L.A. Police Commission Flaunts State Law- Approves Easing of Car Impound Rules
One wonders why the police commission seeks to violate state laws as if “open borders” or “no borders” were official policy. Maybe it is their official policy.
Calling it an act of “humanity” and “compassion” toward the city’s illegal immigrants, the Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday approved a controversial plan to limit the cases in which police officers impound vehicles of drivers operating without a license.
The commission made the move despite warnings from Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley and state lawyers that the new impound policy is illegal.
It marks a victory for immigration-rights advocates as well as Police Chief Charlie Beck, who has championed the new policy despite sharp criticism at public meetings, on talk radio and by some law enforcement officials.
The shift is significant in a city with a large illegal immigrant population. For decades, the Los Angeles Police Department has been trying to convince immigrants that police are not the enemy, and Beck said he hopes the new rules will improve relations and encourage undocumented immigrants to cooperate with police investigations.