LAPD chief: Shooting protests may have roots in anti-immigration mood, feelings of powerlessness

September 11, 2010 | 7:57 am

LAPD Chief Charlie Back said he was surprised by the protests and unrest that erupted in the Westlake district after an officer-involved shooting.

Beck believes the shooting of the man, a day laborer like many others in the neighborhood, quickly became a flashpoint that brought to the surface larger issues facing the impoverished community of immigrants from Guatemala and other Central American countries west of downtown L.A., one of the most densely populated areas of the country.

"This community feels disconnected from the city," he said in an interview with The Times' Joel Rubin. "They feel like they don't have a voice. I think they feel a lot of pressure because of the anti-immigrant sentiment that runs through a very common conversation in America right now."

Beck noted that Westlake has a highly transitory population, with immigrants from Latin America settling there when they arrive in L.A. only to move into other parts of the city as soon as they can. The eruption of anger and hostility laid bare for Beck the fact that the LAPD has fallen short in maintaining a level of trust and close ties with an ever-evolving population whose community leaders are often hard to find.

"When there is no identified leadership, no relationship established with the community's leaders, then the police department is ill-prepared or ill-equipped to handle controversial issues. There is nobody who can take our message and who can deliver their message," he said.

Read Joel Rubin's full interview with Beck here.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 0750.story



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