts or Sgt. Ryan Smith at (909) 387-3589. Anonymous tips should be directed to (800) 782-7463.


latimes--2020-01-21--Fight in Javier's restaurant ends in fatal shooting outside Century City mall

A man was killed after a fight that erupted inside an upscale restaurant at the Westfield Century City mall escalated to a shooting late Monday , police said .
Officers responded to a report of a fight at the mall at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd .
about 10:17 p.m. As officers were en route , authorities received another call that a shooting had occurred at the location , LAPD Officer Lizeth Lomeli said .
The fight broke out between two groups inside Javier ’ s restaurant , according to published reports .
Eventually , two men moved outside , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men grabbed a handgun and shot the other man multiple times , Lomeli said .
The victim , who was not identified , was taken to a hospital , where he died .
The suspect , whom authorities described as 25 to 30 years old , 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds , fled the scene on foot .
He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans , police said .
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Los Angeles Community Police Station at ( 310 ) 444-0701 .

Tuesday morning outside Javier’s restaurant in Century City, where a man was shot and killed Monday night, after a fight that erupted inside the restaurant at the Westfield Century City mall.
A man was killed after a fight that erupted inside an upscale restaurant at the Westfield Century City mall escalated to a shooting late Monday, police said.
Officers responded to a report of a fight at the mall at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. about 10:17 p.m. As officers were en route, authorities received another call that a shooting had occurred at the location, LAPD Officer Lizeth Lomeli said.
The fight broke out between two groups inside Javier’s restaurant, according to published reports. Eventually, two men moved outside, where the scuffle continued. One of the men grabbed a handgun and shot the other man multiple times, Lomeli said.
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The victim, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The suspect, whom authorities described as 25 to 30 years old, 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds, fled the scene on foot. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Los Angeles Community Police Station at (310) 444-0701.


latimes--2020-01-21--LAPD's data-driven culture under scrutiny amid scandal over fake gang identifications

The Los Angeles Police Department has long been at the forefront of using data to help fight crime , even pioneering a program that uses statistics to predict where criminal activity is likely to occur .
But now , that data-driven culture is under scrutiny in the wake of a scandal in which 20 officers are under investigation following accusations of falsifying field interview cards to label individuals as gang members in an effort to boost statistics and populate a statewide gang database .
The Times obtained a Metro Division platoon recap sheet , which shows that officers were measured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , citations and arrests .
Field interviews of gang members were among the categories used to measure productivity .
A source familiar with the internal investigation said that Metro ’ s work emphasized guns and gangs and that its officers felt pressure to produce statistics in a results-driven department .
The source spoke to The Times anonymously because the case is ongoing .
Los Angeles police officials said the recap sheets are one tool used to evaluate officers but stressed that such pressures were not an excuse to engage in misconduct .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to make it up , ” LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said .
“ It is one measure of productivity we look at .
It is not the end-all , be-all .
It is one of many.
” Data analysis has become a central tool used by police departments to better target resources and to monitor officer conduct .
Some experts — and even some community groups — have praised the tactic for helping understand crime patterns and also providing red flags to potential bias and ineffective policing .
At the LAPD , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly meetings about how to reduce crime , and crime statistics for each station are updated online every few weeks .
Ask whether the department ’ s heavy reliance on data might push officers to inflate statistics , Chief Michel Moore said that officers must work within the law and that the department is examining whether the scandal arose from some sort of department culture .
“ We are looking into that , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know what would cause these men and women to game the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial discipline determinations last week for the first wave of cases under review in the investigation , but the chief said he requested more information after being briefed by internal investigators .
He now expects to make the determination this week .
The scandal came to light after a Van Nuys mother received a letter early last year from the LAPD saying her son was identified as a gang member during an interview with officers .
She believed her son was misidentified and reported it to a supervisor at a nearby police station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other information , and they found inaccuracies they attributed to the officer .
Metro officers are suspected of falsifying field interview cards during stops and entering incorrect information about those questioned in an effort to boost stop statistics .
The designation of being a gang member can carry harsh repercussions .
Critics have long argued that police unfairly target blacks and Latinos as gang members with the use of field interviews in which officers ask those they pull over whether they have a gang affiliation .
While proving allegations of racial bias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body cameras in the department has helped such efforts .
Internal investigators have been reviewing videos to help determine whether officers falsified department reports .
The investigation into the Metro officers , however , is limited because the division was the last to be equipped with body cameras around June 2018 , according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe .
One source said another issue is that hard-charging gang officers who worked in South Los Angeles were sometimes on unfamiliar turf when they joined Metro and were assigned to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t produce the same results because they don ’ t know the gangs , the source said .
“ You would get kudos all the way down from the top for getting gang members or firearms , ” the source said .
“ No one wants to hear about [ a field interview ] card from a mom-and-pop [ shop ] down the street .
They want gang intelligence.
” A top LAPD leader said those officers involved might try to explain away their misconduct , but any excuse is unacceptable .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not an excuse for making stuff up , ” said Assistant Chief Horace Frank .
The investigation initially focused on three officers and moved on to others who worked with them .
It then expanded to additional officers who worked with the second group .
While data-driven policing has been credited with helping drive down crime in recent years , the LAPD also has been debating whether such tactics have limits .
Last year , the department scrapped a policing program it once hailed as a way to target violent offenders in neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs unfairly target black and Latino communities .
Operation LASER started in 2011 as a way to pinpoint locations connected to gun and gang violence .
But the department ’ s civilian oversight panel questioned the effectiveness of data-driven strategies that rely on algorithms and other computer technology to identify violent offenders and map the areas most prone to criminal activity .
The LAPD also tweaked a predictive-policing program last year , called PredPol , that critics claimed led to heavier policing of minority neighborhoods .
Moore also made an internal change to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gang database .
A bureau chief will now review the gang member ’ s appeal instead an area captain , he said .
adding : “ The added layer is warranted ” to “ deepen ” the review process .
The danger of data-driven policing is that the system is dependent on the accuracy and integrity of the data collectors , said Andrew Ferguson , a law professor at the University of the District of Columbia who studies policing data .
“ Any intentional distortions in data collection undermines the legitimacy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ferguson added that allegations such as false gang labeling further underscore the dangers of using subjective and largely unverifiable inputs to determine risk .
He said using “ gangs ” as an input for predictive policing is “ already prone to error and over-broad targeting and this just adds to a sense of distrust about the use of a flawed label.
” During a graduation ceremony Friday for new officers , Moore made no mention of the scandal .
But he told the rookies that integrity and character are important traits on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law to enforce the law , ” Moore said .
“ How you go about your work shapes and molds us .
Bring honor to your family and this department .
”

LAPD Chief Michel Moore discusses the LAPD gang-framing scandal with the Cease Fire collective, which includes community leaders, parents, gang interventionists and other members of law enforcement, on Jan. 11.
The Los Angeles Police Department has long been at the forefront of using data to help fight crime, even pioneering a program that uses statistics to predict where criminal activity is likely to occur.
But now, that data-driven culture is under scrutiny in the wake of a scandal in which 20 officers are under investigation following accusations of falsifying field interview cards to label individuals as gang members in an effort to boost statistics and populate a statewide gang database.
The Times obtained a Metro Division platoon recap sheet, which shows that officers were measured daily in 16 categories such as guns, citations and arrests. Field interviews of gang members were among the categories used to measure productivity.
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A source familiar with the internal investigation said that Metro’s work emphasized guns and gangs and that its officers felt pressure to produce statistics in a results-driven department. The source spoke to The Times anonymously because the case is ongoing.
Los Angeles police officials said the recap sheets are one tool used to evaluate officers but stressed that such pressures were not an excuse to engage in misconduct.
“It doesn’t give someone the right to make it up,” LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said. “It is one measure of productivity we look at. It is not the end-all, be-all. It is one of many.”
Data analysis has become a central tool used by police departments to better target resources and to monitor officer conduct. Some experts — and even some community groups — have praised the tactic for helping understand crime patterns and also providing red flags to potential bias and ineffective policing.
At the LAPD, station captains are grilled by higher-ups at weekly meetings about how to reduce crime, and crime statistics for each station are updated online every few weeks.
Asked whether the department’s heavy reliance on data might push officers to inflate statistics, Chief Michel Moore said that officers must work within the law and that the department is examining whether the scandal arose from some sort of department culture.
“We are looking into that,” he said. “I don’t know what would cause these men and women to game the system.”
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Moore was expected to make initial discipline determinations last week for the first wave of cases under review in the investigation, but the chief said he requested more information after being briefed by internal investigators. He now expects to make the determination this week.
California ‘Stop-and-frisk in a car:’ Elite LAPD unit disproportionately stopped black drivers, data show To combat a surge in violent crime, the Los Angeles Police Department doubled the size of its elite Metropolitan Division in 2015, creating special units to swarm crime hot spots.
The scandal came to light after a Van Nuys mother received a letter early last year from the LAPD saying her son was identified as a gang member during an interview with officers. She believed her son was misidentified and reported it to a supervisor at a nearby police station. Officials then reviewed body-worn camera footage and other information, and they found inaccuracies they attributed to the officer.
Metro officers are suspected of falsifying field interview cards during stops and entering incorrect information about those questioned in an effort to boost stop statistics.
The designation of being a gang member can carry harsh repercussions. Critics have long argued that police unfairly target blacks and Latinos as gang members with the use of field interviews in which officers ask those they pull over whether they have a gang affiliation.
While proving allegations of racial bias has been difficult, the incorporation of body cameras in the department has helped such efforts. Internal investigators have been reviewing videos to help determine whether officers falsified department reports.
The investigation into the Metro officers, however, is limited because the division was the last to be equipped with body cameras around June 2018, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe.
One source said another issue is that hard-charging gang officers who worked in South Los Angeles were sometimes on unfamiliar turf when they joined Metro and were assigned to the San Fernando Valley.
They can’t produce the same results because they don’t know the gangs, the source said.
“You would get kudos all the way down from the top for getting gang members or firearms,” the source said. “No one wants to hear about [a field interview] card from a mom-and-pop [shop] down the street. They want gang intelligence.”
A top LAPD leader said those officers involved might try to explain away their misconduct, but any excuse is unacceptable.
“The fact we track those items is not an excuse for making stuff up,” said Assistant Chief Horace Frank.
The investigation initially focused on three officers and moved on to others who worked with them. It then expanded to additional officers who worked with the second group.
While data-driven policing has been credited with helping drive down crime in recent years, the LAPD also has been debating whether such tactics have limits.
Last year, the department scrapped a policing program it once hailed as a way to target violent offenders in neighborhood hot spots, following concerns that the programs unfairly target black and Latino communities.
Operation LASER started in 2011 as a way to pinpoint locations connected to gun and gang violence. But the department’s civilian oversight panel questioned the effectiveness of data-driven strategies that rely on algorithms and other computer technology to identify violent offenders and map the areas most prone to criminal activity.
The LAPD also tweaked a predictive-policing program last year, called PredPol, that critics claimed led to heavier policing of minority neighborhoods.
Moore also made an internal change to the review process for removing someone from the gang database. A bureau chief will now review the gang member’s appeal instead of an area captain, he said, adding: “The added layer is warranted” to “deepen” the review process.
The danger of data-driven policing is that the system is dependent on the accuracy and integrity of the data collectors, said Andrew Ferguson, a law professor at the University of the District of Columbia who studies policing data.
“Any intentional distortions in data collection undermine the legitimacy of the system,” he said.
Ferguson added that allegations such as false gang labeling further underscore the dangers of using subjective and largely unverifiable inputs to determine risk. He said using “gangs” as an input for predictive policing is “already prone to error and over-broad targeting and this just adds to a sense of distrust about the use of a flawed label.”
During a graduation ceremony Friday for new officers, Moore made no mention of the scandal. But he told the rookies that integrity and character are important traits on the streets.
“You cannot break the law to enforce the law,” Moore said. “How you go about your work shapes and molds us. Bring honor to your family and this department.”


latimes--2020-01-21--Column: In scandal over LAPD officers falsely tagging people as gang members, video confirms an old

Column: In scandal over LAPD officers falsely tagging people as gang members, video confirms an old suspicion

I wish that I were shocked , or even surprised , by the news that almost two dozen LAPD officers are being investigated for allegedly falsifying reports to arbitrarily label people as gang members .
That ’ s a complaint I ’ ve heard for decades from young black men who ’ ve grown accustomed to being randomly interrogated by police in South Los Angeles and added to an official gang member database based on little more than their nicknames or the logos on their baseball caps .
Their protests to authorities went nowhere .
After all , who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cop with the badge and the authority , or the tatted-up teen wearing “ gang colors ” and saggy jeans ?
Now body-worn cameras are giving those complaints new legitimacy .
When a San Fernando Valley mother insisted last year that her teenage son was wrongly labeled a gang member , a look at the body cam footage confirmed that the officer ’ s report didn ’ t match what the camera caught .
Her son was exonerated , and an investigation was launched .
Now 20 officers from the Los Angeles Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been ordered to stay home or assigned to desk jobs while the department examines discrepancies in their field reports .
And LAPD Chief Michel Moore has pledged to keep widening the net until he figures out how widespread this is , what might motivate officers to cheat and what it will take to restore the community ’ s often fragile sense of faith in the police .
“ We recognize the grief , the hole in the boat this circumstance has created .
And we ’ re going to fix it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CeaseFire antiviolence group in South L.A recently .
The chief ’ s visit was encouraging .
“ What I ’ ve heard from you in the last two weeks is something I ’ ve been waiting years to hear , ” one man in the audience said , to nods and scattered applause from the crowd .
But decades of skepticism and resentment will be hard to dispel .
“ I like that Chief Moore didn ’ t hide it .
He didn ’ t put it under the rug , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who now works as a gang interventionist to help resolve conflicts and head off violence .
“ This is the exact same thing that was happening 20 years ago .
It never went away , ” Townsend told me .
“ It became normal to officers over the years .
So at this point they ’ re comfortable with it .
It may not be policy , but it ’ s their practice.
” He ’ s glad that the LAPD has acknowledged the wrong , is investigating itself and has promised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a great way to change the relationship with the community , where people are saying : ‘ We ’ ve been telling you this for years .
No one paid attention.
’ ” I paid attention during those years .
So did many criminal justice advocates , including the Superior Court judge who dismissed a case against a young man from Watts whose gang label didn ’ t stand up to scrutiny — and administered a tongue-lashing to the officers who ’ d targeted him for wearing baggy clothes and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were the LAPD ’ s primary weapon in the battle to rein in gang violence .
Officers had wide latitude to add anyone they believed to be a gang member to an injunction list that would allow them to arrest the person just for being in the company of anyone else on that list .
The lists were overly broad , nearly impossible to get off of and a source of resentment and hostility in neighborhoods where , as civil rights activist Connie Rice put it then , officers “ wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scout…Anybody who ’ s ever said hello to anybody in a gang is [ considered ] ‘ affiliated.
’ ” I remember law-abiding teens being stopped by police on their way home from football practice or while walking to the computer lab in their housing project to work on a school assignment .
They were added to gang lists on the whims of officers , then targeted for arrests that cost them jobs , relationships and even college scholarships .
To the officers I talked with back then , they were collateral damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by tamping down gang violence — a war that even the LAPD brass seemed to think justified whatever shortcuts officers took to keep gang members off the streets .
I see echoes of that era in this scandal today .
It ’ s bigger than a handful of cops fudging the facts to keep their numbers up .
It spotlights flaws in the process of building intelligence on gang members that dates back to the 1980s , when Los Angeles was , like many cities , in the throes of a gang war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trumped down civil liberties .
Hundreds , maybe thousands of people across California have unfairly been labeled gang members since .
Then , as now , to officially label someone a gang member , police officers need to satisfy two criteria from a list that includes attire , tattoos , location , arrest record , associates , self-admission and the word of a reliable source , which could be another officer .
“ Self-admission ” has always been a particularly convenient tool because , until the advent of body cameras , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member to disprove .
Its power is rooted in the officer ’ s credibility .
And it ’ s not only the LAPD that ’ s been capitalizing on that .
A 2016 audit of CalGang , the state ’ s official repository of gang members ’ names , found that more than 40 people listed in the database would have been less than 1 year old when they were added to the roll .
And 28 of those babies were entered for “ admitting to be gang members.
” To his credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
The gang database can only be a valuable tool , he said , if it reflects the integrity of police officers and earns the confidence of the community .
“ It ’ s well intended , but not well executed in some parts of the city , ” Moore admits .
“ At this point we have got to have a better way of understanding gangs and making the connections we need.
” Changes are underway on the state level , he said .
And locally , the unfolding scandal in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountability .
Now body cam footage is being routinely reviewed and compared with officers ’ reports of their field interviews before anyone is added to the gang database .
That ’ s a prudent and practical first step , given that an officer ’ s credibility is the single most important element in the gang member designation .
But what still needs doing is a cultural fix that ’ s more challenging and absolutely essential .
This doesn ’ t seem to me to be shaping up as “ a few bad apples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it means when officers on one of the department ’ s most prestigious teams don ’ t even bother to align their accounts with what they know their body cameras are recording .
Moore is wrestling with that question too .
And he ’ s unequivocally pledged to get to the bottom of this , root out offending officers and make changes to the system so it ’ s less likely to net innocent people .
“ I want to determine quickly just how deep this goes , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re measuring their work ?
That ’ s no excuse .
These are police officers , they ’ re not seventh-graders.
” If officers believe they have to cheat or lie , either something is very wrong with the department , or they ’ re not fit to be police officers .

I wish that I were shocked, or even surprised, by the news that almost two dozen LAPD officers are being investigated for allegedly falsifying reports to arbitrarily label people as gang members.
That’s a complaint I’ve heard for decades from young black men who’ve grown accustomed to being randomly interrogated by police in South Los Angeles and added to an official gang member database based on little more than their nicknames or the logos on their baseball caps.
Their protests to authorities went nowhere. After all, who are you going to believe — the clean-cut cop with the badge and the authority, or the tatted-up teen wearing “gang colors” and saggy jeans?
Advertisement
Gang interventionist Skipp Townsend, right, addresses his concerns during a Jan. 11 community meeting with LAPD Chief Michel Moore. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Now body-worn cameras are giving those complaints new legitimacy.
When a San Fernando Valley mother insisted last year that her teenage son was wrongly labeled a gang member, a look at the body cam footage confirmed that the officer’s report didn’t match what the camera caught.
Her son was exonerated, and an investigation was launched. Now 20 officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite Metro squad have been ordered to stay home or assigned to desk jobs while the department examines discrepancies in their field reports.
And LAPD Chief Michel Moore has pledged to keep widening the net until he figures out how widespread this is, what might motivate officers to cheat and what it will take to restore the community’s often fragile sense of faith in the police.
“We recognize the grief, the hole in the boat this circumstance has created. And we’re going to fix it,” Moore told a packed meeting of the CeaseFire antiviolence group in South L.A recently.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore, second from right, prays with members of the antiviolence group CeaseFire during a Jan. 11 community meeting. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
The chief’s visit was encouraging. “What I’ve heard from you in the last two weeks is something I’ve been waiting years to hear,” one man in the audience said, to nods and scattered applause from the crowd.
But decades of skepticism and resentment will be hard to dispel.
“I like that Chief Moore didn’t hide it. He didn’t put it under the rug,” said Skipp Townsend, a former gang member who now works as a gang interventionist to help resolve conflicts and head off violence.
“This is the exact same thing that was happening 20 years ago. It never went away,” Townsend told me. “It became normal to officers over the years. So at this point they’re comfortable with it. It may not be policy, but it’s their practice.”
He’s glad that the LAPD has acknowledged the wrong, is investigating itself and has promised to publicly release the findings.
“That’s a great way to change the relationship with the community, where people are saying: ‘We’ve been telling you this for years. No one paid attention.’”
Darrell Gray of CeaseFire speaks to LAPD Chief Michel Moore at a Jan. 11 community meeting. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
I paid attention during those years. So did many criminal justice advocates, including the Superior Court judge who dismissed a case against a young man from Watts whose gang label didn’t stand up to scrutiny — and administered a tongue-lashing to the officers who’d targeted him for wearing baggy clothes and “loitering.”
Back then, gang injunctions were the LAPD’s primary weapon in the battle to rein in gang violence. Officers had wide latitude to add anyone they believed to be a gang member to an injunction list that would allow them to arrest the person just for being in the company of anyone else on that list.
The lists were overly broad, nearly impossible to get off of and a source of resentment and hostility in neighborhoods where, as civil rights activist Connie Rice put it then, officers “wouldn’t know a gang member from a Boy Scout…Anybody who’s ever said hello to anybody in a gang is [considered] ‘affiliated.’”
I remember law-abiding teens being stopped by police on their way home from football practice or while walking to the computer lab in their housing project to work on a school assignment. They were added to gang lists on the whims of officers, then targeted for arrests that cost them jobs, relationships and even college scholarships.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore discusses the department’s gang-framing scandal with CeaseFire on Jan. 11. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
To the officers I talked with back then, they were collateral damage in a war that was saving lives by tamping down gang violence — a war that even the LAPD brass seemed to think justified whatever shortcuts officers took to keep gang members off the streets.
I see echoes of that era in this scandal today. It’s bigger than a handful of cops fudging the facts to keep their numbers up.
It spotlights flaws in the process of building intelligence on gang members that dates back to the 1980s, when Los Angeles was, like many cities, in the throes of a gang war fueled by drug dealing. Cracking down trumped down civil liberties. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people across California have unfairly been labeled gang members since.
Then, as now, to officially label someone a gang member, police officers need to satisfy two criteria from a list that includes attire, tattoos, location, arrest record, associates, self-admission and the word of a reliable source, which could be another officer.
“Self-admission” has always been a particularly convenient tool because, until the advent of body cameras, it’s been difficult for an alleged gang member to disprove. Its power is rooted in the officer’s credibility.
And it’s not only the LAPD that’s been capitalizing on that. A 2016 audit of CalGang, the state’s official repository of gang members’ names, found that more than 40 people listed in the database would have been less than 1 year old when they were added to the roll. And 28 of those babies were entered for “admitting to be gang members.”
To his credit, Chief Moore is bothered by that too. The gang database can only be a valuable tool, he said, if it reflects the integrity of police officers and earns the confidence of the community.
“It’s well intended, but not well executed in some parts of the city,” Moore admits. “At this point we have got to have a better way of understanding gangs and making the connections we need.”
Changes are underway on the state level, he said. And locally, the unfolding scandal in the LAPD is already leading to more accountability. Now body cam footage is being routinely reviewed and compared with officers’ reports of their field interviews before anyone is added to the gang database.
That’s a prudent and practical first step, given that an officer’s credibility is the single most important element in the gang member designation. But what still needs doing is a cultural fix that’s more challenging and absolutely essential.
This doesn’t seem to me to be shaping up as “a few bad apples” thing. We have to ask what it means when officers on one of the department’s most prestigious teams don’t even bother to align their accounts with what they know their body cameras are recording.
Moore is wrestling with that question too. And he’s unequivocally pledged to get to the bottom of this, root out offending officers and make changes to the system so it’s less likely to net innocent people.
“I want to determine quickly just how deep this goes,” he said. “Did they slant things because we’re measuring their work? That’s no excuse. These are police officers, they’re not seventh-graders.”
If officers believe they have to cheat or lie, either something is very wrong with the department, or they’re not fit to be police officers.


latimes--2020-01-21--The teachers' strike gripped LA for 6 days. A year later, what are the results?

Arnoldo Vargas ’ life hasn ’ t changed much since last January when he joined thousands of Los Angeles teachers in a momentous six-day strike .
He drives the same 2006 Camry , has no more than 41 students in his art classes compared to an average of 42 last year , and would love to see his own eighth-grade son and first-grade daughter in smaller classes .
“ A lot of the gains , I don ’ t see them ... day-to-day , to be honest , ” said Vargas , who teaches at Banning High School in Wilmington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walked out of their classrooms and upended the daily routine of more than half a million students and their families , most parents and teachers would be hard-pressed to see defining differences in classrooms and schools .
Most classes are one student smaller , and the district has been unable to hire the nurses promised for every campus .
The strike helped fuel a nationwide wave of activism and drew attention to what many say is a lack of resources supporting public schools .
But there remains much debate about how much — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Whatever the gains , they came at some cost .
Students lost six days of instruction and the district lost more than $ 100 million in state funding , which is based on student attendance .
Teachers sacrificed about 3 % of their pay when they walked out , and settled for the same 6 % the district offered before the strike .
L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner declined to answer questions for this story .
In previous interviews , he has downplayed what was achieved by the strike , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues as immediate class-size reduction did not substantially change before and after the walkout .
And more substantial reductions , in three to four years , arecontingent on whether the district receives more funding , he has said .
He also has said that he ’ d like one legacy of the strike to be an ongoing partnership with the union to pursue additional money .
Leaders of United Teachers Los Angeles and their allies say their hard-fought gains already are game-changers — within schools and in the political realm that shapes public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created an essential beginning toward achieving smaller classes and schools fully staffed with nurses , librarians and counselors .
They count some of their biggest gains in non-traditional areas .
For example , the agreement called for the district to commit to expanding social services at more schools and to begin dismantling the practice of randomly searching students for contraband .
The union also lays claim to helping pass new state laws that restrict charter schools , which are privately operated and , for the most part , non-union .
But the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months later , L.A. voters rejected a property tax measure that both union and district leadership had hoped would stabilize district finances and help pay for improvements talked about during the walkout , such as smaller classes .
The UTLA strike was “ symbolic , political theater , a way of showing value rather than proving it , ” said Will Swaim , president of California Policy Center , an Orange County group that works to persuade workers to leave unions .
Some critics even portray union gains as coming at the expense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the school board and Beutner for setting aside an opportunity to reshape an unsustainable status quo when it comes to the district ’ s long-term financial health .
The danger , they say , is that the increasing cost of employee pensions , retiree healthcare and generous employee benefits will crowd out services to students .
“ These were not courageous leadership decisions , ” said Bill Lucia , executive director of the Sacramento advocacy group EdVoice .
L.A. school board President Richard Vladovic takes issue with the naysayers .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the strike successfully put a focus on public education .
“ It ’ s tough to be a teacher and it ’ s tough to be in education , ” said Vladovic , whose long career includes participating in a strike as a teacher and dealing with later walkouts as an administrator .
“ I think there ’ s now a real sense that people need to listen to what teachers are saying about the classroom .
I think that ’ s a good thing .
I will never say a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if that ’ s what it takes to move a system , then so be it.
” And within the union , the strike served as a counter-thrust to inspire and build membership in the wake of a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that said public employees can not be forced to pay union fees in exchange for representation .
Vargas of Banning High said he remains proud of the strike , believes in union activism and feels strongly about the need for limits on charter schools .
“ You do what you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then you keep fighting .
During the strike , teachers forcefully called for much smaller classes to improve achievement , as well as for more school nurses and counselors .
The contract called for a decrease in average class sizes of one student per class in grades four through 12 , although some targeted schools received additional reductions .
The reductions will continue incrementally in future years : one additional student next year and two the following year .
This year , for instance , class size averages for high school math or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , depending on the course .
The maximum number of students is 39 .
Although the previous contract had maximums , they were not enforced .
Trinity Haywood , a junior at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies in Mid-City , said her largest class last year , honors English , had about 44 students .
Her largest class this year , chemistry , has 37 .
In the fall of 2018 , before the strike , more than 200 elementary classes had more than the maximum number of students specified in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This fall , it fell below 30 .
For Trinity , classes with 30-some students still feel difficult for teachers to manage .
Some students talk in the back of the room , which can make it hard to pay attention to the lesson , she said .
Trinity also has periodic migraines , which exposes a post-strike shortcoming .
Most times , she said , she can ’ t get medicine or lie down in the nurse ’ s office , which is often locked without a full-time nurse .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad , here ’ s an ice pack , ’ ” she said .
The union won a provision that called for a full-time nurse in every school within three years , with an increase of 150 this year .
The number of nurses , however , has risen only from 442 to 450 , according to district data .
“ Given the historic shortage of nurses across California and nationwide , meeting the target of 150 nurses has proven to be a larger challenge than anticipated , ” a district spokeswoman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses , such as Stephanie Yellin-Mednick , who left work at 6:15 p.m. Thursday , after a 12-hour day , and arrived at Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies by 6:20 the next morning .
“ There is , right now on my desk , 100 hours of work , ” she said as she pondered a stack of student files , “ must clear ” sports team physicals and field trip slips .
Many nurses still split their time between multiple campuses .
The number of counselors has increased modestly as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district-wide this year , providing one counselor per 500 students .
The L.A. strike followed teacher job actions in West Virginia , Oklahoma , Kentucky and Arizona , largely conservative states where teachers who walked out risked losing their jobs .
The L.A. strike shifted the activism to a blue state , where the teachers union faced a different challenge : the potential for erosion of influence and financial health after the Supreme Court decided that public employees have a 1st Amendment right to refuse payment of union dues and fees .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the union mattered .
“ It really changed the environment in school after school after school — where teachers had more pride , more respect , ” said Kent Wong , director of the UCLA Labor Center .
The union messaging also pressured elected leaders who , in California , already considered themselves friendly to unions , some observers said .
“ UTLA and its allies were successful in framing the negotiations as a battle to secure better conditions for teaching and learning , ” said John Rogers , director of UCLA ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Access .
“ They also emphasized issues of racial equity and the importance of building stronger communities.
” Other strikes followed in Oakland , Denver and Chicago , with teachers embracing a similar model .
“ It shifted the district from ‘ we can ’ t afford anything ’ to real investment in neighborhood schools , ” he said , “ and it shifted the narrative on the need for dramatically more school funding.
” Caputo-Pearl also used the strike megaphone to target charter schools , painting them as a threat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding from traditional schools , which face high fixed costs and bear a disproportionate responsibility to serve students who are more difficult and more expensive to educate .
Although taking on charters was outside the terms of the contract , the union brought it up in negotiations — and Beutner eventually agreed to bring before the school board a motion calling for a moratorium on new charters .
The measure , which passed , had no force of law — but it contributed to a broad political push that culminated in Sacramento lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school law in 25 years .
The new laws require more financial disclosure from charter operators and give school boards more authority to reject new charters .
Under the old regulations , charter approval was virtually automatic if organizers turned in a valid proposal .
Charter supporters have countered that their campuses provide high-quality alternatives and healthy competition , insisting that a win for unions against charters was not necessarily a win for students .
“ While last year ’ s teacher strike brought needed attention to funding gaps that exist for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charter schools , ” said Myrna Castrejón , head of the California Charter Schools Assn .
At the ballot box , the carryover from the strike has been decidedly mixed .
Right after the strike , teachers campaigned on behalf of Jackie Goldberg to fill a vacant school board seat .
She cruised to victory last May .
But the next month , L.A. voters soundly defeated Measure EE , which would have raised money for schools by increasing property taxes .
“ The Measure EE campaign put the kibosh on the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a mass movement in L.A. Unified , ” said Mike Antonucci , a columnist who tracks union activity for “ The 74 , ” an education news site funded by charter school supporters .
Vladovic , the school board president , said one important strike outcome has been increased collaboration , if tense at times , between Beutner , Caputo-Pearl and the organizations they lead .
“ Out of the strike came a recognition of the importance of the classroom and of working with everyone , ” he said .
Other tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a pivotal L.A. school board election and a statewide school construction bond measure in March .
And in November , voters will decide whether to raise more money for schools and other services by revising Proposition 13 , the 1978 measure that rolled back and limited property tax increases .
And new union negotiations are just getting underway .

Thousands of striking teachers cheered last January in downtown Los Angeles after an announcement of a deal to end their six-day strike.
Arnoldo Vargas’ life hasn’t changed much since last January when he joined thousands of Los Angeles teachers in a momentous six-day strike. He drives the same 2006 Camry, has no more than 41 students in his art classes compared to an average of 42 last year, and would love to see his own eighth-grade son and first-grade daughter in smaller classes.
“A lot of the gains, I don’t see them ... day-to-day, to be honest,” said Vargas, who teaches at Banning High School in Wilmington.
A year after some 30,000 teachers walked out of their classrooms and upended the daily routine of more than half a million students and their families, most parents and teachers would be hard-pressed to see defining differences in classrooms and schools. Most classes are one student smaller, and the district has been unable to hire the nurses promised for every campus.
Advertisement
The strike helped fuel a nationwide wave of activism and drew attention to what many say is a lack of resources supporting public schools. But there remains much debate about how much — or how little — changed inside classrooms.
Whatever the gains, they came at some cost. Students lost six days of instruction and the district lost more than $100 million in state funding, which is based on student attendance. Teachers sacrificed about 3% of their pay when they walked out, and settled for the same 6% the district offered before the strike.
L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner declined to answer questions for this story. In previous interviews, he has downplayed what was achieved by the strike, saying the district’s offer on such issues as immediate class-size reduction did not substantially change before and after the walkout. And more substantial reductions, in three to four years, arecontingent on whether the district receives more funding, he has said. He also has said that he’d like one legacy of the strike to be an ongoing partnership with the union to pursue additional money.
Leaders of United Teachers Los Angeles and their allies say their hard-fought gains already are game-changers — within schools and in the political realm that shapes public education policy. They said the strike created an essential beginning toward achieving smaller classes and schools fully staffed with nurses, librarians and counselors.
They count some of their biggest gains in non-traditional areas. For example, the agreement called for the district to commit to expanding social services at more schools and to begin dismantling the practice of randomly searching students for contraband. The union also lays claim to helping pass new state laws that restrict charter schools, which are privately operated and, for the most part, non-union.
But the political influence had limits. Just a few months later, L.A. voters rejected a property tax measure that both union and district leadership had hoped would stabilize district finances and help pay for improvements talked about during the walkout, such as smaller classes.
The UTLA strike was “symbolic, political theater, a way of showing value rather than proving it,” said Will Swaim, president of California Policy Center, an Orange County group that works to persuade workers to leave unions.
Some critics even portray union gains as coming at the expense of students. They fault the union, the school board and Beutner for setting aside an opportunity to reshape an unsustainable status quo when it comes to the district’s long-term financial health. The danger, they say, is that the increasing cost of employee pensions, retiree healthcare and generous employee benefits will crowd out services to students.
Advertisement
“These were not courageous leadership decisions,” said Bill Lucia, executive director of the Sacramento advocacy group EdVoice.
L.A. school board President Richard Vladovic takes issue with the naysayers. He said the district is unlikely to become insolvent and that the strike successfully put a focus on public education.
“It’s tough to be a teacher and it’s tough to be in education,” said Vladovic, whose long career includes participating in a strike as a teacher and dealing with later walkouts as an administrator. “I think there’s now a real sense that people need to listen to what teachers are saying about the classroom. I think that’s a good thing. I will never say a strike is good for anything, but if that’s what it takes to move a system, then so be it.”
And within the union, the strike served as a counter-thrust to inspire and build membership in the wake of a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that said public employees cannot be forced to pay union fees in exchange for representation.
Vargas of Banning High said he remains proud of the strike, believes in union activism and feels strongly about the need for limits on charter schools.
“You do what you can now,” he added, and then you keep fighting.
Class sizes, more hiring
During the strike, teachers forcefully called for much smaller classes to improve achievement, as well as for more school nurses and counselors.
The contract called for a decrease in average class sizes of one student per class in grades four through 12, although some targeted schools received additional reductions. The reductions will continue incrementally in future years: one additional student next year and two the following year.
This year, for instance, class size averages for high school math or English range from about 29 to 35, depending on the course. The maximum number of students is 39. Although the previous contract had maximums, they were not enforced.
Trinity Haywood, a junior at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies in Mid-City, said her largest class last year, honors English, had about 44 students. Her largest class this year, chemistry, has 37.
In the fall of 2018, before the strike, more than 200 elementary classes had more than the maximum number of students specified in the previous contract, according to the union. This fall, it fell below 30.
For Trinity, classes with 30-some students still feel difficult for teachers to manage. Some students talk in the back of the room, which can make it hard to pay attention to the lesson, she said.
Trinity also has periodic migraines, which exposes a post-strike shortcoming. Most times, she said, she can’t get medicine or lie down in the nurse’s office, which is often locked without a full-time nurse.
“It’s like, ‘Too bad, here’s an ice pack,’” she said.
The union won a provision that called for a full-time nurse in every school within three years, with an increase of 150 this year. The number of nurses, however, has risen only from 442 to 450, according to district data.
“Given the historic shortage of nurses across California and nationwide, meeting the target of 150 nurses has proven to be a larger challenge than anticipated,” a district spokeswoman said.
This means there are still overworked nurses, such as Stephanie Yellin-Mednick, who left work at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, after a 12-hour day, and arrived at Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies by 6:20 the next morning.
“There is, right now on my desk, 100 hours of work,” she said as she pondered a stack of student files, “must clear” sports team physicals and field trip slips. Many nurses still split their time between multiple campuses.
The number of counselors has increased modestly as the contract called for 17 to be added district-wide this year, providing one counselor per 500 students.
Political fallout
The L.A. strike followed teacher job actions in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona, largely conservative states where teachers who walked out risked losing their jobs. The L.A. strike shifted the activism to a blue state, where the teachers union faced a different challenge: the potential for erosion of influence and financial health after the Supreme Court decided that public employees have a 1st Amendment right to refuse payment of union dues and fees.
The strike helped UTLA make the case that the union mattered.
“It really changed the environment in school after school after school — where teachers had more pride, more respect,” said Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Labor Center.
The union messaging also pressured elected leaders who, in California, already considered themselves friendly to unions, some observers said.
“UTLA and its allies were successful in framing the negotiations as a battle to secure better conditions for teaching and learning,” said John Rogers, director of UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access. “They also emphasized issues of racial equity and the importance of building stronger communities.”
Other strikes followed in Oakland, Denver and Chicago, with teachers embracing a similar model.
UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl called the strike “paradigm-shifting.”
“It shifted the district from ‘we can’t afford anything’ to real investment in neighborhood schools,” he said, “and it shifted the narrative on the need for dramatically more school funding.”
Caputo-Pearl also used the strike megaphone to target charter schools, painting them as a threat. He argued that they drain students and funding from traditional schools, which face high fixed costs and bear a disproportionate responsibility to serve students who are more difficult and more expensive to educate.
Although taking on charters was outside the terms of the contract, the union brought it up in negotiations — and Beutner eventually agreed to bring before the school board a motion calling for a moratorium on new charters. The measure, which passed, had no force of law — but it contributed to a broad political push that culminated in Sacramento lawmakers approving the biggest revision in state charter school law in 25 years.
The new laws require more financial disclosure from charter operators and give school boards more authority to reject new charters. Under the old regulations, charter approval was virtually automatic if organizers turned in a valid proposal.
Charter supporters have countered that their campuses provide high-quality alternatives and healthy competition, insisting that a win for unions against charters was not necessarily a win for students.
“While last year’s teacher strike brought needed attention to funding gaps that exist for all public schools, it also unfairly scapegoated charter schools,” said Myrna Castrejón, head of the California Charter Schools Assn.
At the ballot box, the carryover from the strike has been decidedly mixed.
Right after the strike, teachers campaigned on behalf of Jackie Goldberg to fill a vacant school board seat. She cruised to victory last May. But the next month, L.A. voters soundly defeated Measure EE, which would have raised money for schools by increasing property taxes.
“The Measure EE campaign put the kibosh on the idea that the strike was the first step in a mass movement in L.A. Unified,” said Mike Antonucci, a columnist who tracks union activity for “The 74,” an education news site funded by charter school supporters.
Vladovic, the school board president, said one important strike outcome has been increased collaboration, if tense at times, between Beutner, Caputo-Pearl and the organizations they lead.
“Out of the strike came a recognition of the importance of the classroom and of working with everyone,” he said.
Other tests of that common cause are coming, including a pivotal L.A. school board election and a statewide school construction bond measure in March. And in November, voters will decide whether to raise more money for schools and other services by revising Proposition 13, the 1978 measure that rolled back and limited property tax increases.
And new union negotiations are just getting underway.


latimes--2020-01-21--Meet the California firefighters helping Australia battle epic bush fires

It was a rare victory for the seasoned Americans battling flames Down Under .
Beneath a green eucalyptus canopy in the country ’ s Australian Alps , the continent ’ s tallest mountain range dividing New South Wales and Victoria , some of America ’ s most versatile firefighters , mostly from Southern California , are laboring to help the Australians gain the upper hand against their worst fire season ever .
The work , up until Saturday afternoon , had not always been fruitful for these two dozen firefighters , nearly all of them from the Angeles National Forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires beyond their defensive positions , and even some older fires have spread so quickly they have outrun crews finishing containment lines .
But that afternoon , word crackled over the radio that a containment line they ’ d dug days before had held up , stopping another blaze ’ s progress .
It was their first success since arriving in Australia on Jan. 8 .
“ We finally got a win , ” said firefighter Benjamin Covault , 40 , from McCall , Idaho .
“ It ’ s been kicking everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work to be meaningful , but these are huge fires we ’ re talking about , ” said Justine Gude , one of 20 Angeles firefighters in Australia for a monthlong deployment .
“ You try to take a bite out of it and if it doesn ’ t work , you pull back and you take another bite .
We ’ re used to it.
” More than 170 U.S. firefighters are in Australia , a country halfway around the world that some of them had never visited .
Helping their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a unique firefighting culture , unusual lingo and landscapes that , while similar in some respects , differ from those of the American West .
Here in the Alpine National Park near Mt .
Buffalo , the ground is softer and the shallow-rooted eucalyptus generally are heavier and burn hotter than the conifers and oaks of the Sierra Nevada , creating a tree-fall danger that ’ s unpredictable and potentially lethal .
As crews carve their way through dead standing trees , venomous ants jump onto their wrists and bite while spiders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crazy spiders , man , big spiders the size of your hand .
Big ants , bullet ants and jumping jacks , ‘ hoppers , ’ they call ‘ em , ” said Travis Braten , a U.S. Forest Service firefighter based in Shoshone , Wyo.
, who was working with the Californians over the weekend .
“ Some guys have seen snakes .
I haven ’ t seen any , which is just fine with me .
Sounds like everything is poisonous.
” While these firefighters will bring home anecdotes about everyday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the roadside , brightly colored birds and huge insects — they have been doing the manual labor that comes with an “ arduous crew ” label , which is how the Angeles National Forest men and women have been categorized while in Australia .
It ’ s the kind of muscle-aching work that firefighters grind through early in their career until they become more specialized .
But because resources are stretched razor-thin in Australia , with so many fires at once , the Forest Service sent over hotshots and veteran firefighters who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can do it all .
“ They say it takes a village , where it takes all types to make a successful hand crew , ” Gude said , as she stained her hands and nail-polish black with grit , dirt and oil while cleaning a chainsaw .
“ You need the funny guy , you need the smart guys , you need the strong guys.
” “ Me , I ’ m the strong guy , ” Gude said laughing , noting that her body weight was just twice the poundage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying .
“ I ’ m like an ant.
” Gude is one of two female Angeles National Forest firefighters who arrived in the country this month .
She ’ s also part of a cadre called Women in Fire that promotes fire service opportunities for women .
She ’ s seen more female firefighters in Australia than she normally does back in the U.S. , she said .
As she dug her fingers into the chainsaw ’ s muck to clear it out for another day of work Sunday morning , Gude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge her male colleagues on female stereotypes in firefighting .
“ I had this captain that used to give me a hard time .
He used to be like , ‘ Ugh , your hands are so ugly.
’ I ’ d be like , ‘ You know what ?
Shut up dude , you don ’ t say that to any of the other guys .
You want me to work like a man , my hands are going to look like a man ’ s , ’ ” she said laughing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when a series of lightning storms sparked multiple blazes in the country ’ s eastern , drought-parched bush lands , known as forests in the United States .
Over several months , the fires have killed at least 29 people while destroying thousands of homes , most of them in New South Wales .
The estimated area burned ranges from 12 million to 46 million acres , an area roughly the size of Florida .
While not all towns have been engulfed , despite what social media might suggest , those close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with sporadic evacuations and days and weeks of unhealthy air .
Near Mt .
Buffalo , a park roughly 200 miles northeast of Melbourne , the firefighters have made their base camp along the Ovens River tourist town of Bright .
With the fires and smoke , businesses have been struggling to stay afloat , but the influx of Americans has been welcomed .
Australian officials say the U.S. crews have earned their reputation as among the profession ’ s best .
“ I ’ ve worked with the Americans before and here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arduous crews of America are hard workers , ” said David Ross , operations chief for the Abbey Road Fire .
“ These guys have definitely lived up to … expectations.
” The United States , Australia and New Zealand have helped each other fight fires for more than 15 years , federal officials say .
The two countries dispatched crews to U.S. fires in 2018 , and the U.S. Forest Service last sent crews Down Under in 2010 .
There were 178 U.S. personnel in Australia as of Monday , with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Forest Service spokeswoman Traci Weaver .
It can take a personal toll on firefighters not fully prepared .
Jonathan Merager , 47 , from La Cañada Flintridge , Calif. , won ’ t see his wife and four sons for a month .
Twenty years ago he would have gone weeks without speaking with them .
But with digital technology , they can chat every day , meaning the separation isn ’ t as hard as it once was .
“ It ’ s not easy for a lot of folks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It just takes a lot of coordination , a lot of patience , understanding and empathy.
” When they ’ re focused on the job at hand , the terrain can seem familiar , the Californians said .
The hills are dotted with earthy-green tree canopies that make way to valleys covered with gold , tall grass fields filled with cows .
“ Just exchange the eucalyptus with the oak trees out there and it ’ d look just like home , ” said Eduardo Valle , 30 , a firefighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are subtle things that can remind them that they ’ re another world away .
“ Off the fire line , we say ‘ Hey , good morning .
Hello , ’ ” Valle said , chuckling .
“ They say , ‘ G ’ day mate.
’ It ’ s crazy.
” Firefighters say the Australian accents sometimes require greater focus to understand over the radio .
The term they use for dead standing trees is “ stag ” instead of “ snag , ” and calling in a tanker means requesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aircraft dropping water or retardant .
With resources depleted by the number of fires , the Californians have had to adjust to a more defensive strategy from their Australian commanders .
“ It ’ s impressive they get as much done with what they have and that kind of drives their strategies and tactics , ” said Leonard Dimaculangan , 41 , captain of the Angeles National Forest Texas Canyon hotshot crew .
Burning eucalyptus bark peels off like paper and carries in the wind like a plane .
Firefighters have reported spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fire ’ s main front , creating an impossible challenge to contain .
While rain is in the forecast for Victoria , New South Wales could face hot , windy conditions with possible dry lightning in coming days .
Fire officials there have warned residents to prepare their homes for additional blazes .
It is these types of firefights that forge relationships , Gude said .
“ It ’ s the most fun you ’ ll ever have in a [ bad ] situation , ” she said .
“ Whenever something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the other side with a group of people , it makes you extra close .
”

More than 170 U.S. firefighters are helping their Australian counterparts battle the nation’s worst blazes ever, an assignment that requires adjustment to a new terrain, culture and lingo.
It was a rare victory for the seasoned Americans battling flames Down Under.
Beneath a green eucalyptus canopy in the country’s Australian Alps, the continent’s tallest mountain range dividing New South Wales and Victoria, some of America’s most versatile firefighters, mostly from Southern California, are laboring to help the Australians gain the upper hand against their worst fire season ever.
The work, up until Saturday afternoon, had not always been fruitful for these two dozen firefighters, nearly all of them from the Angeles National Forest. Weekly lightning storms have sparked new fires beyond their defensive positions, and even some older fires have spread so quickly they have outrun crews finishing containment lines.
Hector Cerna, 39, from Palmdale, CA works to put out hot spots in the Alpine National Park where he and an American crew have been working for the past two weeks. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
But that afternoon, word crackled over the radio that a containment line they’d dug days before had held up, stopping another blaze’s progress. It was their first success since arriving in Australia on Jan. 8.
“We finally got a win,” said firefighter Benjamin Covault, 40, from McCall, Idaho. “It’s been kicking everyone’s ass.”
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“You want the work to be meaningful, but these are huge fires we’re talking about,” said Justine Gude, one of 20 Angeles firefighters in Australia for a monthlong deployment. “You try to take a bite out of it and if it doesn’t work, you pull back and you take another bite. We’re used to it.”
More than 170 U.S. firefighters are in Australia, a country halfway around the world that some of them had never visited. Helping their Aussie counterparts, they have been adjusting to a unique firefighting culture, unusual lingo and landscapes that, while similar in some respects, differ from those of the American West.
The burn line can be seen in the foothills of Mt. Buffalo in Victoria, Australia. A contingent of American hotshot firefighters are there working with Australians to combat wild fires in the Alpine National Park, northeast of Melbourne. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Here in the Alpine National Park near Mt. Buffalo, the ground is softer and the shallow-rooted eucalyptus generally are heavier and burn hotter than the conifers and oaks of the Sierra Nevada, creating a tree-fall danger that’s unpredictable and potentially lethal. As crews carve their way through dead standing trees, venomous ants jump onto their wrists and bite while spiders lower themselves onto their backs.
“Crazy spiders, man, big spiders the size of your hand. Big ants, bullet ants and jumping jacks, ‘hoppers,’ they call ‘em,” said Travis Braten, a U.S. Forest Service firefighter based in Shoshone, Wyo., who was working with the Californians over the weekend. “Some guys have seen snakes. I haven’t seen any, which is just fine with me. Sounds like everything is poisonous.”
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While these firefighters will bring home anecdotes about everyday oddities — lounging koalas, kangaroos standing by the roadside, brightly colored birds and huge insects — they have been doing the manual labor that comes with an “arduous crew” label, which is how the Angeles National Forest men and women have been categorized while in Australia.
It’s the kind of muscle-aching work that firefighters grind through early in their career until they become more specialized. But because resources are stretched razor-thin in Australia, with so many fires at once, the Forest Service sent over hotshots and veteran firefighters who usually lead their own teams back home and can do it all.
Justine Gude is a 7-year veteran of the Texas Canyon hotshot firefighters, based in the Angeles National Forest. Deployed to Australia, she cleans a chain saw before going out into the field to knock back bush fires in the Alpine National Park. “You try to take a bite out of it and if it doesn’t work you pull back and you take another bite,” she said. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
“They say it takes a village, where it takes all types to make a successful hand crew,” Gude said, as she stained her hands and nail-polish black with grit, dirt and oil while cleaning a chainsaw. “You need the funny guy, you need the smart guys, you need the strong guys.”
“Me, I’m the strong guy,” Gude said laughing, noting that her body weight was just twice the poundage of the gear and chainsaw she was carrying. “I’m like an ant.”
Gude is one of two female Angeles National Forest firefighters who arrived in the country this month. She’s also part of a cadre called Women in Fire that promotes fire service opportunities for women. She’s seen more female firefighters in Australia than she normally does back in the U.S., she said.
As she dug her fingers into the chainsaw’s muck to clear it out for another day of work Sunday morning, Gude described how she relishes the chance to challenge her male colleagues on female stereotypes in firefighting.
“I had this captain that used to give me a hard time. He used to be like, ‘Ugh, your hands are so ugly.’ I’d be like, ‘You know what? Shut up dude, you don’t say that to any of the other guys. You want me to work like a man, my hands are going to look like a man’s,’ ” she said laughing.
Leonard Dimaculangan, 41, of Pasadena, Calif/, is captain of the Texas Canyon hotshot firefighters based in the Angeles National Forest. In Australia, he leads a group of American firefighters in the Alpine National Park, near Mt. Buffalo. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Fires have inundated Australia since November, when a series of lightning storms sparked multiple blazes in the country’s eastern, drought-parched bush lands, known as forests in the United States.
Over several months, the fires have killed at least 29 people while destroying thousands of homes, most of them in New South Wales. The estimated area burned ranges from 12 million to 46 million acres, an area roughly the size of Florida.
While not all towns have been engulfed, despite what social media might suggest, those close to the bush fires have been coping with sporadic evacuations and days and weeks of unhealthy air.
Near Mt. Buffalo, a park roughly 200 miles northeast of Melbourne, the firefighters have made their base camp along the Ovens River tourist town of Bright. With the fires and smoke, businesses have been struggling to stay afloat, but the influx of Americans has been welcomed. Australian officials say the U.S. crews have earned their reputation as among the profession’s best.
“I’ve worked with the Americans before and here there’s no surprises. The arduous crews of America are hard workers,” said David Ross, operations chief for the Abbey Road Fire. “These guys have definitely lived up to … expectations.”
The United States, Australia and New Zealand have helped each other fight fires for more than 15 years, federal officials say. The two countries dispatched crews to U.S. fires in 2018, and the U.S. Forest Service last sent crews Down Under in 2010. There were 178 U.S. personnel in Australia as of Monday, with an additional 40 expected to arrive on Friday, said Forest Service spokeswoman Traci Weaver.
It can take a personal toll on firefighters not fully prepared.
Benjamin Covault, 40, a smoke jumper from McCall, Idaho, works to cut down dangerous trees in a hot spot in the Alpine National Park. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Jonathan Merager, 47, from La Cañada Flintridge, Calif., won’t see his wife and four sons for a month. Twenty years ago he would have gone weeks without speaking with them. But with digital technology, they can chat every day, meaning the separation isn’t as hard as it once was.
“It’s not easy for a lot of folks in this business,” Merager said. “It just takes a lot of coordination, a lot of patience, understanding and empathy.”
When they’re focused on the job at hand, the terrain can seem familiar, the Californians said. The hills are dotted with earthy-green tree canopies that make way to valleys covered with gold, tall grass fields filled with cows.
“Just exchange the eucalyptus with the oak trees out there and it’d look just like home,” said Eduardo Valle, 30, a firefighter from Lancaster, Calif.
But there are subtle things that can remind them that they’re another world away.
“Off the fire line, we say ‘Hey, good morning. Hello,’” Valle said, chuckling. “They say, ‘G’day mate.’ It’s crazy.”
Firefighters say the Australian accents sometimes require greater focus to understand over the radio. The term they use for dead standing trees is “stag” instead of “snag,” and calling in a tanker means requesting a water-carrying fire truck instead of an aircraft dropping water or retardant.
American fire fighters, 20 National Angeles Forest firefighters, take a break after working to put out hot spots in the Alpine National Park. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
With resources depleted by the number of fires, the Californians have had to adjust to a more defensive strategy from their Australian commanders.
“It’s impressive they get as much done with what they have and that kind of drives their strategies and tactics,” said Leonard Dimaculangan, 41, captain of the Angeles National Forest Texas Canyon hotshot crew.
Burning eucalyptus bark peels off like paper and carries in the wind like a plane. Firefighters have reported spot fires up to 18 miles ahead of a fire’s main front, creating an impossible challenge to contain.
While rain is in the forecast for Victoria, New South Wales could face hot, windy conditions with possible dry lightning in coming days. Fire officials there have warned residents to prepare their homes for additional blazes.
It is these types of firefights that forge relationships, Gude said.
“It’s the most fun you’ll ever have in a [bad] situation,” she said. “Whenever something’s really difficult and you come out the other side with a group of people, it makes you extra close.”