latimes--2020-12-16--What the 'tamale poll' says about coronavirus, Christmas and large gatherings

It looked like business as usual on the assembly line .
Four men behind the counter of Tamales Liliana ’ s in Boyle Heights were scooping up masa with their hands and smearing it on opened corn husks .
Six women then filled them with slits of green chile and cheese before folding and wrapping them in baking paper .
Nearby , Juan Manuel Santoyo took stock of the ritual .
“ I spend a good amount of time making tamales to sell during the week of Christmas , ” the 67-year-old restaurant owner said .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the year.
” For many Mexican and Central American families , a Christmas without tamales feels like culinary heresy .
The last month of the year is filled with Latino holiday traditions and festivities such as tamaladas ( tamale-making parties ) , the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Las Posadas , a reenactment of Mary and Joseph trying to find lodging in Bethlehem .
They are events that traditionally involve tamales — and what has become practically a four-letter word for health officials in this time of seething pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the signs are pointing to smaller celebrations that are bad for business , if not the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Our tradition is to gather with family .
And you may have four to five families at a home and so you might order 20 tamales , ” he said .
“ But that ’ s not happening .
You ’ re going to celebrate with your own family and , rather than ordering 20 tamales , you might order five.
” On average , Santoyo sells up to 40,000 tamales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he saw a drop in sales .
“ I don ’ t even think I reached 20,000 , ” he said .
Tamaleros say they aren ’ t selling the same number as they did in years past , possibly meaning fewer family gatherings this year .
And while some still hope for a Christmas miracle , others say they ’ re pessimistic given the skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases .
In Koreatown , holiday music blared from a tiny speaker sitting by the front entrance of Amalia ’ s , a Guatemalan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waves , said owner Milbet Del Cid , whose eyes water when she sees the vacant dining room or thinks about the seven employees she laid off .
“ My mom opened this business in 1994 , and we ’ ve been through a lot .
We ’ ve had recessions , so many things , ” she said .
“ I sat down and started to think that for the first time in my life , I feel that we ’ re possibly going to have to close.
” Inside the small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used a metal spoon to scoop masa from a bucket and place it on a banana leaf lying on a sheet of tin foil .
She poured a special sauce over it and placed a piece of chicken in the tamale .
Lopez then handed it to Del Cid , who added olive and a slit of red bell pepper before wrapping the tamale and placing it in a large pot .
Around this time in a normal year , said Del Cid , 51 , she would have orders for 1,500 tamales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 3,500 , if not more .
Since Thanksgiving , she ’ s received orders for only about 100 tamales .
Del Cid said she ’ s tried contacting her usual customers but has had no luck reaching them .
“ The largest order was for 25 tamales , ” she said .
“ I ’ ve been here thinking : Lord , help … me stay strong .
Help us.
” Santoyo has had to cut employees ’ hours , though he hasn ’ t laid off any .
Born and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived in the United States in 1990 with his wife and $ 50 in his pocket .
He worked for six months at his uncle ’ s bakery near Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Ford Boulevard as a way to get settled .
Soon he began selling tamales on the street .
He saved and eventually made his first major business investment— a $ 3,500 cart .
He and his wife later moved into a room at a friend ’ s house in South Gate , where they prepared their tamales out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles .
“ My wife and I would take turns and sleep for two hours each , then go back out to sell tamales , ” he said .
The sacrifice paid off the following year when he opened his first restaurant at First and Indiana streets , naming it after his daughter , Liliana .
In 1998 , he opened a second location on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and moved eight years later to a larger building on the same street .
In all that time , the success of his business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that purchase tamales for Christmas and New Year .
He also receives large orders from schools , corporations and churches hosting religious or holiday events .
“ I mostly depend on families who get together and order two to three dozen tamales , ” Santoyo said .
“ But they ’ ve prohibited people from gathering and as a result , I won ’ t have any of those sales.
” Some people who sell out of brick-and-mortar shops express frustration when they see street vendors selling tamales not far from their hobbled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park , street vendors say the pandemic is putting the “ mal ” in tamale .
They say most of their money goes to rent and bills , and they are left with little .
The pandemic has made their margins narrower than ever .
“ People are staying home , and if there ’ s no one around then we ’ re not selling anything , ” said Pancho Lopez , 43 .
“ Everyone is being impacted by the coronavirus.
” More than 20 miles away in Pacoima , Alicia Esparza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Tamales , said there ’ s been a slight change this holiday season .
Business isn ’ t booming , but it hasn ’ t declined precipitously .
“ It ’ s been slow , I can tell you that , ” she said .
Her business typically sees individual customers coming in to buy one or two tamales .
She does big orders only Christmas week , and she often requires in-person purchases because sometimes customers fail to pick up their orders .
“ I ’ m not sure how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
For Amapola Deli and Market , which is famous for its masa and has locations in cities with large Latino populations , business has been surprisingly healthy .
`` Thanksgiving was our dry run and we actually did well , ” said Carlos Galvan Jr. , vice president of Amapola .
“ Everything that is tied to tamales : the ingredients , the meats , the spices , we were seeing some increases in all that.
” He said the company saw a 10 % boost in sales , attributing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sell on the street .
Galvan Jr. , 54 , also believes some people suffering financial hardships know that they can make plenty of tamales to tide them over for a while .
When the sales were up during Thanksgiving week , Galvan began to hope that December would be a promising month .
But with rising coronavirus infections , hospitalizations and deaths came tighter business restrictions .
“ It couldn ’ t have come at a worse time for us , ” he said .
He said the stores now have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep employees safe .
He also doesn ’ t know if customers will show up and stand in line this year given the pandemic .
He hopes the weather will be kind too .
In 2016 , a bad batch of masa ruined Christmas meals for hundreds of Amapola customers .
The problem was that genetically modified corn used for fuel had been mixed in with the corn used to make the masa .
“ That was a bad year , but … nothing compared to what we ’ re dealing with now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s so much uncertainty this year.
” Outside Tamaleria La Doña in Compton , more than a dozen people stood in line to get inside and purchase batches of tamales .
Monica Rodriguez , 35 , said she planned to still gather with family regardless of the pandemic .
She said most of the family — eight of them — live in the same house , but she still plans to visit her sister-in-law .
“ I don ’ t care about what ’ s happening , I ’ m still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ We ’ ll probably exchange gifts real quickly.
” Just ahead of her in line was Esther Medina , 33 , owner of a flooring business .
She said every year she comes to buy tamales to feed day laborers and the poor .
She also buys some for the company ’ s annual Christmas party and family holiday gatherings .
But this year , there ’ s little to celebrate .
Her company hasn ’ t seen much business and her workforce dropped from 18 to four people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the coronavirus .
She said she ’ s going to spend Christmas only with immediate family this year .
“ Normally I ’ d order about 15 to 20 dozen tamales .
This time I ’ m just getting five dozen , ” she said .
“ The tamale is like the taco .
It ’ s just something you share .
It means family reunion to me .
”

It looked like business as usual on the assembly line.
Four men behind the counter of Tamales Liliana’s in Boyle Heights were scooping up masa with their hands and smearing it on opened corn husks. Six women then filled them with slits of green chile and cheese before folding and wrapping them in baking paper. Nearby, Juan Manuel Santoyo took stock of the ritual.
“I spend a good amount of time making tamales to sell during the week of Christmas,” the 67-year-old restaurant owner said. “It’s what we rely on to get us through the year.”
For many Mexican and Central American families, a Christmas without tamales feels like culinary heresy. The last month of the year is filled with Latino holiday traditions and festivities such as tamaladas (tamale-making parties), the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Las Posadas, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph trying to find lodging in Bethlehem.
They are events that traditionally involve tamales — and what has become practically a four-letter word for health officials in this time of seething pandemic: large gatherings.
For Santoyo, the signs are pointing to smaller celebrations that are bad for business, if not the spread of the coronavirus.
“Our tradition is to gather with family. And you may have four to five families at a home and so you might order 20 tamales,” he said. “But that’s not happening. You’re going to celebrate with your own family and, rather than ordering 20 tamales, you might order five.”
On average, Santoyo sells up to 40,000 tamales on Thanksgiving Day, but this year he saw a drop in sales.
“I don’t even think I reached 20,000,” he said.
Juan Manuel Santoyo looks on as workers including Maria Franco, center, make tamales at Tamales Liliana’s on Dec. 4. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Call it the unscientific “tamale poll.”
Tamaleros say they aren’t selling the same number as they did in years past, possibly meaning fewer family gatherings this year. And while some still hope for a Christmas miracle, others say they’re pessimistic given the skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases.
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In Koreatown, holiday music blared from a tiny speaker sitting by the front entrance of Amalia’s, a Guatemalan restaurant. But the sadness comes in waves, said owner Milbet Del Cid, whose eyes water when she sees the vacant dining room or thinks about the seven employees she laid off.
“My mom opened this business in 1994, and we’ve been through a lot. We’ve had recessions, so many things,” she said. “I sat down and started to think that for the first time in my life, I feel that we’re possibly going to have to close.”
Milbet Del Cid makes traditional Guatemalan tamales at Amalia’s Restaurant in Los Angeles on Dec. 9. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Inside the small kitchen, Telma Lopez, 58, used a metal spoon to scoop masa from a bucket and place it on a banana leaf lying on a sheet of tin foil. She poured a special sauce over it and placed a piece of chicken in the tamale. Lopez then handed it to Del Cid, who added olive and a slit of red bell pepper before wrapping the tamale and placing it in a large pot.
Around this time in a normal year, said Del Cid, 51, she would have orders for 1,500 tamales. By Christmas, that would be up to 3,500, if not more. Since Thanksgiving, she’s received orders for only about 100 tamales. Del Cid said she’s tried contacting her usual customers but has had no luck reaching them.
“The largest order was for 25 tamales,” she said. “I’ve been here thinking: Lord, help … me stay strong. Help us.”
Milbet Del Cid, center, said she’s tried contacting her usual customers but has had no luck reaching them. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
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Santoyo has had to cut employees’ hours, though he hasn’t laid off any.
Born and raised in Zacatecas, Mexico, Santoyo arrived in the United States in 1990 with his wife and $50 in his pocket. He worked for six months at his uncle’s bakery near Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Ford Boulevard as a way to get settled. Soon he began selling tamales on the street.
He saved and eventually made his first major business investment— a $3,500 cart. He and his wife later moved into a room at a friend’s house in South Gate, where they prepared their tamales out of the garage to sell in East Los Angeles.
“My wife and I would take turns and sleep for two hours each, then go back out to sell tamales,” he said.
Juan Manuel Santoyo at his restaurant, Tamales Liliana’s, in Boyle Heights. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
The sacrifice paid off the following year when he opened his first restaurant at First and Indiana streets, naming it after his daughter, Liliana.
In 1998, he opened a second location on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and moved eight years later to a larger building on the same street.
Advertisement
In all that time, the success of his business has been inextricably linked to the families that purchase tamales for Christmas and New Year. He also receives large orders from schools, corporations and churches hosting religious or holiday events.
“I mostly depend on families who get together and order two to three dozen tamales,” Santoyo said. “But they’ve prohibited people from gathering and as a result, I won’t have any of those sales.”
Hilario Rosales makes tamales at Tamales Liliana’s in Boyle Heights. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Some people who sell out of brick-and-mortar shops express frustration when they see street vendors selling tamales not far from their hobbled businesses. But in places like MacArthur Park, street vendors say the pandemic is putting the “mal” in tamale. They say most of their money goes to rent and bills, and they are left with little. The pandemic has made their margins narrower than ever.
“People are staying home, and if there’s no one around then we’re not selling anything, ” said Pancho Lopez, 43. “Everyone is being impacted by the coronavirus.”
More than 20 miles away in Pacoima, Alicia Esparza, 60, owner of Rosy’s Tamales, said there’s been a slight change this holiday season. Business isn’t booming, but it hasn’t declined precipitously.
“It’s been slow, I can tell you that,” she said.
Her business typically sees individual customers coming in to buy one or two tamales. She does big orders only Christmas week, and she often requires in-person purchases because sometimes customers fail to pick up their orders.
“I’m not sure how it will be this Christmas,” Esparza said.
For Amapola Deli and Market, which is famous for its masa and has locations in cities with large Latino populations, business has been surprisingly healthy.
Advertisement
Tamales at Tamales Liliana’s. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
“Thanksgiving was our dry run and we actually did well,” said Carlos Galvan Jr., vice president of Amapola. “Everything that is tied to tamales: the ingredients, the meats, the spices, we were seeing some increases in all that.”
He said the company saw a 10% boost in sales, attributing it to grocery sales as well as tamaleros who sell on the street. Galvan Jr., 54, also believes some people suffering financial hardships know that they can make plenty of tamales to tide them over for a while.
When the sales were up during Thanksgiving week, Galvan began to hope that December would be a promising month. But with rising coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths came tighter business restrictions.
“It couldn’t have come at a worse time for us,” he said.
He said the stores now have to consider capacity issues while continuing to keep employees safe. He also doesn’t know if customers will show up and stand in line this year given the pandemic. He hopes the weather will be kind too.
Galvan knows tamale-related heartache well.
In 2016, a bad batch of masa ruined Christmas meals for hundreds of Amapola customers. The problem was that genetically modified corn used for fuel had been mixed in with the corn used to make the masa.
“That was a bad year, but … nothing compared to what we’re dealing with now,” Galvan Jr. said. “There’s so much uncertainty this year.”
Outside Tamaleria La Doña in Compton, more than a dozen people stood in line to get inside and purchase batches of tamales.
Advertisement
Monica Rodriguez, 35, said she planned to still gather with family regardless of the pandemic. She said most of the family — eight of them — live in the same house, but she still plans to visit her sister-in-law.
“I don’t care about what’s happening, I’m still going to go see her,” she said. “We’ll probably exchange gifts real quickly.”
Just ahead of her in line was Esther Medina, 33, owner of a flooring business. She said every year she comes to buy tamales to feed day laborers and the poor. She also buys some for the company’s annual Christmas party and family holiday gatherings.
But this year, there’s little to celebrate. Her company hasn’t seen much business and her workforce dropped from 18 to four people; three of the employees have recently tested positive for the coronavirus.
She said she’s going to spend Christmas only with immediate family this year.
“Normally I’d order about 15 to 20 dozen tamales. This time I’m just getting five dozen,” she said. “The tamale is like the taco. It’s just something you share. It means family reunion to me.”


latimes--2020-12-16--With ICUs hitting capacity, hospitals turn to desperate measures

With intensive care units in Southern California and the Central Valley lurching perilously close to full capacity Tuesday , officials are turning to increasingly desperate measures to prevent the state ’ s coronavirus surge from killing more patients .
Hospitalizations are continuing to rise at unprecedented levels , and officials have limited options for boosting capacity .
Among the tools : Canceling scheduled surgeries ; keeping critically ill patients in emergency rooms ; sending ICU patients into step-down units earlier ; training nurses from elsewhere in hospitals to help with intensive care ; and increasing the numbers of patients an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded a cumulative 1.65 million coronavirus cases and more than 21,400 COVID-19 deaths .
The state has far fewer cumulative cases and deaths per capita compared with other states , but a surge in infections related to pandemic fatigue and Thanksgiving has resulted in the worst wave of the pandemic so far .
Ambulances waiting at hospitals for six hours In Los Angeles County , emergency rooms are so crowded that some ambulances have been forced to wait as long as six hours to offload patients , said Cathy Chidester , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency .
Some patients arriving by ambulance are asked to sit in the emergency department lobby so the ambulance can depart .
California is also desperately seeking more medical staff from overseas , perhaps from as far away as Australia , while opening field hospitals to care for non-ICU patients in places such as Costa Mesa , Porterville , Sacramento and Imperial ; other facilities are on standby status in Riverside , Richmond , Fresno , San Diego and San Francisco .
Officials around the state said that hospitals are sinking into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelming has not yet occurred .
“ Our healthcare system is quite stretched : Not yet to the breaking point , but steadily marching towards that point , ” said Dr. Sara Cody , the Santa Clara County health officer .
Some regions , including Los Angeles County , have enough physical bed capacity but are running very low on the staff needed to care for patients .
But there are limits to how much hospitals can expand .
They can expand , like a water balloon , to meet a certain level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Santa Clara County ’ s director of health preparedness .
But they ’ ve already expanded a great deal , and yet “ there ’ s more and more stress being put on these hospitals .
“ And like a water balloon , when it explodes , it ’ s not subtle.
” On Tuesday , the California Department of Public Health said available ICU capacity in Southern California was just 1.7 % , down from 2.7 % a day earlier .
The situation was particularly grim in Riverside County , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Tuesday .
Available ICU capacity in the San Joaquin Valley was also effectively maxed out and has been fluctuating between zero and 1.6 % since Saturday .
Some counties have asked the state for additional staffing help , but there is just not enough available staff for the enormous demand .
“ They ’ re not able to fill all the requests that we ’ ve got , ” said Shane Reichardt , spokesman for the Riverside County emergency management department .
“ The situation is obviously getting worse , ” Reichardt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand politically , it ’ s fairly undeniable that when people start getting together and congregating over holidays , et cetera , we see a corresponding bump in the number of cases.
” The state ’ s supply of nurses has been focused on skilled nursing facilities for good reason , Kamal said , but that ’ s leaving hospitals on their own when it comes to staffing surge beds .
The shortage of staff can simply mean that exhausted doctors , nurses and respiratory therapists just work even more , raising the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care , given that they ’ ve been on the front lines for 10 months of the pandemic .
“ We have very dark days ahead , ” Cody said in tearful remarks to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday .
“ We are truly , truly in the worst place we have ever been in this pandemic by a very large margin.
” The nightmare scenario is one in which ICU capacity is so overstretched that instead of two or three patients assigned to each ICU nurse , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients — the kind of overwhelming workload that can increase mortality for not only COVID-19 patients but also other critically ill patients .
There have been overwhelmed hospitals across the world during the pandemic , such as in New York City and northern Italy , where the death toll was severe .
One major challenge is that COVID is surging in so many places that officials have few places to turn for help .
“ The problem right now is that , obviously , it ’ s a pandemic — so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency .
Expecting the pandemic to worsen before it improves “ All the hospitals are affected .
And not just in L.A. County , but all the hospitals in California .
And then not just in California , but you can ’ t even send somebody to Arizona , ” Chidester said .
“ If there was an earthquake , you ’ d have hospitals 20 miles away that weren ’ t affected , and you could send the patients to those hospitals.
” Hospitals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses who normally work in the emergency room or the step-down unit where critically ill patients recover into the ICU after receiving some training , Chidester said .
Licensed vocational nurses and certified nursing assistants would then take a greater role elsewhere .
Chidester is still urging that people who need to come to the emergency room do so ; someone suffering a heart attack needs to call 911 .
L.A. County is so slammed by COVID-19 patients that for certain periods of time Sunday , 81 % of hospitals that received patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divert some of them elsewhere , said Dr. Christina Ghaly , L.A. County director of health services .
L.A. County has more than 4,600 people hospitalized with COVID-19 , and officials said that number could rise to 5,000 by the weekend .
“ We need to brace ourselves that this [ hospital ] case volume has not yet reached a peak and will keep growing , ” Ghaly said .
Medical authorities across the state expect the situation to worsen before it gets better , as more people infected during the Thanksgiving holiday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state stay-at-home order will eventually turn the tide , but it ’ s expected it will take until Christmas or New Year ’ s before the inexorable rise in daily coronavirus cases flattens or begins to decrease .
Critical test for hospitals in two weeks “ We are concerned about what our ability to provide the same level of high-quality care will be , ” said Dr. Mark Ghaly , the California health and human services secretary .
“ What we are really preparing for is two weeks from now.
” Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to order 5,000 additional body bags , and he implored residents to take the virus seriously and to stay home as much as possible .
“ We are not at the finish line yet , ” he said .
“ So please , please , please be mindful.
” Dr. Rais Vohra , Fresno County ’ s interim public health officer , said Tuesday that he expected “ a grim set of weeks before and after the New Year , just given the trends that we ’ re seeing… .
Unfortunately , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections and a lot of ongoing transmissions [ and ] we ’ re still very , very hard pressed to try to meet that challenge.
” Fresno County has nearly 1 million people , but there were only 16 available ICU beds Monday .
A couple of that region ’ s larger hospitals have zero available ICU beds and one has been forced to keep five ICU patients in the emergency department .
Vohra said the staffing shortages in Fresno County already feel similar to what New York City faced in the spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plausible that Fresno County will need to utilize more alternative care sites and tents if “ we ’ re running out of spaces in the hospital to put people and we just need to make space.
” Besides an alternative care site in Porterville that opened Monday , another staffed 50-bed care site is being opened this week next to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno .
That site can take patients from in-patient wards , freeing up space in the step-down units where critically ill patients recover , which in turn frees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People are going to die that don ’ t need to die ’ The deteriorating conditions in hospitals and long hours by doctors , nurses and others contributes to concerns about care .
“ That is what makes the situation that we ’ re in so anxiety-provoking for people in healthcare , ” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , chair of UC San Francisco ’ s department of epidemiology and biostatistics .
“ The level of concern you hear from the ERs , from first-line healthcare providers , is completely different than in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be in a condition where the type of care we ’ re providing is not the highest level of care.
” In Ventura County , capacity has dropped to 1 % and officials are speaking out against parties , indoor church services and youth sports events that they say are making the crisis worse .
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county have broken records for at least 10 consecutive days .
“ The numbers are getting to be astronomical , ” said Dr. Robert Levin , the county health officer .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t need to die.
” Two weekends ago , there were some 80 football players gathered at a park in Simi Valley .
Sports tournaments are occurring in other counties involving volleyball and baseball players , and in those situations , people weren ’ t wearing masks , Levin said .
Some church services are also still being held indoors in violation of the state rules , with worshipers sometimes sitting shoulder to shoulder .
At the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks , there was a report of hundreds of people gathering to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Levin said .
And he ’ s heard of parties of up to 200 people attending drive-in concerts — organized expressly to allow for social distancing — only to get out of their cars .
Singing is an extremely high-risk activity and has been documented to spread the coronavirus .
One choir practice left and two people dead in Washington state .
“ What ’ s understandable about this ?
” a frustrated Levin said at a .
“ None of these justifications are acceptable in the face of the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just like we would be fighting any war .
Dr. Mark Lepore , an intensive care physician at Ventura County Medical Center , said he expects the county to exceed hospital capacity , “ and what exceeding capacity looks like is showing up to the hospital and not having a room to go into or not having a staff member to take care of you.
” He urged people to avoid gathering for Christmas : “ Just tell them you ’ ll see them next Christmas .
This is that important : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members to get sick and not be able to get care .
”

Pulmonologist Dr. Laren Tan, right, and his medical team of nurses and respiratory therapists look in on a COVID-19 patient in the ICU at Loma Linda University Medical Center on Dec. 15.
With intensive care units in Southern California and the Central Valley lurching perilously close to full capacity Tuesday, officials are turning to increasingly desperate measures to prevent the state’s coronavirus surge from killing more patients.
Hospitalizations are continuing to rise at unprecedented levels, and officials have limited options for boosting capacity. Among the tools: Canceling scheduled surgeries; keeping critically ill patients in emergency rooms; sending ICU patients into step-down units earlier; training nurses from elsewhere in hospitals to help with intensive care; and increasing the numbers of patients an ICU nurse can treat.
California has recorded a cumulative 1.65 million coronavirus cases and more than 21,400 COVID-19 deaths. The state has far fewer cumulative cases and deaths per capita compared with other states, but a surge in infections related to pandemic fatigue and Thanksgiving has resulted in the worst wave of the pandemic so far.
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Ambulances waiting at hospitals for six hours
In Los Angeles County, emergency rooms are so crowded that some ambulances have been forced to wait as long as six hours to offload patients, said Cathy Chidester, director of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency. Some patients arriving by ambulance are asked to sit in the emergency department lobby so the ambulance can depart.
California is also desperately seeking more medical staff from overseas, perhaps from as far away as Australia, while opening field hospitals to care for non-ICU patients in places such as Costa Mesa, Porterville, Sacramento and Imperial; other facilities are on standby status in Riverside, Richmond, Fresno, San Diego and San Francisco.
Officials around the state said that hospitals are sinking into a crisis state, but that a widespread overwhelming has not yet occurred.
“Our healthcare system is quite stretched: Not yet to the breaking point, but steadily marching towards that point,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer.
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Some regions, including Los Angeles County, have enough physical bed capacity but are running very low on the staff needed to care for patients.
Limits to expanding hospital capacity
But there are limits to how much hospitals can expand. They can expand, like a water balloon, to meet a certain level of demand, said Dr. Ahmad Kamal, Santa Clara County’s director of health preparedness. But they’ve already expanded a great deal, and yet “there’s more and more stress being put on these hospitals.
“And like a water balloon, when it explodes, it’s not subtle.”
On Tuesday, the California Department of Public Health said available ICU capacity in Southern California was just 1.7%, down from 2.7% a day earlier. The situation was particularly grim in Riverside County, which was at zero available ICU capacity as of Tuesday. Available ICU capacity in the San Joaquin Valley was also effectively maxed out and has been fluctuating between zero and 1.6% since Saturday.
Some counties have asked the state for additional staffing help, but there is just not enough available staff for the enormous demand. “They’re not able to fill all the requests that we’ve got,” said Shane Reichardt, spokesman for the Riverside County emergency management department.
“The situation is obviously getting worse,” Reichardt said. “No matter where you stand politically, it’s fairly undeniable that when people start getting together and congregating over holidays, et cetera, we see a corresponding bump in the number of cases.”
‘We have very dark days ahead’
The state’s supply of nurses has been focused on skilled nursing facilities for good reason, Kamal said, but that’s leaving hospitals on their own when it comes to staffing surge beds.
The shortage of staff can simply mean that exhausted doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists just work even more, raising the risks of mistakes and poorer standard of care, given that they’ve been on the front lines for 10 months of the pandemic.
“We have very dark days ahead,” Cody said in tearful remarks to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. “We are truly, truly in the worst place we have ever been in this pandemic by a very large margin.”
The nightmare scenario is one in which ICU capacity is so overstretched that instead of two or three patients assigned to each ICU nurse, they’re forced to watch over seven patients — the kind of overwhelming workload that can increase mortality for not only COVID-19 patients but also other critically ill patients. There have been overwhelmed hospitals across the world during the pandemic, such as in New York City and northern Italy, where the death toll was severe.
One major challenge is that COVID is surging in so many places that officials have few places to turn for help.
“The problem right now is that, obviously, it’s a pandemic — so it’s everywhere,” said Chidester of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency.
Expecting the pandemic to worsen before it improves
“All the hospitals are affected. And not just in L.A. County, but all the hospitals in California. And then not just in California, but you can’t even send somebody to Arizona,” Chidester said. “If there was an earthquake, you’d have hospitals 20 miles away that weren’t affected, and you could send the patients to those hospitals.”
Hospitals are starting to pursue strategies that involve moving nurses who normally work in the emergency room or the step-down unit where critically ill patients recover into the ICU after receiving some training, Chidester said. Licensed vocational nurses and certified nursing assistants would then take a greater role elsewhere.
Chidester is still urging that people who need to come to the emergency room do so; someone suffering a heart attack needs to call 911.
L.A. County is so slammed by COVID-19 patients that for certain periods of time Sunday, 81% of hospitals that received patients coming from 911 calls were forced to divert some of them elsewhere, said Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County director of health services.
L.A. County has more than 4,600 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and officials said that number could rise to 5,000 by the weekend.
“We need to brace ourselves that this [hospital] case volume has not yet reached a peak and will keep growing,” Ghaly said.
Medical authorities across the state expect the situation to worsen before it gets better, as more people infected during the Thanksgiving holiday fall ill. The hope is that the state stay-at-home order will eventually turn the tide, but it’s expected it will take until Christmas or New Year’s before the inexorable rise in daily coronavirus cases flattens or begins to decrease.
Critical test for hospitals in two weeks
“We are concerned about what our ability to provide the same level of high-quality care will be,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California health and human services secretary. “What we are really preparing for is two weeks from now.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state had to order 5,000 additional body bags, and he implored residents to take the virus seriously and to stay home as much as possible. “We are not at the finish line yet,” he said. “So please, please, please be mindful.”
Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim public health officer, said Tuesday that he expected “a grim set of weeks before and after the New Year, just given the trends that we’re seeing…. Unfortunately, we’ve just got a lot of infections and a lot of ongoing transmissions [and] we’re still very, very hard pressed to try to meet that challenge.”
Fresno County has nearly 1 million people, but there were only 16 available ICU beds Monday. A couple of that region’s larger hospitals have zero available ICU beds and one has been forced to keep five ICU patients in the emergency department.
Vohra said the staffing shortages in Fresno County already feel similar to what New York City faced in the spring. He said
it’s entirely plausible that Fresno County will need to utilize more alternative care sites and tents if “we’re running out of spaces in the hospital to put people and we just need to make space.”
Besides an alternative care site in Porterville that opened Monday, another staffed 50-bed care site is being opened this week next to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. That site can take patients from in-patient wards, freeing up space in the step-down units where critically ill patients recover, which in turn frees up space in the ICU.
‘People are going to die that don’t need to die’
The deteriorating conditions in hospitals and long hours by doctors, nurses and others contributes to concerns about care.
“That is what makes the situation that we’re in so anxiety-provoking for people in healthcare,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of UC San Francisco’s department of epidemiology and biostatistics. “The level of concern you hear from the ERs, from first-line healthcare providers, is completely different than in March.... None of us ever want to be in a condition where the type of care we’re providing is not the highest level of care.”
In Ventura County, intensive care unit capacity has dropped to 1% and officials are speaking out against parties, indoor church services and youth sports events that they say are making the crisis worse. COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county have broken records for at least 10 consecutive days.
“The numbers are getting to be astronomical,” said Dr. Robert Levin, the county health officer. “People are going to die that don’t need to die.”
Two weekends ago, there were some 80 football players gathered at a park in Simi Valley. Sports tournaments are occurring in other counties involving volleyball and baseball players, and in those situations, people weren’t wearing masks, Levin said. Some church services are also still being held indoors in violation of the state rules, with worshipers sometimes sitting shoulder to shoulder.
At the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, there was a report of hundreds of people gathering to sing Christmas carols, many without masks, Levin said. And he’s heard of parties of up to 200 people attending drive-in concerts — organized expressly to allow for social distancing — only to get out of their cars.
Singing is an extremely high-risk activity and has been documented to spread the coronavirus. One choir practice left dozens infected and two people dead in Washington state.
“What’s understandable about this?” a frustrated Levin said at a news conference . “None of these justifications are acceptable in the face of the pandemic. We all need to be working together, just like we would be fighting any war.
Dr. Mark Lepore, an intensive care physician at Ventura County Medical Center, said he expects the county to exceed hospital capacity, “and what exceeding capacity looks like is showing up to the hospital and not having a room to go into or not having a staff member to take care of you.”
He urged people to avoid gathering for Christmas: “Just tell them you’ll see them next Christmas. This is that important: We don’t want your family members to get sick and not be able to get care.”
On Tuesday, California recorded a new single-day record of deaths: 295, according to a Times county-by-county tally. That breaks the single-day record last set on Dec. 8 and tied on Dec. 11, when 219 deaths were recorded. California is now averaging 175 COVID-19 deaths a day over the past week, a new record.
Lin reported from San Francisco, Money from Long Beach.


latimes--2020-12-16--California shatters single-day COVID-19 death record, with 295

California has shattered yet another single-day record for COVID-19 deaths : 295 , according to the Los Angeles Times county-by-county tally for Tuesday .
That breaks the single-day record last set Dec. 8 and repeated Friday , when 219 deaths were recorded .
California is now averaging 175 COVID-19 deaths a day over the last week , a new record for the pandemic in the state .
The record for average daily deaths over a weekly period has been broken for seven consecutive days .
The deadliest day of the pandemic thus far in California was fueled by record death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to the Bay Area , according to a Times analysis .
Single-day COVID-19 death records were broken Tuesday in the counties of Los Angeles , with 93 ; San Diego , with 32 ; Santa Clara , with 24 ; Yolo , with nine ; San Luis Obispo , with six ; and Santa Cruz , with five .
L.A. County ’ s Tuesday total exceeds the record set July 29 , when 91 deaths from COVID-19 were reported .
San Diego County ’ s previous high was 26 deaths , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clara County tally surpassed the 13 deaths it recorded Sept. 11 .
The alarming figures came hours after Gov .
Gavin Newsom disclosed Tuesday that state officials had been forced to order 5,000 body bags and 60 refrigerated storage units , each 53 feet long , for storing corpses .
Newsom said he has activated the state ’ s coroners mutual-aid and mass-fatality program .
“ Let ’ s deal with some sober realities , ” Newsom said .
“ This is a deadly disease .
And we need to be mindful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together to the vaccine : We are not at the finish line yet.
” Cumulatively , California has now reported 21,495 COVID-19 deaths and 1.65 million coronavirus cases .
The state is now averaging about 32,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — an astonishing eight times more than the daily average in late October .
At the same time , California has far fewer cumulative cases and deaths per capita compared to other states , which experts credit to aggressive stay-at-home orders issued early in the pandemic and repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including ones that have kept theme parks shut and largely kept bars and indoor restaurant dining off-limits in hard-hit counties such as Los Angeles .
The death rate in Arizona , which has had far more permissive coronavirus restrictions , is 106 deaths per 100,000 residents — nearly double California ’ s , which is 54 deaths per 100,000 residents .
But the surge in infections that began in the autumn — likely related to a combination of pandemic fatigue , Thanksgiving celebrations and other factors — has been the worst so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hospital system .
COVID-19 hospitalizations have never been higher : As of Monday , there were 14,283 patients statewide who have tested positive for the coronavirus , including 3,081 in intensive care .
The record for COVID-19 hospitalizations has been broken for 17 consecutive days , and the number has more than doubled since Thanksgiving .
On Tuesday , Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley reported the lowest regional available ICU capacity in the entire state : 1.7 % and 1.6 % , respectively .
Next two weeks critical for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going through perhaps the most intense and urgent moment since the beginning of this pandemic , ” Newsom said Tuesday .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , the California health and human services secretary , warned that the next two weeks — which include Christmas and New Year ’ s Day — are forecast to become even more difficult for hospitals already under major strain .
Ghaly said 12 % of today ’ s newly diagnosed coronavirus cases are likely to require hospitalization .
“ And 12 % of those that have been hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICU , ” he said .
Today ’ s hospitalizations are actually a reflection of coronavirus cases confirmed two weeks ago , when the average daily number over a weekly period was about 15,000 a day .
Now , average daily cases number about 33,000 a day , meaning that pressure on the hospital system by New Year ’ s Eve is expected to be even greater .
“ That should tell you that in the next couple of weeks , what our hospitals will be facing — the amount of people knocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that might need that ICU bed — are going to increase , ” Ghaly said .
“ So even though we talk about today ICU capacity being concerning ... what we are really preparing for is two weeks from now , ” he said .
Ghaly said the only way to turn this around is for people to stay home , especially during the Christmas holiday season .
Newsom said earlier this week that the regional stay-at-home orders imposed across most of California last week were beginning to show some effect in reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll in Santa Clara County on Tuesday brought emotion to the voice of Dr. Sara Cody , the veteran health officer and a key architect of the nation ’ s first regional stay-at-home order , as she made her report to the county Board of Supervisors .
“ We can not normalize this , ” Cody said .
“ It ’ s become pretty clear that we do need to take more serious action .
We need a statewide action to keep people from dying.
” “ Our economy will not recover and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can not succeed if their customers and their workers are dying , ” Cody said .
“ And so to breathe life back into all of us , in all aspects of our lives , the one single thing that we must do is to bring the pandemic under control , and to slow it down.
” She acknowledged that people are tired of coronavirus restrictions , “ but we have to just continue to soldier forward ... because the virus is everywhere.
” Vietnamese and Filipino Americans hit harder compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be disproportionately hit by the pandemic in Santa Clara County .
And in a new finding , Cody said , disease rates among ethnic Vietnamese and Filipino residents are rising faster compared to other Asian subgroups .
Relatively speaking , the Bay Area is actually performing the best of all of California ’ s five regions in terms of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents , with 335 cases per 100,000 residents over the last week .
Southern California is reporting the worst rate , with 712 new cases per 100,000 residents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the state has also hit the Bay Area , and now intensive care units are crowded in the heart of Silicon Valley .
Public health teams in Santa Clara County have been inundated with reports of outbreaks in workplaces , long-term care facilities and healthcare facilities ; one outbreak involving a youth basketball team that violated a ban on playing at tournaments resulted in more than 75 positive coronavirus cases .
“ We have very dark days ahead , ” Cody said .
“ COVID is in fact on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes of death here in our county .
So our pandemic locally is out of control ... and our healthcare system is quite stretched — not quite to the breaking point , but steadily marching to that point.
” Adding capacity to hospital staffing will be difficult .
Hospitals , said Dr. Ahmad Kamal , Santa Clara County ’ s director of health preparedness , “ continue to have staffing shortages due to exhaustion , due to absenteeism and due to an unprecedented demand throughout the state and nation for qualified nurses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco , Money and Murphy from Southern California .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Ryan Murphy

California has shattered yet another single-day record for COVID-19 deaths: 295, according to the Los Angeles Times county-by-county tally for Tuesday.
That breaks the single-day record last set Dec. 8 and repeated Friday, when 219 deaths were recorded. California is now averaging 175 COVID-19 deaths a day over the last week, a new record for the pandemic in the state.
The record for average daily deaths over a weekly period has been broken for seven consecutive days. The deadliest day of the pandemic thus far in California was fueled by record death tolls in six counties from San Diego up to the Bay Area, according to a Times analysis.
A day of record deaths
Single-day COVID-19 death records were broken Tuesday in the counties of Los Angeles, with 93; San Diego, with 32; Santa Clara, with 24; Yolo, with nine; San Luis Obispo, with six; and Santa Cruz, with five.
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L.A. County’s Tuesday total exceeds the record set July 29, when 91 deaths from COVID-19 were reported. San Diego County’s previous high was 26 deaths, which were registered Dec. 8. The Santa Clara County tally surpassed the 13 deaths it recorded Sept. 11.
The alarming figures came hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom disclosed Tuesday that state officials had been forced to order 5,000 body bags and 60 refrigerated storage units, each 53 feet long, for storing corpses. Newsom said he has activated the state’s coroners mutual-aid and mass-fatality program.
“Let’s deal with some sober realities,” Newsom said. “This is a deadly disease. And we need to be mindful of where we are in this current journey together to the vaccine: We are not at the finish line yet.”
California’s daily new coronavirus caseload hits unprecedented heights
Cumulatively, California has now reported 21,495 COVID-19 deaths and 1.65 million coronavirus cases.
The state is now averaging about 32,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the last week — an astonishing eight times more than the daily average in late October.
Advertisement
At the same time, California has far fewer cumulative cases and deaths per capita compared to other states, which experts credit to aggressive stay-at-home orders issued early in the pandemic and repeated, if controversial, business-closure orders, including ones that have kept theme parks shut and largely kept bars and indoor restaurant dining off-limits in hard-hit counties such as Los Angeles.
The death rate in Arizona, which has had far more permissive coronavirus restrictions, is 106 deaths per 100,000 residents — nearly double California’s, which is 54 deaths per 100,000 residents.
But the surge in infections that began in the autumn — likely related to a combination of pandemic fatigue, Thanksgiving celebrations and other factors — has been the worst so far, and threatens to overwhelm the state’s hospital system.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have never been higher: As of Monday, there were 14,283 patients statewide who have tested positive for the coronavirus, including 3,081 in intensive care. The record for COVID-19 hospitalizations has been broken for 17 consecutive days, and the number has more than doubled since Thanksgiving.
On Tuesday, Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley reported the lowest regional available ICU capacity in the entire state: 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively.
Next two weeks critical for California’s hospitals
“We’re going through perhaps the most intense and urgent moment since the beginning of this pandemic,” Newsom said Tuesday.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California health and human services secretary, warned that the next two weeks — which include Christmas and New Year’s Day — are forecast to become even more difficult for hospitals already under major strain.
Ghaly said 12% of today’s newly diagnosed coronavirus cases are likely to require hospitalization. “And 12% of those that have been hospitalized are going to end up in our ICU,” he said.
Today’s hospitalizations are actually a reflection of coronavirus cases confirmed two weeks ago, when the average daily number over a weekly period was about 15,000 a day. Now, average daily cases number about 33,000 a day, meaning that pressure on the hospital system by New Year’s Eve is expected to be even greater.
A plea to stay home for Christmas
“That should tell you that in the next couple of weeks, what our hospitals will be facing — the amount of people knocking on the front door with COVID ... that might need that ICU bed — are going to increase,” Ghaly said.
“So even though we talk about today ICU capacity being concerning ... what we are really preparing for is two weeks from now,” he said.
Ghaly said the only way to turn this around is for people to stay home, especially during the Christmas holiday season. Newsom said earlier this week that the regional stay-at-home orders imposed across most of California last week were beginning to show some effect in reducing residents’ movements.
The record death toll in Santa Clara County on Tuesday brought emotion to the voice of Dr. Sara Cody, the veteran health officer and a key architect of the nation’s first regional stay-at-home order, as she made her report to the county Board of Supervisors.
“We cannot normalize this,” Cody said. “It’s become pretty clear that we do need to take more serious action. We need a statewide action to keep people from dying.”
“Our economy will not recover and the small businesses that are suffering — they cannot succeed if their customers and their workers are dying,” Cody said. “And so to breathe life back into all of us, in all aspects of our lives, the one single thing that we must do is to bring the pandemic under control, and to slow it down.”
She acknowledged that people are tired of coronavirus restrictions, “but we have to just continue to soldier forward ... because the virus is everywhere.”
Vietnamese and Filipino Americans hit harder compared to other Asian groups
Latino residents continue to be disproportionately hit by the pandemic in Santa Clara County. And in a new finding, Cody said, disease rates among ethnic Vietnamese and Filipino residents are rising faster compared to other Asian subgroups.
Relatively speaking, the Bay Area is actually performing the best of all of California’s five regions in terms of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, with 335 cases per 100,000 residents over the last week. Southern California is reporting the worst rate, with 712 new cases per 100,000 residents.
‘Dark days ahead’ for Silicon Valley
Nonetheless, the same pandemic fatigue affecting the rest of the state has also hit the Bay Area, and now intensive care units are crowded in the heart of Silicon Valley. Public health teams in Santa Clara County have been inundated with reports of outbreaks in workplaces, long-term care facilities and healthcare facilities; one outbreak involving a youth basketball team that violated a ban on playing at tournaments resulted in more than 75 positive coronavirus cases.
“We have very dark days ahead,” Cody said. “COVID is in fact on a path to be among the five leading causes of death here in our county. So our pandemic locally is out of control ... and our healthcare system is quite stretched — not quite to the breaking point, but steadily marching to that point.”
Adding capacity to hospital staffing will be difficult. Hospitals, said Dr. Ahmad Kamal, Santa Clara County’s director of health preparedness, “continue to have staffing shortages due to exhaustion, due to absenteeism and due to an unprecedented demand throughout the state and nation for qualified nurses and healthcare workers.”
Lin reported from San Francisco, Money and Murphy from Southern California.


latimes--2020-12-16--L.A. Police Commission rules officer broke policy with final two shots in Hernandez killing

The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled Tuesday that LAPD Officer Toni McBride broke department policy when she continued shooting Daniel Hernandez during a fatal encounter in April — deciding McBride ’ s first four shots were justified , but her fifth and sixth shots were not .
Hernandez had been involved in a vehicle collision on San Pedro Street near East 32nd Street on April 22 when McBride and her partner arrived on the scene .
Video showed McBride repeatedly advised Hernandez to drop a box cutter that he was holding as he approached her , then shot him six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hernandez went down to the asphalt after the first two shots , but quickly pushed himself up and forward again .
McBride then fired four more rounds — the final two coming as Hernandez was on the ground .
The commission ’ s decision in the controversial case — which it made in a rare 4-1 split vote — matched the recommendation of staff in the LAPD inspector general ’ s office who reviewed the shooting , but broke with that of LAPD Chief Michel Moore , who had recommended that all six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed emotional testimony from Hernandez ’ s mother , his daughter and five of his siblings during the commission ’ s virtual meeting Tuesday , who denounced the shooting , called for McBride to be prosecuted for murder and remembered Hernandez as a doting father and son who helped his parents with their carpeting business .
“ When my father died , a part of me died with him , ” said Melanie Hernandez , 15 .
“ I will never understand Toni McBride ’ s actions.
” What punishment McBride will face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who said Tuesday afternoon that he had not made any decisions .
“ I will reflect on this and look back on this investigation again before I make a final decision , ” Moore said .
McBride could not be reached for comment Tuesday .
The case had drawn widespread attention in part due to McBride ’ s controversial persona as a dolled-up sharp-shooting influencer on social media — where her critics say she glorifies police violence — and because of the influence in policing circles of her father , Jamie McBride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the powerful Los Angeles Police Protective League , the union that represents rank-and-file officers in labor and discipline issues .
Former Los Angles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey , who received millions of dollars from the police union for her failed reelection campaign , recused herself from investigating the shooting this summer , with the California attorney general ’ s office agreeing to take over the case in August .
The Police Commission ’ s administrative decision Tuesday has no bearing on the attorney general ’ s review , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney for the Hernandez family , said he was happy the commission found McBride at fault , but that Moore ’ s stance smacked of favoritism .
“ There is a very significant appearance of impropriety for the chief to be so lenient with the daughter of a very powerful member of the police protective league , ” he said .
“ He hasn ’ t spoken just yet in terms of the discipline , but the fact that he found no fault in any of the shooting is incredibly disappointing.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line with recommendations from the inspector general and Moore , that the tactics used by McBride ’ s partner — who did not engage Hernandez — broke department policy .
Moore , who will also decide if that officer is punished , said the officer had not met department standards requiring officers to “ work together as a team , and work in that team toward resolving risk to themselves and others.
” McBride had asked her partner about the availability of less-lethal weapons to halt Hernandez ’ s advancing toward her but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McBride fired six times , striking Hernandez each time .
According to a report released in the case Tuesday , McBride told investigators she was concerned about the safety of bystanders in the area , and felt Hernandez was determined to harm someone .
Experts in police shootings have largely defended McBride ’ s first shots but have been split on the latter ones .
Activists , meanwhile , have denounced the shooting for months , joining the Hernandez family in calling for McBride to be prosecuted for murder .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the coroner that it was the final shots that killed Hernandez , and have argued that McBride should have sought to deescalate the situation from the start .
It is rare for the commission to find an officer broke policy in a fatal shooting , and even more so when the police chief recommends clearing the officer .
Their split ruling delineating the final two shots from the first four reflected a parsing of the incident that mirrored the broader public debate in the case and considerations that members of Hernandez ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During the commission meeting , Hernandez ’ s oldest sister , Luz , argued that all of the shots were unjustified , as she felt the distance between Hernandez and McBride should have provided “ ample time for her to deescalate the situation ” or utilize less-lethal weapons prior to opening fire .
However , Luz Hernandez said the latter shots “ were even more unjustifiable , ” and that her brother would still be alive if they hadn ’ t occurred .
“ Once on the ground my brother Danny did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other officers on scene , ” she said .
“ These shots can not be justified given that he was immobilized , on the ground and no longer a threat .
This was an unjustified murder and it should be prosecuted.
” Hernandez ’ s mother , Maria , told the commission in Spanish that she demanded justice and wanted to see McBride prosecuted .
“ What right do you have to take his life ?
Why does LAPD work within this system of corruption ?
Why ?
” she asked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that McBride ’ s latter shots were unjustified .
Dorsey said LAPD officers are trained to fire two shots , and then to reassess .
She said McBride did that but made the wrong decision when she decided to continue firing — with the last two shots the most troubling .
“ He was down on the ground , ” she said .
McBride deserves to be punished , she said , but with Moore having recommended she be cleared , she was skeptical a sufficient punishment would come .
Other experts said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Plumas County deputy and police shooting expert who investigates use of deadly force , said McBride “ demonstrated professionalism and solid tactics ” as Hernandez posed an immediate threat not only to her but to the many bystanders in the area .
“ She does what every officer would do and shoots an immediate deadly threat .
He could have gone right and left and been in that crowd of onlookers , ” Obayashi said .
“ She didn ’ t panic.
” Obayashi called the commission ’ s decision “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the situation McBride found herself in , and said it seemed to be punishing McBride for keeping her cool and pausing between shots instead of immediately unloading her entire magazine .

LAPD Officer Toni McBride made the June cover of Blue Press, a magazine popular with police and fans of shooting and firearms.
The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled Tuesday that LAPD Officer Toni McBride broke department policy when she continued shooting Daniel Hernandez during a fatal encounter in April — deciding McBride’s first four shots were justified, but her fifth and sixth shots were not.
Hernandez had been involved in a vehicle collision on San Pedro Street near East 32nd Street on April 22 when McBride and her partner arrived on the scene. Video showed McBride repeatedly advised Hernandez to drop a box cutter that he was holding as he approached her, then shot him six times in a matter of seconds.
Hernandez went down to the asphalt after the first two shots, but quickly pushed himself up and forward again. McBride then fired four more rounds — the final two coming as Hernandez was on the ground.
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The commission’s decision in the controversial case — which it made in a rare 4-1 split vote — matched the recommendation of staff in the LAPD inspector general’s office who reviewed the shooting, but broke with that of LAPD Chief Michel Moore, who had recommended that all six shots be found justified.
It also followed emotional testimony from Hernandez’s mother, his daughter and five of his siblings during the commission’s virtual meeting Tuesday, who denounced the shooting, called for McBride to be prosecuted for murder and remembered Hernandez as a doting father and son who helped his parents with their carpeting business.
“When my father died, a part of me died with him,” said Melanie Hernandez, 15. “I will never understand Toni McBride’s actions.”
What punishment McBride will face, if any, falls to Moore, who said Tuesday afternoon that he had not made any decisions.
“I will reflect on this and look back on this investigation again before I make a final decision,” Moore said.
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McBride could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The case had drawn widespread attention in part due to McBride’s controversial persona as a dolled-up sharp-shooting influencer on social media — where her critics say she glorifies police violence — and because of the influence in policing circles of her father, Jamie McBride, who is one of nine directors of the powerful Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers in labor and discipline issues.
Former Los Angles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, who received millions of dollars from the police union for her failed reelection campaign, recused herself from investigating the shooting this summer, with the California attorney general’s office agreeing to take over the case in August.
The Police Commission’s administrative decision Tuesday has no bearing on the attorney general’s review, which is ongoing.
Arnoldo Casillas, an attorney for the Hernandez family, said he was happy the commission found McBride at fault, but that Moore’s stance smacked of favoritism.
“There is a very significant appearance of impropriety for the chief to be so lenient with the daughter of a very powerful member of the police protective league,” he said. “He hasn’t spoken just yet in terms of the discipline, but the fact that he found no fault in any of the shooting is incredibly disappointing.”
The commission also voted unanimously, and in line with recommendations from the inspector general and Moore, that the tactics used by McBride’s partner — who did not engage Hernandez — broke department policy. Moore, who will also decide if that officer is punished, said the officer had not met department standards requiring officers to “work together as a team, and work in that team toward resolving risk to themselves and others.”
McBride had asked her partner about the availability of less-lethal weapons to halt Hernandez’s advancing toward her but never obtained them prior to the shooting. McBride fired six times, striking Hernandez each time. According to a report released in the case Tuesday, McBride told investigators she was concerned about the safety of bystanders in the area, and felt Hernandez was determined to harm someone.
Experts in police shootings have largely defended McBride’s first shots but have been split on the latter ones. Activists, meanwhile, have denounced the shooting for months, joining the Hernandez family in calling for McBride to be prosecuted for murder. They’ve focused in part on a finding by the coroner that it was the final shots that killed Hernandez, and have argued that McBride should have sought to deescalate the situation from the start.
It is rare for the commission to find an officer broke policy in a fatal shooting, and even more so when the police chief recommends clearing the officer.
California $700,000 payout followed finding that LAPD whistleblower was wrongly ousted, records show Los Angeles officials approved a $700,000 payout to a police lieutenant after city attorneys determined his supervisors wrongly demoted him after he reported alleged misconduct in his unit, records show.
Their split ruling delineating the final two shots from the first four reflected a parsing of the incident that mirrored the broader public debate in the case and considerations that members of Hernandez’s family had made as well.
During the commission meeting, Hernandez’s oldest sister, Luz, argued that all of the shots were unjustified, as she felt the distance between Hernandez and McBride should have provided “ample time for her to deescalate the situation” or utilize less-lethal weapons prior to opening fire.
However, Luz Hernandez said the latter shots “were even more unjustifiable,” and that her brother would still be alive if they hadn’t occurred.
“Once on the ground my brother Danny did not pose any imminent threat to her or any other officers on scene,” she said. “These shots cannot be justified given that he was immobilized, on the ground and no longer a threat. This was an unjustified murder and it should be prosecuted.”
Hernandez’s mother, Maria, told the commission in Spanish that she demanded justice and wanted to see McBride prosecuted.
“What right do you have to take his life? Why does LAPD work within this system of corruption? Why?” she asked.
Retired LAPD Sgt. Cheryl Dorsey agreed that McBride’s latter shots were unjustified. Dorsey said LAPD officers are trained to fire two shots, and then to reassess. She said McBride did that but made the wrong decision when she decided to continue firing — with the last two shots the most troubling.
“He was down on the ground,” she said.
McBride deserves to be punished, she said, but with Moore having recommended she be cleared, she was skeptical a sufficient punishment would come.
Other experts said McBride did everything right.
Ed Obayashi, a Plumas County deputy and police shooting expert who investigates use of deadly force, said McBride “demonstrated professionalism and solid tactics” as Hernandez posed an immediate threat not only to her but to the many bystanders in the area.
“She does what every officer would do and shoots an immediate deadly threat. He could have gone right and left and been in that crowd of onlookers,” Obayashi said. “She didn’t panic.”
Obayashi called the commission’s decision “a completely uninformed and unrealistic assessment” of the situation McBride found herself in, and said it seemed to be punishing McBride for keeping her cool and pausing between shots instead of immediately unloading her entire magazine.
Staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-15--Homelessness is Day 1 focus for new L.A. council members Raman, Ridley-Thomas

Los Angeles ’ newest City Council members , Nithya Raman and Mark Ridley-Thomas , put forward proposals aimed at addressing homelessness at their first council meeting Tuesday , signaling the crisis will be a priority for both politicians .
Raman , who represents a district stretching from Silver Lake to Sherman Oaks , introduced a motion that asks the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and the city to report back on homeless outreach efforts , specifically “ proactive outreach.
” “ Proactive outreach has been shown to expedite the path to housing and services , expand data collection , maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and their housed neighbors or local businesses , ” Raman ’ s motion says .
“ Most importantly , regular contact from caseworkers without the presence of armed law enforcement helps build meaningful relationships of trust , which are essential to the work of helping someone from a tent into a home for good.
” Raman , who bested incumbent David Ryu in last month ’ s election , also introduced a motion that asks the city to identify funding and possible sites for a homeless services center in her district .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ storage centers , according to Raman ’ s motion .
Raman and Ridley-Thomas took the oath of office Tuesday during a virtual City Council meeting .
Addressing her colleagues , Raman said that “ economic forces ” are pushing out families and “ in particular , working families , so many Black and brown families.
” Ridley-Thomas , who represents a Koreatown-to-Crenshaw district , called homelessness the “ moral crisis of our time ” during his remarks and said that Angelenos can not continue to “ perish in these streets.
” He introduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assembly Bill 71 , which proposes $ 2.4 billion for homelessness and housing efforts across California .
He also introduced a motion that asks for the city to report back on creating a “ Right to Housing ” framework within city law .
Ridley-Thomas is seeking information on a legal framework for the plan and available funding .
“ Article 25 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the right to housing as part of the broader right to an adequate standard of living , ” Ridley-Thomas ’ motion says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a human right , it is paramount that all public jurisdictions take progressive steps to adopt legislative , administrative , judicial and budgetary measures to advance the Right to Housing for all.
” Ridley-Thomas , a former L.A. County supervisor who has also served in the state Senate and Assembly , is permitted to serve only a single four-year term because he previously served three terms on the council decades ago .
He noted in his remarks that the last time he was on the City Council , he had a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girth.
” The council also voted unanimously to reelect City Council President Nury Martinez to lead the council for another legislative term .

New Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, shown in January, was sworn in Tuesday and filed a motion asking the city to review its homeless outreach services.
Los Angeles’ newest City Council members, Nithya Raman and Mark Ridley-Thomas, put forward proposals aimed at addressing homelessness at their first council meeting Tuesday, signaling the crisis will be a priority for both politicians.
Raman, who represents a district stretching from Silver Lake to Sherman Oaks, introduced a motion that asks the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and the city to report back on homeless outreach efforts, specifically “proactive outreach.”
“Proactive outreach has been shown to expedite the path to housing and services, expand data collection, maintain sanitation, and improve relationships between unhoused people and their housed neighbors or local businesses,” Raman’s motion says. “Most importantly, regular contact from caseworkers without the presence of armed law enforcement helps build meaningful relationships of trust, which are essential to the work of helping someone from a tent into a home for good.”
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Raman, who bested incumbent David Ryu in last month’s election, also introduced a motion that asks the city to identify funding and possible sites for a homeless services center in her district. Such centers provide restrooms, showers and storage centers, according to Raman’s motion.
Raman and Ridley-Thomas took the oath of office Tuesday during a virtual City Council meeting.
Addressing her colleagues, Raman said that “economic forces” are pushing out families and “in particular, working families, so many Black and brown families.”
Ridley-Thomas, who represents a Koreatown-to-Crenshaw district, called homelessness the “moral crisis of our time” during his remarks and said that Angelenos cannot continue to “perish in these streets.”
He introduced a resolution for the city to support Assembly Bill 71, which proposes $2.4 billion for homelessness and housing efforts across California.
He also introduced a motion that asks for the city to report back on creating a “Right to Housing” framework within city law. Ridley-Thomas is seeking information on a legal framework for the plan and available funding.
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“Article 25 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the right to housing as part of the broader right to an adequate standard of living,” Ridley-Thomas’ motion says. “If housing is to be acknowledged as a human right, it is paramount that all public jurisdictions take progressive steps to adopt legislative, administrative, judicial and budgetary measures to advance the Right to Housing for all.”
Ridley-Thomas, a former L.A. County supervisor who has also served in the state Senate and Assembly, is permitted to serve only a single four-year term because he previously served three terms on the council decades ago.
He noted in his remarks that the last time he was on the City Council, he had a “little more hair and a lot less girth.”
The council also voted unanimously to reelect City Council President Nury Martinez to lead the council for another legislative term.


latimes--2020-12-15--'Stunned at the price tag,' L.A. councilman asks city to study cost of tiny home villages

A Los Angeles councilman Tuesday introduced a motion asking city agencies to find ways to reduce the costs of building “ tiny home ” villages to house homeless people .
Councilman Paul Koretz said he was “ stunned at the price tag ” reported by the Los Angeles Times on Sunday for the city ’ s first tiny home project , being built in North Hollywood at a cost of $ 130,000 for each 8-by-8-foot shelter , Koretz said he was exploring locations for tiny homes in his Westside district , but thought the cost and structural requirements of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would preclude those plans .
One of the requirements — concrete pads for each structure — “ will probably make this a nonstarter at every location we have looked at , ” he said .
“ With a couple of the property owners , we tried to sell the fact that they can just be picked up and moved and a couple days later you would never know they were there.
” The city is considering tiny homes , sometimes called Pallet shelters , as one solution to providing 6,700 new shelter beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not doing enough to get homeless people off the streets .
Given that goal , Koretz ’ s motion said , “ the city should be looking for ways to fashion a more economical solution.
” “ We envisioned this as housing going on pallets and all being done inexpensively , ” he said in an interview .
“ While we ’ d love to provide more amenities for people experiencing homelessness , I think we ’ d prefer getting more people sheltered.
” The motion asks the city administrative officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Building and Safety and any other relevant departments and agencies to “ develop alternatives which can bring the per unit cost down to the $ 17,000-22,000 range cited in The Times report that other California communities have been able to utilize the same equipment for in service of the same purpose.
” That could be accomplished , it said , by “ reduced construction costs , alternative approaches to structural stability and safety , pared-down amenities , permit and fee waivers , and involvement of village residents in maintenance and operational tasks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referred the motion , which asks for a report in 30 days , to the Homelessness and Poverty Committee for consideration after the holiday recess .

A resident of the tiny home village in Riverside walks to the common shower area in November.
A Los Angeles councilman Tuesday introduced a motion asking city agencies to find ways to reduce the costs of building “tiny home” villages to house homeless people.
Councilman Paul Koretz said he was “stunned at the price tag” reported by the Los Angeles Times on Sunday for the city’s first tiny home project, being built in North Hollywood at a cost of $130,000 for each 8-by-8-foot shelter,
Koretz said he was exploring locations for tiny homes in his Westside district, but thought the cost and structural requirements of the city’s six currently approved villages would preclude those plans.
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One of the requirements — concrete pads for each structure — “will probably make this a nonstarter at every location we have looked at,” he said. “With a couple of the property owners, we tried to sell the fact that they can just be picked up and moved and a couple days later you would never know they were there.”
The city is considering tiny homes, sometimes called Pallet shelters, as one solution to providing 6,700 new shelter beds to settle a federal lawsuit alleging it is not doing enough to get homeless people off the streets.
Given that goal, Koretz’s motion said, “the city should be looking for ways to fashion a more economical solution.”
“We envisioned this as housing going on pallets and all being done inexpensively,” he said in an interview. “While we’d love to provide more amenities for people experiencing homelessness, I think we’d prefer getting more people sheltered.”
The motion asks the city administrative officer, the Bureau of Engineering, the Department of Building and Safety and any other relevant departments and agencies to “develop alternatives which can bring the per unit cost down to the $17,000-22,000 range cited in The Times report that other California communities have been able to utilize the same equipment for in service of the same purpose.”
That could be accomplished, it said, by “reduced construction costs, alternative approaches to structural stability and safety, pared-down amenities, permit and fee waivers, and involvement of village residents in maintenance and operational tasks when feasible and appropriate.”
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The council referred the motion, which asks for a report in 30 days, to the Homelessness and Poverty Committee for consideration after the holiday recess.


latimes--2020-12-15--Surge in South L.A. bloodshed tied to  gunfire from high-capacity firearms, gang feuds

In recent months , bloodshed in South Los Angeles has increasingly been caused by bursts of gunfire from high-capacity firearms aimed at outdoor gatherings , leaving dozens of shell casings on the ground and multiple victims dead or wounded at once .
The violence has not come as part of a single rivalry , but in “ spurts of retaliation ” among more than 40 gangs that police believe are actively involved in the carnage — often after one sect disrespects another online and the latter sends gunmen out to exact revenge before police or intervention workers can get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said LAPD Deputy Chief Regina Scott , commander of the department ’ s south bureau , during a Police Commission meeting on Tuesday .
Los Angeles has seen a surge in homicides this year , to levels not seen in more than a decade , and some of the city ’ s poorest neighborhoods are being hardest hit .
More than 40 people were wounded or killed in the last week alone .
Central L.A. has seen a surge in shootings at growing homeless encampments , said Deputy Chief Vito Palazzolo , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He argued Tuesday that part of the cause was an influx of repeat offenders and older gang members who were released from prison or jail early due to pandemic rules aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in those institutions .
Within the encampments and on their periphery , drug disputes are being resolved with bullets by people less afraid to carry firearms than before , Palazzolo said .
The percentage of homeless homicide victims has shot up as a result .
Detention facilities have seen dramatic spread of coronavirus .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 26,000 inmates — just over one in every four prisoners — have tested positive , and 95 have died .
Critics have slammed prison officials for not slowing the infection rates .
The LAPD has not provided data analysis connecting the early release to the rise in violence .
But Palazzolo said that the “ information is getting out to the street that if you carry a firearm and you get arrested , you aren ’ t going to stay in jail.
” Citywide , homicides are up 30 % from last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a huge portion of the violence is playing out in South L.A. and Central L.A. , said LAPD Chief Michel Moore — with more than half of the latest violence occurring in the Southeast and 77th Street areas of South L.A. Moore said many of the shootings are linked to gangs , with many involving multiple victims .
“ These are not just low-level disputes or fights or disagreements , ” Moore said .
“ They are amplifying quickly into multiple shootings , multiple victims.
” The discussion came at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members in recent weeks have lamented the increase in violence — which mirrors surges in other cities across the country — and asked for better explanations from police .
While gangs were repeatedly cited , the LAPD officials also emphasized their frustration with changes to the criminal justice system amid the pandemic and cuts to overtime spending and other budget restrictions imposed this year as the result of major anti-police protests this summer and city revenue streams being devastated by the pandemic and its associated shutdowns .
Moore said he was extremely concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ layoffs as the city seeks to close a projected $ 650-million budget shortfall this year , and the impact that will have on the department ’ s ability to prevent violent crime .
Scott also said restrictions on overtime and a reconfiguration of the department ’ s Metropolitan Division had limited her ability to conduct “ high-visibility crime suppression ” in areas experiencing crime spikes .
The LAPD commanders said residents want more to be done about the violence — a point echoed by two community advocates .
Lawanda Hawkins , whose 19-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1995 and who works with the families of other gun violence victims as founder of Justice for Murdered Children , said communities beset by violence are concerned about talk of less policing .
“ Murder is at its highest in a decade in minority communities and we hear cuts ?
” she asked .
“ How can that be ?
” Bobby Lopez , founder and CEO of Passion LA , said community members are busy worrying about COVID-19 and how to put food on their tables , but that doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the violence to stop .
Lopez said public safety does need to be reimagined in L.A. , but “ if you ’ re going to stop something , you ’ ve got to start something ” in its place , and not enough is happening to empower community groups to fill in the gaps as funding for police is pulled back .
Members of the commission denounced the violence , and expressed some frustration that more people aren ’ t calling for an end to it .
Newly appointed Commissioner William Briggs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked , “ Where is the outrage ?
” — seemingly directing the question toward activists who regularly condemn police and have called for the department ’ s defunding .
“ Why aren ’ t they as outraged by the harm that is taking place in our own communities ?
” Briggs said .
Commissioner Lou Calanche said she was equally concerned , but pushed back on the idea that residents should be expected to lead the charge for change given all the struggles of 2020 .
“ To ask for them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surviving and hoping that their kids won ’ t be victims and their kids can graduate and go on to college , ” she said .
Calanche also stressed that policing should not be seen as the entire solution .
“ I really believe that investing in these communities is a public safety strategy , ” she said .
“ It just can ’ t be law enforcement responding to these issues.
” In addition to police commanders , the commission heard from Anne Tremblay , who directs the Gang Reduction and Youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office and said intervention workers and other community workers have continued their efforts , with grant funding from her office , to interrupt cycles of violence and reduce shootings — work that LAPD officials and commissioners lauded .
Commission President Eileen Decker said “ everyone should be outraged with the rising crime numbers , ” and that all of the officials involved in the discussion realized that putting an end to the violence would take a group effort — involving more than just the police .
She said she looked forward to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .

In recent months, bloodshed in South Los Angeles has increasingly been caused by bursts of gunfire from high-capacity firearms aimed at outdoor gatherings, leaving dozens of shell casings on the ground and multiple victims dead or wounded at once.
The violence has not come as part of a single rivalry, but in “spurts of retaliation” among more than 40 gangs that police believe are actively involved in the carnage — often after one sect disrespects another online and the latter sends gunmen out to exact revenge before police or intervention workers can get a handle on what’s happening, said LAPD Deputy Chief Regina Scott, commander of the department’s south bureau, during a Police Commission meeting on Tuesday.
Los Angeles has seen a surge in homicides this year, to levels not seen in more than a decade, and some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods are being hardest hit. More than 40 people were wounded or killed in the last week alone.
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Central L.A. has seen a surge in shootings at growing homeless encampments, said Deputy Chief Vito Palazzolo, who commands the department’s central bureau.
He argued Tuesday that part of the cause was an influx of repeat offenders and older gang members who were released from prison or jail early due to pandemic rules aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in those institutions.
Within the encampments and on their periphery, drug disputes are being resolved with bullets by people less afraid to carry firearms than before, Palazzolo said. The percentage of homeless homicide victims has shot up as a result.
Detention facilities have seen dramatic spread of coronavirus. In the California prison system alone, more than 26,000 inmates — just over one in every four prisoners — have tested positive, and 95 have died. Critics have slammed prison officials for not slowing the infection rates.
The LAPD has not provided data analysis connecting the early release to the rise in violence. But Palazzolo said that the “information is getting out to the street that if you carry a firearm and you get arrested, you aren’t going to stay in jail.”
Citywide, homicides are up 30% from last year and shootings are up 34%, and a huge portion of the violence is playing out in South L.A. and Central L.A., said LAPD Chief Michel Moore — with more than half of the latest violence occurring in the Southeast and 77th Street areas of South L.A.
Moore said many of the shootings are linked to gangs, with many involving multiple victims.
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“These are not just low-level disputes or fights or disagreements,” Moore said. “They are amplifying quickly into multiple shootings, multiple victims.”
The discussion came at the request of the Police Commission, whose members in recent weeks have lamented the increase in violence — which mirrors surges in other cities across the country — and asked for better explanations from police.
While gangs were repeatedly cited, the LAPD officials also emphasized their frustration with changes to the criminal justice system amid the pandemic and cuts to overtime spending and other budget restrictions imposed this year as the result of major anti-police protests this summer and city revenue streams being devastated by the pandemic and its associated shutdowns.
Moore said he was extremely concerned about the potential for more than 350 layoffs as the city seeks to close a projected $650-million budget shortfall this year, and the impact that will have on the department’s ability to prevent violent crime.
Scott also said restrictions on overtime and a reconfiguration of the department’s Metropolitan Division had limited her ability to conduct “high-visibility crime suppression” in areas experiencing crime spikes.
The LAPD commanders said residents want more to be done about the violence — a point echoed by two community advocates.
Lawanda Hawkins, whose 19-year-old son Reginald was killed in San Pedro in 1995 and who works with the families of other gun violence victims as founder of Justice for Murdered Children, said communities beset by violence are concerned about talk of less policing.
“Murder is at its highest in a decade in minority communities and we hear cuts?” she asked. “How can that be?”
Bobby Lopez, founder and CEO of Passion LA, said community members are busy worrying about COVID-19 and how to put food on their tables, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want the violence to stop.
Lopez said public safety does need to be reimagined in L.A., but “if you’re going to stop something, you’ve got to start something” in its place, and not enough is happening to empower community groups to fill in the gaps as funding for police is pulled back.
Members of the commission denounced the violence, and expressed some frustration that more people aren’t calling for an end to it.
Newly appointed Commissioner William Briggs, attending his first commission meeting, repeatedly asked, “Where is the outrage?” — seemingly directing the question toward activists who regularly condemn police and have called for the department’s defunding.
“Why aren’t they as outraged by the harm that is taking place in our own communities?” Briggs said.
Commissioner Lou Calanche said she was equally concerned, but pushed back on the idea that residents should be expected to lead the charge for change given all the struggles of 2020.
“To ask for them to be outraged? They’re just surviving and hoping that their kids won’t be victims and their kids can graduate and go on to college,” she said.
Calanche also stressed that policing should not be seen as the entire solution. “I really believe that investing in these communities is a public safety strategy,” she said. “It just can’t be law enforcement responding to these issues.”
In addition to police commanders, the commission heard from Anne Tremblay, who directs the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program in Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office and said intervention workers and other community workers have continued their efforts, with grant funding from her office, to interrupt cycles of violence and reduce shootings — work that LAPD officials and commissioners lauded.
Commission President Eileen Decker said “everyone should be outraged with the rising crime numbers,” and that all of the officials involved in the discussion realized that putting an end to the violence would take a group effort — involving more than just the police.
She said she looked forward to the conversation continuing in coming weeks and months.