Los Angeles, November 10, 2015 — Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, released the following statement on behalf of the League about today’s Police Commission meeting:

“We share the concerns of the Police Commission about the increase in incidences of officer-involved shootings. We are also concerned about the increased resistance and violence against our officers that can lead to these incidences. We also want to be clear that our sense of today’s Police Commission meeting, which we attended, and the comments of Commission President Matt Johnson, is that the Commission is taking a balanced look at policing in Los Angeles and wants to work with the LAPD and the community to lower crime rates and increase the security of all. This sense of balance, which included Commissioner Kathleen Kim’s expressed concerns about the safety of our police officers, was missing from the L.A. Times article.

“We also want the community to understand that every officer-involved shooting is unique and each has a different set of facts and circumstances and cannot be treated as the same incident. Each case is thoroughly investigated to uncover the specific factors that led to the use of force. Looking only at the top-line number as indication of issues at the LAPD simply does not square with reality. Today, the Police Commission recognized the complexity of the factors that affect the work of the LAPD in assuring the safety of the public and is seeking, as we all are, ways to help the LAPD and the community work more effectively together.”

Contact: Burson-Marsteller at (213) 292-1003.

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.