Los Angeles launches special police team to fight rising crime in the city

Mayor Karen Bass announced the launch of a new "police task force aimed at combating organized retail crime."

La alcaldesa de Los Ángeles, Karen Bass. — Karen Bass / Cordon Press

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18 de agosto, 2023

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced the launch of a new plan to combat the rising crime that is plaguing the city. The program will consist of the launch of a new police task force aimed at combating organized retail crime.

Bass explained the project at a press conference. In a subsequent statement, she said he task force is specifically intended to "aggressively investigate these incidents and hold individuals that are responsible for these crimes fully accountable":

What we’ve seen over just the past week in the City of Los Angeles and in surrounding regions is unacceptable, which is why today we are here announcing action.These are not victimless crimes – especially in the case where Angelenos were attacked – through force or fear – as they did their jobs or ran errands. No Angeleno should feel like it’s unsafe to go shopping and no Angelenos should feel like it’s unsafe to open a business in Los Angeles or Los Angeles County.

Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Dominic Choi stated that "The Organized Retail Crimes Task Force will work closely with retailers to enhance security measures, share information, and develop strategies to deter these crimes."

The task force includes a large number of state security agencies. Among them: "the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Glendale Police Department, Burbank Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, U.S. Marshals Apprehension Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Apprehension Task Force. The task force will partner with prosecutors from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s Office," according to the statement.