Despite Efforts, Lakers Win Brings Mayhem to Downtown Streets
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
While no major damage was done, the scene in the blocks around Staples Center was one of mayhem on Thursday night after the Lakers' championship win.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — An LAPD deployment that featured "extraordinary resources" could not keep Downtown Los Angeles from again becoming a scene of mayhem on Thursday night, as fans came to the area around Staples Center to celebrate the Lakers' 16th NBA Championship by damaging vehicles and property.
Looking for parade information? Learn about logistics for Monday's parade down Figueroa.
The game inside Staples Center was outstanding. The Lakers won 83-79 after having trailed until late in the 4th quarter. They'll have a parade on Monday, June 21, running from Staples Center to the corner of Figueroa and Jefferson.
Within minutes of the victory, LAPD had declared the scene outside the arena an unlawful assembly.
Staples Center and L.A. Live were calm, but the blocks around saw the same sort of violence that characterized last year's "celebration."
Monday's parade will start at 11am. Players will ride on a customized flat-bed float, with coaches, ownership and the Laker Girls following behind in double-decker buses.
» Live Updates — Last: June 18, 2010
- 08:10AM LAT now says 37 arrested last night. Question: Where did someone get a Walmart cart for that lead photo? - http://bit.ly/bZMr8T (ERIC)
- 07:45AM Beware the righthand parking lane on Flower between 7th and 8th. Still lots of broken glass as of 7:45am. (ERIC)
- 01:58AM Added a pair of photos of the car fire at 8th & Flower, courtesy of Nicolas Roark. 2 & 3 in the gallery. http://bdtwn.com/5434 (ERIC)
- 12:41AM LAFD reports 37 incidents: 14 rubbish fires, 1 vegetation fire, 3 vehicle fires and 18 medical aids (ERIC)
- 12:15AM Current reports are 20+ arrests and one police officer with a broken nose. South Park is seriously tagged. (ERIC)
- 12:13AM Just updated some photos from the scene in South Park a little bit earlier: http://bdtwn.com/5434 (ERIC)
- 10:34PM Laker parade is set for Monday, June 21, at 11am. Route starts at Staples Center to corner of Figueroa and Jefferson. (ED)
- 10:20PM 7th and Flower resident reports tear gas residue coming through loft window. (ED)
- 10:17PM Cab set on fire on north of Staples, caught by KABC chopper. (ED)
- 09:59PM Damage to cars on Hope near 11th reported. People on freeway on-ramps to E/B 110. (ED)
- 09:56PM Worst of it definitely seems to be Flower north of Olympic. (ERIC)
- 09:38PM Incidents taking place on the periphery of Staples Center closures. We'll see whether this turns into last year's long night. (ERIC)
- 09:23PM Very quickly you see a difference in LAPD's enforcement policies. They mean business this year. (ERIC)
- 09:15PM LAPD already has declared the masses outside Staples Center as an "Unlawful Assembly" (ED)
- 09:07PM LAPD squad cars with lights on, holding line on Fig. (ED)
- 08:57PM Lakers win. Kids on skateboards heading toward Staples. Illegal fireworks over Rampart. (ED)
- 08:42PM Just west of Staples, on the other side of the 110, horns are beginning to sound from the older small apartments. (ED)
- 08:21PM RT @katfam The energy on the streets is awesome. Love hearing the cheers from all the loft dwellers above. Love #dtla (ERIC)
- 08:20PM Some E3 attendees are being diverted around Staples on way back to Hotels. (ED)
- 08:18PM Crowd inside Staples Center is very loud. They've been into it from the start of introductions. (ERIC)
- 07:43PM LAPD has closed off Nokia Plaza from Chick Hearn Court. Some fans were on the plaza, but not many. (ERIC)
- 07:43PM LAFD cleared Riordan's Tavern, two blocks north of Staples. Too full. (ED)
- 07:32PM Talked to an officer on the street outside Staples. He asked, "Can't I just see five minutes of the 4th quarter?" (ERIC)
- 07:31PM At halftime, several dozen LAPD black and whites line Chick Hearn Court. Mounted units and T3's in motion. (ERIC)
- 07:01PM Via LAFDAlert: Setting fires is a felony, no matter the size or the value of what is burned. (ERIC)
- 06:37PM Tiny Latina grandmother burned incense near Staples. “My Grandson asked me to. He’s in Iraq and likes the purple team.†(ED)
- 05:31PM Stealth fleet of LAPD Metro Division vehicles on Flower heading toward Staples (ED)
- 05:25PM Via Sterling Davis: "A group tried to burn a Celtics Jersey but LAPD put a stop to that quick!" (ERIC)
- 05:25PM At 5pm, Metro puts out a press release about potential bus and rail impacts due to the game. (ERIC)
- 05:23PM Now fans are realizing they won’t be getting into ESPN Zone for game time. A small migration to 7th may soon begin. (ED)
- 05:15PM 40 minutes before game time, the crowd outside Staples isn't all that different from any other playoff game. Just more cops. (ERIC)
- 04:24PM ESPN Zone has had a line since 1pm. (ED)
- 04:18PM So for the evening, updates from around Staples Center will show up both here and at http://bdtwn.com/5434 (ERIC)
- 04:01PM Two hours before game time, it's already getting crazy outside Staples. $100 parking at the former Holiday Inn. (ERIC)
- 03:17PM We're testing out a new bit of technology for tonight's game, updating twitter and a story simultaneously. (ERIC)
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on June 17, 2010, at 08:56PM – #1
Yippeee!
Guest on June 17, 2010, at 09:23PM – #2
KCAL 9 shows the first fire...
Guest on June 17, 2010, at 09:42PM – #3
I've enjoyed this live update thing. It's kept me informed because I'm afraid to leave my home!
Guest on June 17, 2010, at 10:20PM – #4
It's bad enough that these dumb sports fans are down here trashing our neighborhood, but both channel 5 and channel 9 are trying to say "well these rioters aren't all Lakers fans, obviously." WHAT?!? You mean the numbnuts waving Lakers flags as they smash windows and jump at cars going 60 MPH as they riot on the freeway aren't Lakers fans? Right. It must be the people who live downtown who riot and brake stuff every day.
Not to mention, another sports-related meltdown that taxpayers will have to pay to clean up, even if you're not a sports fan.
"Hooray." Now go home, idiots.
Rene on June 18, 2010, at 01:19AM – #5
WOW. What am amazing feat for the Los Angeles Lakers to beat a storied rival, the Boston Celtics, in a Game 7 in their hometown!
And despite the efforts of the LAPD, I feel that they missed the mark - again.
At the unveiling of the 2011 NBA All-Star Game logo, AEG President claimed that this area was a "campus." One would think that this area would be used as such. I'm not sure what the logic was to have police in riot gear forcing fans AWAY from the campus instead of inviting us in to celebrate this huge victory.
The way that Chick Hearn Court and LA Live is set up is to be able to handle the overflow of people in the street - as we Downtowners witnessed during the funeral for Michael Jackson. Letting people into this area to celebrate - sans alcohol - would be the logical conclusion. After a time, people would tucker out and slowly drift to their cars and go home.
But having police barricade this area from sports fans forced the same reaction as last year: forcing the overzealous into South Park where businesses, residences and vehicles were vandalized.
Watching the live feed from the ABC 7 newscopter was like watching a repeat of last year's riotous activity.
I thought the police said this year would be different???
LAPD: We live in a Championship town. Allow for championship celebrations. Coral the party-goers in the campus that was built for them and then slowly let them dissipate. We've worked so hard to build downtown up to what it is. Forcing party goers into places they shouldn't be causes more damage, headache and ultimately money.
When the alcohol stops flowing, these people will go home.
But give them a chance to celebrate the win of the team they've followed so carefully all season long. We've been so dedicated.
I pray that subsequent years will be different. And if you need any help - take a page out of Phil Jackson's playbook and review some tape. Not much difference between last year's riots & this year's....what exactly did you accomplish?
It's time to think outside the box.
Sincerely, A Concerned Downtown Citizen
Susan Schueler on June 18, 2010, at 04:22AM – #6
Do these intellectually challenged people have ANY idea what idiots they look like to the rest of the world?
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 07:56AM – #7
Rene - seriously? You think that the fans would have happily congregated in the "campus" without alcohol? are you serious? and then you actually said that when the alcohol stopped flowing, they'd go home happily? contradictory much? i think the lapd should not have let them assemble at all. sorry, if you can't celebrate without fire, violence, and trashing of property, you should be at home trashing your own freaking home!
Commander Blake Chow on June 18, 2010, at 08:21AM – #8
Rene
Sadly you are way off base. Last year the "fans" began to light fires and tear trees from the ground in and around Chick Hearn in front of Staples Center. These people don't want to celebrate and then "slowly drift to their cars" Are you kidding?
How do you explain the fact that last night people that live in the lofts were throwing things at the officers from their units located several stories above the ground?
Vero Queero on June 18, 2010, at 08:25AM – #9
What was accomplished was that AEG's assets were protected while just a few blocks away Downtown businesses & residents were left to fend for themselves. Charlie Beck's plan = FAIL. The Lakers organization and AEG should pay for damages though, not taxpayers. I don't think it matters whether revelers were capable of congregating peacefully or not, the authorities should have had a better plan. In the photostream we see cops on horses during the day (a political show?) but I don't see any in the nightime shots. And move the Lakers back to Inglewood.
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on June 18, 2010, at 08:45AM – #10
Vero: LAPD mounted units were certainly out at night as well. I was just hesitant to take flash photos of a police officer on a horse in the middle of a tense situation.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about how the department's deployment plans for this year did or didn't work. Walking home last night, Kathy and I were wondering, for instance, why large groups of officers were deployed in clusters rather than having officers spread out at all intersections nearby. The strategy used creates situations where you have mayhem for a while, then the cops show up and push the crowd a block or two, but there's certainly the question of whether having officers more isolated would be unsafe.
Ginny Brideau (@ginnycase) on June 18, 2010, at 09:16AM – #11
Sigh. What does it say when people run into Downtown after the win, tear up the neighborhood, and THEN the City will be welcoming with open arms - likely the same people - on Monday for the "formal" celebration.
I saw a tweet from Calvin last night...that essentially asked maybe this is why we don't have a Target or Trader Joes in Downtown LA.
I can only wonder what the South Park Homeowner Associations are thinking this morning.
This is nuts. We have a number of sports teams in Los Angeles, and at some time or another we will continue to win championships. We need something else in place - maybe even more of a police state-kind of thing when these events happen.
What I saw last night wasn't a celebration of a win, but an opportunity for people who don't have to work this morning - to come and tear shit up.
Whitman Lam on June 18, 2010, at 09:59AM – #12
This is why large swaths of South Park are still blighted buildings or parking lots. Seriously, if people don't know how to celebrate, don't let them in ! These "Fans" setting fires and destroying the neighborhood, are not likely to spend $40 on a hamburger or $15 for a drink at LA Live.
film rob on June 18, 2010, at 10:01AM – #13
I went on a bike ride this morning, sad.. so sad. I vote no celebration. Put the money to cleaning up the town or offer NO services from the city, including using our streets. Make the owner rent a backlot....looks like the real thing. No hard feelings.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 10:21AM – #14
Some people just use these events to go out and cause destruction. Their justification; large amounts of people all in one place to view the performance, odds of getting caught are slim and most importantly, they have a new story to tell their friends to get the praise and attention they crave because they get it nowhere else. Sad, but this number of people is growing and growing each year.
Greensmark on June 18, 2010, at 10:25AM – #15
Once again my partner and I witnessed the entire thing from our loft above the Shell Station on Grand and Olympic. The same exact one that was looted last year. We called the South Park BID and the Senior Lead Commander and mentioned last years debacle. Interesting how the BID agreed with our concern. They rose to occasion and preformed well. The Senior Lead Commander, however, didn't seem to think there would be any trouble and even went so far as to say there was no issues last year at this gas station. He had men at this station and they reported nothing. I guess he was on BREAK when the place was looted, fire set in the trash cans next to the pumps and the entire area was a scene of chaos.
The point of this is that around 4:00 PM the police starting arriving on motorcycles, with riot helmets and face plates. By 7:30 this Shell station was closed off, the doors shut tight and no one was allowed to get gas. Once the game ended we could hear the cheers and horns honking. By 9:30 the entire area was in full riot mode.
We have to say: LAPD stepped up this year! They started forcing folks from coming down Olympic toward Hope Street. They prevented traffic from coming down Olympic. They basically were forcing everything down Grand Avenue. The traffic was at a stand still, but the fire trucks kept coming. Finally the Horse mounted police showed up and LAPD in riot gear walked the intersections one by one; pushing everything down Grand.
Were this all set to music it would have been quite a wonderful piece of theatre. It once again shows that the combination of sports fans and alcohol does not work. It continues to demonstrate whether winning or losing, some knuckleheads can not deal with things in a civil and responsible way. I hope that the city makes examples of all the people that were arrested. They should be made to pay for all the damage and havoc that was caused in our neighbourhood.
Walking around South Park this morning, we were saddened to see the tagging, the small piles of burnt trash, the destruction of the plantings and the businesses and sidewalks strewn with trash and barf! REALLY PEOPLE? Do you act this way in your own neighbourhood? Then why come down here and trash ours?
Grnsmrk
Sean McElwain on June 18, 2010, at 10:25AM – #16
@Commander Blake Chow
Not at all surprised loft residents were hurling things at cops - Just the other night someone in my building doused a homeless man with a bucket of water in what was an attempt to make him vacate - They sat in their window and laughed at him things like this are amusing to a small segment of the mindless and privileged
And to my righteous neighbors
Lets drop bull for a minute and be serious if the police had a heavy handed crackdown the same residents on here complaining about lack of force would be screaming at police brutality
DavidAC on June 18, 2010, at 10:30AM – #17
Over the past few years I have slowly become a huge raving fan of the LAPD. I think they are a genuinely changed organization and have really become OUR police force.
As a downtown resident I'm grateful for and impressed by the security that the LAPD provide for us last night. Its easy to look at last night and say 'what was the big deal?', but I have absolutely no doubt that without the LAPD's intelligent and respectful presence this would have been a dangerous mess and a trauma for our city.
Some people need to update their attitude towards the LAPD to correspond with what they are NOW, not what they might have been in the 80's and 90's.
Jasmijn on June 18, 2010, at 10:39AM – #18
And AEG + Wasserman want to bring a football stadium here, too? Oh HELL no!
http://laist.com/2010/04/16/a_football_stadium_next_to_la_live.php
Then we'd be afraid of what would happen to our homes even more often! More people have advised me to move out of downtown following sports "celebrations" than any crime stats the rest of the time. This kind of image is one we don't need. I'm back to wanting sports facilities to be inconveniently far away from residential areas.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 11:37AM – #19
Not to get too intellectual, but what is with high spirits, men, some women, alcohol that always has to lead to riot, burning and destruction. Are they the same people that love graffiti? Someone called them low lives. How many low lives do we have? It seems a lot, a lot.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 11:44AM – #20
They need to reconsider the scheduling of these championship games...why not do it during daytime, maybe on a weekend. I think part of the reason rioters are blatant enough is that the shroud of darkness makes it difficult for them to be caught and identified...look at the Lakers parade which draws more people to the streets, there's no riots cause its done during daytime.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 12:41PM – #21
@ #20 What difference does it make if it's done during the day? Most of these fools don't work anyways, which was evident last night. I live in South Park. I was out there snapping photos too. I think the police did an outstanding job and tolerated a lot. These fools set the trashcan outside Starbucks on 11th & Grand on fire. They were climbing street signs and being unruly. Unfortunately, there were some people throwing cups and bottles from the lofts above (where I live). These spoiled USC brats are no better than the hoodlums running the streets. Complete disrespect. Downtowners can't complain. You chose to live here. It's one night out of the year. Big deal. I'll still love downtown / living close to Staples.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 12:47PM – #22
@Commander Blake Chow,
I am a resident in one of the lofts you mentioned and heard last time that folks living on the North side of Elleven or Luma threw rocks and injured officers on 11th street. Many resident are very upset with this incident knowing that the police officers have done a superb job protecting our building. Hopefully, Elleven and Luma's HOA Board Members will come up with a much better plan in making all residents behave responsibly next time.
Thanks for all LAPD's hard work and effort last night, despite all that craziness going on out there, we felt safe staying inside knowing that officers are patrolling up and down the streets surrounding the south park residential areas.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 01:28PM – #23
I don't understand why they don't block off a lot of the downtown streets to just residents and ticket holders only during events like this. you see that happen in other cities and it seems to make a huge difference!
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 01:44PM – #24
People were throwing things from their lofts at police too? That's horrible
Downtown Cowboy on June 18, 2010, at 01:47PM – #25
I also am a South Park resident and was shocked at the extent of the rioting last night. I was really surprised at watching the morning news to hear there were some "minor" problems. What happened was not minor. There were rivers of rioters flooding the streets, filling in the spaces between cars, jumping up on car hoods and roofs, stomping them in. The amount of destruction was far greater than the media reported. The police did a great job, but there weren't enough of them. When I walked my dog this morning there was so much broken glass out we had to turn around and go back it. It was too dangerous for her to walk on the sidewalks.
I echo the concern about AEG's desire to build a football stadium downtown. This event was 20,000 people - what happens with a rowdy football crowd of 50,000? There won't be enough police to handle the mayhem that ensues. A football stadium downtown would make the area unfit for human habitation. Since the rioters who did the destruction last night don't live downtown, build the football stadium in their neighborhood and let them tear it up there.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 02:09PM – #26
The problem goes beyond the "thug life" attitude of the (growing) underprivileged and uneducated residents, legal or not. While it's easy to look at these incidents of vandalism from a narrow perspective, the LAPD protecting and serving the "city's" interest isn't talked about.
As the press conferences were reported with the Mayor and Police Chief stating "If you do not have a ticket, stay away from Downtown", I knew it wasn't going to keep anyone from doing so. The psychology of the "thug life" is very simple to manipulate, and instigate, because it's barbaric. When you tell barbarians they shouldn't do something, they're going to do it, every time.
They city knows it, the LAPD knows it, and AEG knows it. So why taunt them?
We have to consider the apparent importance of AEG, a conglomerate that owns the self-sustaining entertainment complex LA live. The goal of LA live is to be a city within a city for entertainment/convention purposes, the only one of it's kind, to date. Plans to add a football stadium have been reported. In order to attract new business to LA live, they have to show that those who CAN afford to be a fan, can do so safely, those that can't, stay off "private property".
AEG's importance goes far beyond any laker fan or surrounding community and it's members. If you look at last year and this year's incidents, you can see the police gathered in large numbers and closed off access to LA live, with numerous police cars parked on figueroa/olympic - pico. Officers chatting amongst themselves, sans riot gear. All of the damages and problems begin to occur ONE BLOCK from LA live with police standing and watching, only to maintain a perimeter of protection to LA live, but not the surrounding residential and commercial areas. Local businesses that downtown residents rely on are subjected to vandalism and theft. Our community becomes overrun by an angry mob and makes it unsafe for residents. But that's not the way it will be reported in the news, or even marketed by AEG. It will be greatly reduced in the media as "not as unruly as before" or "some damage" and then a big push for "the victory parade" because it's easier to forget about the problems and move on to something else, like spending more money. AEG can ensure to prospective special events, that it provides a safe and secure complex, of course.
The way I see it, when you have a single entity with so much influence; who is protecting and serving the people? Instead of taunting the always growing underprivileged crowd, why not provide a means for controlled celebration? Well, it's because there's no profit. These people can not afford the inflated prices on tickets, merchandise, drinks, parking, etc... the Lakers franchise is not about fans, it's about profit per person.
In other words... If you can't afford to be a fan, we don't want you here. This is a problem MUCH bigger than some ignorant thugs.. this is a social divide that is growing to become a major problem.
J-M on June 18, 2010, at 02:15PM – #27
Why is anyone surprised by this??? What rock have you been living under? With a few tactical differences, this was pretty much a repeat of last year, no matter what LAPD says. We watched it all unfold on ABC and Fox live feeds online, listening to the police scanners, and were dismayed once again. They chased them from block to block and waited them out. I'm sooooo tired of the Lakers and the shit their fans bring Downtown. There's an element of hooliganism at play here, and it happens in many other cities and countries, but why do we let this happen time and time again in the same place? I'm angry and embarrassed, and I get why people are cautious about Downtown (incl. major retail stores). They're wrong (because these guys have nothing to do with Downtown), but it looks really bad and the neighborhood's torn up and our psyche a little battered. These finals should no longer be held Downtown and please, for the love of god, hold the celebration somewhere else on Monday. Of course, there's too much money involved in these games for anything to change. LA benefits financially, so who cares about Downtown neighborhoods? Hope it doesn't cost us E3 or the Film Festival...
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 02:28PM – #28
@Guest #24
Guest #21 here, unfortunately, yes folks living in one of the building did throw stuff at the police on 11th street…..and it wasn’t just plastic cups or bottles. It injured one of the police officer and he suffered a broken nose. IMHO, if Elleven or Luma step up and find this person…this person should be turned over to the police and be charged with assault.
Last year we cried foul that police didn’t respond soon enough which resulted in damage to the first floor commercial units (broken glass, etc….) This time….LAPD made an effort to patrol and stationed at 11th street and the residents (and/or their guests) responded by attacking the police?! WTF!!?!?!!?
What Elleven and Luma should have done is to shut down the terrace completely because there were people hovering around out on the terrace looking over 11th street shouting/screaming/yelling at the mob down below which excited the crowd even more. Cars parked on the 11th street suffered damage as people climbed and rocked them.
Garage entrance on 11th street should have been shut down/locked down completely as well. Several residents on foot entered through the gate on 11th street which could cause problems if the mob follow them through the gate and vandalize cars, etc….
Commander Blake Chow on June 18, 2010, at 02:37PM – #29
I will be reaching out to the building ownership and management of lofts soon. I believe there is video from a news crew that depicts who was throwing things from the units that front 11th street.
Downtown Cowboy on June 18, 2010, at 03:10PM – #30
@Commander Blake Chow - you guys did a great job. From my balcony I had a front row seat of the mayhem below. Before the police had a chance to enter the area the throngs of rioters below were out of control and verging, within a hair, of becoming a wall of violence and destruction. I breathed a sigh of relief when the squad cars closed the street and then the mounted police arrived. VERY quickly the tone notched down considerably. You guys were awesome.
J-M on June 18, 2010, at 04:38PM – #31
I'm not bashing the LAPD. They did OK, but were a bit slow to mobilize and respond, although I don't think there's an easy way to deal with this type of situation once it gets going. (I don't even have the words for people who live here joining in the mayhem from their balconies...trash...) I just think this type of situation calls for prevention rather than an emergency response. We all know if going to happen, but we try to contain the situation rather than allowing it to happen at all.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 05:12PM – #32
I had a bird's-eye view of the L.A. Live Area from my loft at Fig and Olympic and I was very impressed by the way the LAPD handled the crowd. With a crowd that large and excited, it's unavoidable that there will be some rowdy behavior.
However, from what I saw, the LAPD was out in full force and was able to keep as much order as possible, promptly breaking up problematic behavior, but also showing the appropriate restraint. A marked improvement from last year!
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 05:39PM – #33
Guest poster #26
Well said, I applaud you and couldn't agree more.
bill on June 18, 2010, at 07:00PM – #34
My question would be - what's the plan for next time? I watched the craziness last night and it bordered awfully close on total war. So what is the AEG plan to stop this from happening next time? I certainly isn't the total responsibility of the police to handle the mess AEG creates.
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 07:13PM – #35
I was at the game. The people that were causing the problems were not Laker fans. these were gang member losers and thugs that have nothing better to do. i think the same thing would have happened if any team had won the title. also, many of the thugs were also carrying mexican flags. way to represent and make your fellow mexicans look good. classless losers.
D
Guest on June 18, 2010, at 09:51PM – #36
I pray the guys arrested did not get nor will get "OR". Make 'um pay for the clean up.
Great coverage, congratulations.
Howie on the Hill
pedrogirl on June 18, 2010, at 10:01PM – #37
guest #26 is absolutely correct. The only difference between the way the situation was handled between this year and last year was that those in Staples Center were able to leave safely and that's all the politicians and high command in the LAPD care about. Let the hoi polloi fend for themselves.
Lt Paul Vernon on June 18, 2010, at 11:56PM – #38
A few random thoughts, suggestions and observations re: last night’s NBA final aftermath, from the head of the police field jail at Staples Center.
A dozen of us detectives operated a temporary detention center at Staples where officers could quickly drop off arrestees and get back to the field. This maximizes the number officers in the field throughout the limited incident.
Well, you all have not lived until you’ve hung out, sober, with 40 drunk adults. A few sleeping, many vomiting, all smelly, and a couple really obnoxious and belligerent, yelling profanities in a confined space and threatening detectives with lawsuits by the lawyers they work for. Oh, and no air conditioning in the room, and one bathroom for all the officers and arrestees to share.
Thoughts for next year:
1) bring spit hoods for the few that want to spit on us, even while we help them to the bathroom; 2) Arrange for a bigger space and more benches; 3) Eat early because we won’t have time later and once our “guests” arrive, you won’t be hungry any more…the smell gets pretty bad. 4) Invite news reporters to view, even video, the arrestees as they come into the detention area. Perhaps their bosses, friends, and family seeing them acting the fool will embarrass them into sobriety, or at least responsible drinking. I’ll never forget the 29-year-old girl flipping us all off with finger and mouth for several hours, or the father-daughter pair who could barely stand and had a real richer-than-thou attitude, or the legal secretary who warned me her boss would sue us all into poverty. EVERY PERSON ARRESTED LAST NIGHT WAS SEVERELY IMPAIRED (FALL DOWN DRUNK). 11 arrests for simple public drunkenness probably saved 11 persons from themselves and more serious charges.
On protecting property: Granted, we should not have to arrest anyone; everyone should have a great time, everyone should respect their neighbor, but that is NOT the reality with Laker wins. So let me make this analogy. A Laker win is like a hurricane. You can see it coming; it might miss you, but you can’t stop it once it’s here.
So how do you prepare for a hurricane? You board up your windows and batten down the things you don’t want to lose. So for next year, what if these things could happen: 1) get newspaper outlets to remove all papers from their racks by halftime on game day; they burn the paper to start fires; 2) maybe even temporarily remove the racks as they tend to throw them into windows; 3) Get BID to empty (even remove) every street trash can by half time; 4) no, you shouldn’t have to, but consider boarding windows and glass doors to avert that storm; 5) hire security guards to stand outside your open business; 6) if you own a bar or restaurant and promote watching the game in your place, insist that every person who enters identifies themselves to you with ID, which you log, even take a digital picture of them. If they trash your place you can collect or prosecute, and knowing you know them, maybe they will behave.
Of course, these are in addition to smart police response, not in place of them. The police is the public and the public is the police. Everyone should recognize the lessons, heed them, and do a part to reduce the chaos and loss.
Okay, it’s late. I need my sleep, and the USA got ripped off in the WC today. I’m going to bed.
Lt. Paul Vernon, LAPD
bill on June 19, 2010, at 06:49AM – #39
Bold @Lt Paul Vernon: Lt. Vernon - I again thank you and the rest of the police for your professionalism Thursday night. However, we need a better plan than the one above for "next time". First of all, the LAKERS should be ACTIVELY involved in helping the surrounding South Park community protect themselves from the kind of vandalism and destruction that occurred. If the event is being held for your financial profit then you should share in the responsibility for the expense of the repair of the damage your event is responsible for. It costs money from my HOA to repair the broken windows and destroyed property. Plus, no one has discussed the residual damage an event like this creates. Potential new South Park homebuyers have now just been exposed to the number one reason they should NOT buy in South Park. These events make it highly undesirable to anyone other than inebriated college students. This effects property values.
If we know (and now we have a consistent historical basis for this occurring) the streets are going to be filled vandals and rioters, then we must have extraordinary plan in place to thwart and prevent this from ever happening again.
Guest on June 19, 2010, at 07:15AM – #40
Oh I see, so the LAPD protects AEG's stake hold in the downtown area, but building owners are to fend for themselves by hiring out private firms to protect their property. I bet that will really fly with the owners of these establishments and vehicles, oh by the way building owners, business owners and residents whenever there is an event we will protect the LA LIve area and herd the unruly to your streets but you gotta get your own security to protect your property with your money. Does that really reflect the motto of our police department"to protect and to serve" clearly viewed here http://www.lapdonline.org ?
Or could it reflect the voice of post #26 and why certain entities get more protection? it's one of those things that makes you go humm...
Robert on June 19, 2010, at 07:28AM – #41
I agree with Lt. Vernon. I would also add that bars and restaurants have the responsibility to stop serving alcohol to those inibriated have security inside their establishments. What I saw on TV was out of control low lifes beating people up and destroying property without any officers around. More officers with pepper spray around the blocks south and east of Staples Center could stop these thugs in their tracks. When I saw the gang bangers doing their body slams...I knew it was going to be a long night. It went on far too long and then just got out of control.
While I have a lot of respect for Chief Beck, Zero tolerance should be implemented. Follow the thugs who caused the real damage (probaby only dozens of them) on bikes until they are arrested. We can all learn from our mistakes and there will be other celebrations in the future. I was glad to hear some of these jerks were arrested on felony charges. May they enjoy many years in jail for their actions.
Anthony Costantino on June 19, 2010, at 09:45AM – #42
I was riding around in it until a gang of thugs told me that I was an undercover cop. I guess they don't like cops.
Next year, definitely enact a zero tolerance policy and if anyone acts violently, hit them with beanbags and track them down/collar them, or maybe you can get one of those acoustic devices or the one that makes their skin feel like it's burning. By moving people around, it seems the LAPD strategy was to tire them out but it just really moved the riots from block to block.
J-M on June 19, 2010, at 12:39PM – #43
Why do we never hear the players condemn the actions of their "fans"? Maybe if they spoke out about this kind of behavior, some of these idiots might listen? And before anyone says they weren't Lakers fans, most of them were wearing the Lakers brand and were waving Lakers flags.
Guest on June 19, 2010, at 04:04PM – #44
Pedrogirl
I guess you were one of those low lifes who came to hang out with no ticket and no business in the area. You must be mad because they made you move... oh well stay in Pedro next time and watch from home.
Rene on June 21, 2010, at 09:48AM – #45
@Commander Chow I think that protecting the interests of one huge conglomerate, AEG, and the property they can afford to replace is minor in comparison to protecting the private property of law-abiding citizens and the residential neighborhoods we downtowners have worked extremely hard to build up and protect. Pushing unruly thugs further into these residential areas is not "better" and truly, hasn't been addressed by the LAPD either last year or this year. What is your plan for this? How can you prevent this from happening again? It should NOT be the responsibility of the business & property owners to protect this. AEG & the LAPD should sit down and figure out a way to make this celebration a peaceful scenario that doesn't affect their downtown neighbors. REVIEW SOME TAPE - call ABC and borrow that live feed from their helicopters and figure out how to contain the situation.
@#40 I'm in full agreement.
Jeff Alu on July 12, 2010, at 10:21PM – #46
Late post I realize, but I uploaded to Youtube a short vid of some of the stuff I saw during the riots. You can see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySQQhcPxrpM