Drugs, Vice, Gangs Are Hot Topics at LAPD Forum

Representatives of the Los Angeles Police Department's Devonshire Division discussed narcotics, vice and gang operations Thursday evening at the third LAPD community district meeting of the year at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch.

, the new LAPD Devonshire Division commander, said effective, long-term law enforcement requires an aware and engaged community.

“[This is] not to alarm you, but to inform you,” he said. “You need to know what is going on.”

Marijuana

Detective Robert Holcomb, of the Devonshire Narcotics Enforcement Detail, discussed the proliferation of marijuana dispensaries. He said these operations, many of which characterize themselves as community businesses, have a negative effect on their communities.

Illustrating his talk with photos, Holcomb said many of the storefronts have security measures that appear excessive, including doors with security bars and  interior rooms with mantraps and sally ports.

“These … facilities are retail operations,” he said, while a photo of what could be mistaken for a retail store appeared on a screen. Racks of T-shirts, bongs and other paraphernalia were for sale.

Holcomb said many of these stores operate in ways similar to drug dealers. He said the LAPD has found guns and drugs stashed in refrigerators. Officers have found lollipops infused with marijuana, he said.

“Who do you think the target is for that?” he asked. “Almost all marijuana recovered from kids’ backpacks was diverted from these stores,” he added.

Holcomb said these storefronts have their roots in the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which exempted patients and caregivers from prosecution for the possession of marijuana, which eased their symptoms. SB 420 established the voluntary State Medical Marijuana ID card, which he called immunity from arrest as long as the possessor of the marijuana is within state limits, which are set at six plants and 8 ounces of processed marijuana.

Holcomb described ways that marijuana cultivation poses problems for the community. Marijuana growers often turn rental homes into greenhouses, he said. They install sophisticated hydroponic systems, special lights and cooling systems that promote robust growth, achieving a full harvest in about 60 days, he said. In addition, the lighting and other electric equipment wired into the house’s electrical grid sometimes cause fires, he said. Police are alerted by Fire Department officials in such instances, he said.

Massage Parlors

Devonshire Area Vice Unit Sgt. Ed Arca identified four issues of concern for his unit: massage parlors, bars, city attorney abatements and alcohol violations.

“Devonshire [Division] doesn’t have a street-walking problem,” he said, pointing out that prostitution in the area typically takes place in massage parlors. These establishments typically lease spaces, operate without business permits and advertise massages for low prices, he said. Indications that a massage parlor may be a front for prostitution include lots of men going in and out of the place in a short period of time, he said.

“Good massage parlors don’t have lots of traffic,” he said.  

If prostitution is suspected, an undercover vice officer will pose as a customer and make an arrest if criminal activity is suspected, Arca said. The division also conducts follow-up enforcements, and refers cases to the city's Department of Building Safety, which might cite such businesses on city code violations, he said. The idea is that the business incurs so many fines that it leaves the area, he said. The LAPD may inform property owners of arrests on the property to encourage them to evict the tenants or risk having their property seized, he said.

Arca also said it is not unusual for females working as prostitutes to be in the country illegally and forced into prostitution to pay off their passage.

The vice unit also handles crimes related to alcohol. Violations can include “drunk service”—bars serving alcohol to people who are already drunk; serving alcohol to those under legal drinking age; and drinking in public.

The vice unit will use “minor decoys”—people who are age 18 or 19—to purchase alcohol from establishments suspected of selling alcohol to minors, he said.

“We get a good compliance rate,” he said, noting that about 18 or 19 out of 20 liquor stores comply with the law by checking IDs and refusing to sell to customers under 21.

Gangs

Lt. Bo Adams, of the Gang Impact team, talked about his team’s work. He started with some good news.

“The gang problem in Devonshire [Division] is manageable,” he said. “It’s pretty low.”

He said the city of L.A. has about 41,000 gang members, down from about 62,000 in 1998. Adams said making such a dent was not easy.

“A lot of hard work goes into those numbers,” he said.

Kids who join gangs typically grow up in broken homes, where domestic violence, addiction and little adult supervision is endemic, he said.

“The old LAPD way, to arrest our way out of a problem, is effective, but we recognize there are lots of root problems,” Adams said. He emphasized that gangs are a problem that calls for community involvement. He said middle school and high school gang-prevention programs are crucial.

Pitcher said many crimes handled by narcotics, vice and gang operations may appear as small issues on the surface, but, in fact, have larger implications.

“People who cultivate marijuana turn rentals into greenhouses, which lead to home invasion robberies,” he said.

“Every one of these units has stopped murders in progress, closed problem bars, massage parlors and marijuana collectives,” he said.

But, he added, involvement from an aware community is key.

“You may be the one to crack open a human trafficking case,” he said.