Need proof Los Angeles is a war zone? Need proof that the police are unable to protect the public in L.A.? The cops cannot even protect fire hydrants! That means if there is a fire in the neighborhood, no water would be available to fight the fire.
“As of December 2023, LASD was short approximately 2,800 employees, including 1,200 sworn deputies.
According to Golden State Water Company, which owns the hydrants, 302 hydrants were stolen in the south side of Los Angeles County between January 2023 and last month. In a statement to ABC 7 on rising hydrant thefts, GSWC said it is replacing hydrants, installing hydrant locks, and informing local scrap yards that receiving hydrants is a federal offense.
A couple of weeks ago an actor was killed in downtown LA—neither people nor hydrants are safe in Los Angeles.
Hundreds of Los Angeles fire hydrants stolen as fire season starts
Story by Kenneth Schrupp, msn. 6/8/24 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hundreds-of-los-angeles-fire-hydrants-stolen-as-fire-season-starts/ar-BB1nDqg5?ocid=Peregrine
(The Center Square) – The Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Department is investigating the theft of 99 fire hydrants since the start of the year, a troubling development as fire season approaches.
Fire hydrant thefts join a spate of street lamp pole thefts in Pasadena and the rise of electric vehicle charging thefts nationwide as infrastructure theft for scrap metal becomes a serious problem for billions of dollars in taxpayer investments.
In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 14, which allows theft under $950 to be charged as a misdemeanor. With a limited amount of prosecutorial resources, prosecuting thefts under $950 in resale value is a lesser priority than violent crimes. Leaders point to a combination of police shortages and lack of criminal prosecution as enabling infrastructure theft that could put public safety at risk.
“These fire hydrant thefts are yet another sign of how crime is out of control in Los Angeles County,” said former Assistant U.S. Attorney General Nathan Hochman, who is running against Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, to The Center Square. “Thieves know they’ll face little or no consequences if they are caught, so they’re willing to risk the public’s safety for a small profit.”
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva suggested a shortage of law enforcement personnel is also contributing to the thefts.
Related video: Fire hydrant thefts leave South L.A. neighborhood unprotected from flames (KTLA-TV Los Angeles)
“This is no surprise to me, when you have more crooks and less crops you’ve got more competition,” Villanueva said to The Center Square. “It used to be wire stripping, then it was statue stealing, and now it’s fire hydrants. It’s a natural consequence of the defund-the-police movement.”
As of December 2023, LASD was short approximately 2,800 employees, including 1,200 sworn deputies.
According to Golden State Water Company, which owns the hydrants, 302 hydrants were stolen in the south side of Los Angeles County between January 2023 and last month. In a statement to ABC 7 on rising hydrant thefts, GSWC said it is replacing hydrants, installing hydrant locks, and informing local scrap yards that receiving hydrants is a federal offense.
California’s wildfire season tends to last from April to October, suggesting continued fire hydrant thefts could risk public safety.
What a waste! These are petty crimes with no consequences except for the waste of sheriffs’ time and the potential for disaster if a fire occurs. Even if law enforcement caught a perpetrator in the act, no prosecutor worth their salt will want to prosecute and no judge will sentence the perpetrator to jail. Maybe community service but there will be no follow up to make sure the service is completed. Things are totally out of hand. We need to put teeth back into the law.