LOS ANGELES – Mayor Bass today provided remarks during a press conference with U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi, and other law enforcement leaders to announce arrests relating to burglaries, thefts, and other crimes.
Please see below for Mayor Bass’ remarks this morning:
“Good afternoon, everyone. I first want to begin by thanking all of our law enforcement partners. Definitely, thank you, U.S. Attorney Estrada, the LAPD, our regional partners, the FBI. Thank you so much.
“This announcement represents the urgent coordination that the Chief and I have been working on for a very long time. Make no mistake, this is not the end of our work – it is ongoing.
“Recently, I've been meeting with residents from the Valley, from Brentwood, Encino and I just have to tell you that those neighborhoods have been terrified and terrorized by what has been happening. We have increased crime suppression efforts in these areas along with our partners, and we will continue this effort because obviously, the goal of all of us up here is to make our community safer.
“I also want to join U.S. Attorney Estrada in thanking the prosecutors on this case. The relief that you have given to the neighbors – I look forward to leaving this press conference and calling those Neighborhood Associations specifically to let them know about this. But as we continue these efforts on the ground, we also need support and cooperation from our international partners by making sure that individuals who enter the country are properly vetted.
“Again, I want to thank U.S. Attorney Estrada and all of our partners that are here today. This is, I know, an ongoing investigation. We have to continue this until we end this practice. I will tell you, it was specifically alarming to hear about the crimes committed by crime tourism all around the country. So this is a major step forward, and I hope that it brings relief to our neighbors in the Los Angeles area and in Southern California. Now, I'd like to introduce Assistant Chief Chow.”
Mayor Bass has taken urgent action to keep Angelenos safe in response to recent burglaries. See photos and b-roll here. Mayor Bass recently:
- Visited the LAPD Van Nuys Division in the Valley and participated in a ride-along with LAPD officers to examine safety challenges and discuss efforts to continue to bring crime down.
- Walked the streets of Encino with LAPD officers to speak directly with families about action being taken by the LAPD and regional partners to address the recent crime in the neighborhood.
- Spoke to more than a hundred members of the Valley Village Residents Association to discuss safety measures in the area.
- Spoke to members of the Encino Property Owners Association at a town hall to listen firsthand to the concerns of Encino community members regarding the recent rise in burglaries.
- Spoke to the Brentwood Homeowners Association to discuss residents' concerns regarding the recent rise in burglaries in the area.