Recall that in June 2016 I sent a petition to the Police Commission asking them to clarify why BID security guards were not registered in compliance with LAMC 52.34. In October I learned that the City Attorney agreed that BID security was subject to the registration requirement and that steps would be taken to get BIDs to comply.
In January 2017 I obtained a December 1, 2016 email from Police Commission investigator Eugene Shin confirming that the registration process was ongoing. In that email Officer Shin hinted that he’d received a bunch of complaints about the new registration policy from BIDs. This, in turn, suggests that he or someone had sent an earlier communication about registration. I do not yet have copies of any of the complaints, bitching, and moaning, although I’m certainly working on getting them. However, just yesterday, as part of a significant email release from the FCBID1 I received this November 29, 2016 email from Eugene Shin to all the BIDs, announcing that their security guards would have to register. This seems to be what caused the firestorm of unhappiness hinted at in the December 1 email.
There is a full transcription of this fascinating document after the break, and it’s well worth reading. But the most interesting bit of all is this threat, with which Eugene Shin ends his missive:
Failure to register and obtain the permits may result in criminal charges being filed against the security company and citations or arrests of their security officers.
Reading that is almost, but not quite, enough to make me sympathize with the BIDs. After all, they’d managed to go 16 years without complying with the law and all of a sudden they’re being threatened with having their security guards ARRESTED if they don’t register? It’s a hard world for law-abiding citizens, friends! As I said, turn the page to read the whole email if you don’t like PDFs.
Subject: Los Angeles Police Department Police Commission – Request for Security Company Information
From: Eugene Shin <36191@lapd.online>
Date: 11/29/2016 10:10 AM
To:
Dear property / business owner & operator,
A current audit of Private Patrol Service (P664) registrations revealed that many security companies working for Business Improvement Districts (BID) do not have the required Police Commission Permits. The City of Los Angeles, Controllers Office has provided the Los Angeles Police Department with your information as the contact entity for the BID. Please provide the name and contact information of the security company (if any) that provides private patrol services for your BID.
Security Companies working with BIDs within the City of Los Angeles will be given the opportunity to register and obtain the required Private Patrol Service permits and Street Patrol Officer (P683) permits for their security officers. Failure to register and obtain the permits may result in criminal charges being filed against the security company and citations or arrests of their security officers.
Please reply to this e-mail notification with the requested information no later than Friday December 02, 2016, thank you.
Officer Eugene Shin #36191
Los Angeles Police Department
Commission Investigation Division
100 W 1 st St, Room #147
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-996-1278
36191@lapd.online
Image of BID Patrol security guard talking to a woman while writing stuff down is a modification of a public record and is ©2017 MichaelKohlhaas.Org.
