Council to review when LAPD officers can use lights, sirens

  The Los Angeles City Council took the unusual step of asserting its jurisdiction over the civilian Police Commission on Tuesday, moving to review the LAPD’s new policy on when officers can turn on their car’s lights and sirens and disobey traffic rules.

Councilman Bernard Parks, former chief of the LAPD, authored the motion, which passed unanimously without any discussion.

The council’s public safety committee will take the issue up on Monday. Last week, the Police Commission, which oversees the LAPD, approved the amended rules governing when police can go “Code Three.”

The changes were billed as necessary improvements to an old, strictly written policy that allowed only one patrol car to respond in Code Three mode to emergencies.

The new policy would give all officers in an area the discretion to use their lights and sirens and to speed to an emergency.

-- Joel Rubin

Photo: L.A. Times file

Comments

[Hamilton]

I think it's a good thing for Officers, the Department, and the City. There will be less liability for the City should something happen, but at the same time it will allow Officers to respond and assist the public in need with a faster response time. I'm sure the public will like the fact that if they are caught up in a life or death emergency situation, there are multiple Police personnel responding Code-3 (lights and sirens), rather than just one who might encounter lots of traffic on our streets!!

[tomk]

I regularly see police officers turning on their sirens and lights to pass red lights, go about 500 feet, and then turn them off again. I didn't know stop lights sent emergency signals to officers. God forbid we pass a yelllow light a little too late. These guys can't be a BIT more patient? Abuse of Power.

[Gary Lynch]

Regarding the recent La Habra fatalities caused by the police vehicle;

Even if you have lights and siren on, it's the fault of the police, firefighters, or paramedics if they crash into someone in an intersection, speeding, if the red light was theirs. The cop was supposed to slow down to about 15 mph and check it out then proceed.

We ( I am a retired paramedic) were taught that people driving (perpendicular) to you coming into an intersection, cannot hear or often see the emergency vehicle. So, looks like a big screw up.

[Jeff]

Tomk- there are many reason why cops use their lights and siren to get through a light. Some time they need to get somewhere fast and not get caught at a light but not go lights and siren all the way. I am sure if it is 2am and your wife or child is hiding in a closet because they heard a noise in the backyard they would not want the cops to stop at every light or stop sign while responding to their 911 call which is not a code three call. Lights and siren to a call not only lets you know the cops are coming but also lets the bad guys know that the cops are on the way which could set up the cops for an ambush.

[P2 Dawg]

Tomk- The reason you regularly see officers using lights/sirens to blow an intersection then immediately disable the light bar upon clearing the intersection is because they are responding to an "officer reqesting a backup" or "officer needs assistance" call. Is using lights and sirens to go assist one of our brothers who is in a fist fight or foot pursuit an abuse of power? I don't think so.

[Politics]

Councilman Bernard Parks would do well to keep his ego in check. He doesn't run the LAPD anymore, and his constant meddling in the department's affairs is frankly highly irritating. And this comment comes from a bothered citizen, not someone involved with the LAPD at all.

[Hez]

Check the local average response time in your area before you comment in favor of curtailed use of lights and sirens. LA is already saddled with larger divisions and less officers per capita than most if not all other major cities in the US. Nice neighborhoods are no exception. They tend to have fewer officers than needed because of officers being sent to work in high crime areas, which means that when you really need help it is going to take them a while to get there. If increased use of lights and sirens will get them there faster, you should be grateful.

[Mary Farley]

This is just more abuse that the police can use against the citizens as they start they're gradual increase of public patrol. I've seen cops doing tactical maneuvers on the freeways and streets as if they're going after someone. As this happens on the freeway, (especially in the new mega loud and flashy Suburban vehicles used like tanks), they swerve around the freeway pushing all the traffic to one side and make their armada parade where ever there going. It's like we're in Russia, China, Pakistan, and India where the police want to fear the civilians as they increase public they're presence.

Also, I've seen police patrolling malls which is odd. Usually a security guard would do this, but now both are in coalition in whose mere presence is to intimidate and clamp down on the public. I find this activity highly abusive because anyone can be stopped and detained by police for any reason they may have against you (the civilian). Cops do what they because they can; they have weapons and surveillance that invades not only outside your home, but inside as well (infra-red cameras on helicopters what you in your house, listening devices on vehicles hear what you say, tazer guns, and God knows what other high tech equipment they've been developing and granted. This approval of police patrol just goes to validate the scenario that they are clamping down on the city with the motive to "detain and arrest" instead of "protect and serve".

I've seen homeless and black, and Hispanic peoples (not whites or Asians) arrested on street corners all the time now and shows that these civilians are being targeted by the police. What's next, the military intervention? Are we on our way to war with ourselves? If so, whose the enemy and what color and class are they? I hope not, but if they gain more power, the civilians are left to defend themselves. God help us.

[Unbelievable]

Whenever I see them with the lights and siren on I always figured they were making a mad dash for Chipotle.