June 14, 2018
By Elizabeth Marcellino
City News Service
Los Angeles County officials voted today to spend roughly $300 million on a major redesign of its voting system in anticipation of the 2020 presidential election, even as an independent consultant investigates a glitch in the existing process that led to nearly 120,000 voters being left off polling place rosters last week.
The new system, which has an electronic interface at the polling place but generates a paper ballot for record keeping, is part of a broader update that includes allowing voters to cast a ballot over an 11-day period prior to and including Election Day.
The county will also do away with assigning traditional polling places and instead allow voters to drop in at any vote center convenient to them.
The overall goal is to increase engagement and access, by making voting easier, as well as to ensure system security, Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan told the board.
“While not a panacea for all issues and concerns, ... this new voting model and the systems that support it will significantly reduce the likelihood of error and disruption in the voting process and will increase our ability to appropriately and quickly triage such occurrences,” Logan said.
Errors are definitely on the mind of the board members moned Logan last week to question him about a printing error that forced poll workers volunteering for the June 5 primary to hand out provisional ballots to many residents whose names should have appeared on county rosters.
Entire blocks of addresses from single streets were somehow and voting rights advocates worried that some voters may have walked away without casting a ballot.
This spending is unrelated to that problem, which the county is hiring a third-party agency to investigate.
The snafu affected the voter rolls at 1,530 of the 4,357 precinct locations. A total of 118,522 voters' names — roughly 2 percent of registered voters — were omitted from the lists, according to the county.
As for the new system, Logan said his office is “pushing hard” to have it in place by the 2020 presidential election.
“There’s nothing on the market that meets the needs of a jurisdiction like this,” Logan said.
One component will support the ability to verify registration status in real time. To accommodate a diversity of voters, residents will be able to choose a ballot and voting instructions in whatever language they prefer. Other conveniences will include same-day voter registration and vote-by-mail drop boxes set up across the county.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger worried about the loss of public faith in the system.
“I, unfortunately, think that the national dialogue has undermined the public trust in our democratic election process on a broad scale,” Barger said. “And I'm concerned that the events of last week are going to further erode that public confidence.”
However, Barger expressed hope that this new investment would move the county forward.
Supervisor Janice Hahn asked whether the new system would be equipped to evolve along with voter populations and other changes likely to occur through 2033. A $282 million contract with Smartmatic USA Corporation covers the cost of renewal options through that year. Another $12 million agreement with Digital Foundry, Inc. covers tabulation of ballots through 2020.
“$300 million is a lot of money,” Hahn said.
Logan promised that the system would be agile enough to adapt to legal, demographic and behavioral changes over what he hoped would be the next 50 years.
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas took a moment to remind Logan that people don't like the idea of provisional ballots.
“It makes it feel like voting is provisional rather than constitutional,” Ridley-Thomas said, adding that he hoped news of the upgrade, under development since 2012, would let residents know “we mean business in securing and protecting their constitutional right to vote.”
Last Wednesday, county elections officials estimated that about 141,000 provisional ballots from last Tuesday’s election still needed to be tabulated. On Friday, Logan’s office issued its first ballot-counting update, having tabulated 83,267 ballots since Election Day.
According to the county, the number of outstanding provisional ballots left to be counted as of Friday was 139,050, along with 296,380 mail-in ballots and 3,970 miscellaneous ballots.
Another update this evening shows 128,000 provisional ballots still to be counted, along with 170,000 mail-in ballots and 600 miscellaneous ballots. The total election results count is now 1,180,472, which is nearly 23 percent of eligible Los Angeles County voters.
The next update is scheduled for Friday and final certification is tentatively scheduled for June 29.
June 14, 2018
City News Service
An incident that a Los Angeles city councilman said could be the sheriff's department ``dumping'' a mentally ill man, but which the department said was ``an act of compassionate service,'' is set to be discussed at a Los Angeles City Council committee meeting today.
Councilman Joe Buscaino brought attention to the case in January after he displayed a video during a City Council meeting that appeared to show Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies dropping off a mentally ill man on a curb inside the L.A. city limits and driving off.
The incident, which occurred on West 25th Street in San Pedro on Jan. 30, was shown by Buscaino on a large screen inside the council chamber and also posted to his YouTube and Facebook accounts. The councilman said the man was a ```clear 5150 patient'' -- the term refers to an involuntary psychiatric hold -- and that the incident occurred a few blocks over the border from Rancho Palos Verdes, which is patrolled by the LASD.
“This was appalling, disturbing and disgusting, and this individual was taken into LAPD custody two blocks down after a call for service was generated by a San Pedro resident,'' Buscaino said.
The video begins with the man, who appears disheveled and looks as if he could be talking to himself, already standing on the sidewalk near an open door of one of the LASD vehicles, and the person shooting the video from a balcony can be heard saying that the deputies just let the man out of the car.
Buscaino said the man was arrested after it was determined by the LAPD that he was wanted on a warrant -- which the Los Angeles Times reported was a fare-evasion warrant. He also said in a statement on his Facebook account that ``now is not the time to pawn off those with mental health issues onto adjacent jurisdictions, but rather, for all cities to step up to the plate and provide housing and services for the homeless immediately.''
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida told the Los Angeles Times the incident was not a case of dumping, but that deputies were ``performing an act of compassionate service''
Nishida said the man did not exhibit any danger to himself or others, was not gravely disabled and had not committed a crime, The Times reported.
“The deputies asked him if he needed any help. He only expressed that he wanted a ride,'' she said.
According to Nishida, the man had an MTA pass and asked to be dropped off at a convenience store a couple of blocks from the bus stop. She said the deputies checked to see if the man had any outstanding warrants but decided not to arrest him because ``such a minor violation'' as fare evasion ``does not meet the minimum threshold for a sheriff's department incarceration due to jail overcrowding.''
Buscaino questioned the deputies' explanation and told The Times, ``I drove a police car for 15 years and never taxied anyone to their destination, especially to another jurisdiction... And especially a subject that was gravely disabled and had a warrant.''
Buscaino co-introduced a motion in January set to be discussed by the Public Safety Committee that asked representatives of the sheriff's department to conduct an investigation of the incident, and representatives of the department have also been asked to appear at the committee meeting to answer questions.
Branimir Kvartuc, a spokesman for Buscaino, said that the councilman ``is going to be careful. He's a former LAPD police officer, he's not looking to point fingers at the sheriff's department. What he really wants to do is use it as a platform for shared responsibility... on the homeless problem and to review what the policies and the procedures are.''
June 14, 2018
By Kimberlee Buck
Contributing Writer
Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti chose Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Michel Moore as the department’s new chief to replace retiring officer Charlie Beck. Moore has been with the department since 1981. However, Sunday, June 10, was the first time he stepped out with Garcetti to tour the city of South L.A. after being chosen as the new LAPD chief.
Stop Number One:
Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen
What’s a tour without food? One thing that makes South L.A. a unique community is the food combined with its richness of Black culture. Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, one of the first Black-owned private catering companies, is known to be one the perfect places to have a southern style meal while basking in Black culture. So of course Garcetti and Moore had to make this restaurant their first stop.
While there, the two met the owner of the restaurant, Greg Dulan, as well as Rev. John E. Cager III, pastor of Ward AME Church in Los Angeles and president of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders and Southern California AME Ministerial Alliance; program manager of the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard; and Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson to address the current community climate between residents of color and LAPD among other topics.
“I believe [Moore] understands the department's history with the African American community and the high expectations for making our neighborhoods safe, while also improving relations with the community,” said Harris-Dawson.
“He has demonstrated respect for South Los Angeles, and he wants to continue to transform the department to do the same. I shared with him the importance of supporting and expanding community based policing, such as the Community Safety Partnership, which is saving lives in the Harvard Park neighborhood.”
Cager stated Moore has the opportunity to shape LAPD into “the model of a 21st Century agency.”
“Our prayer is that he will transform policing in South Los Angeles so that LAPD is no longer viewed as an army of occupation and is instead seen as the protectors and servants of all of L.A.'s citizens,” he said.
Dulan stated, “How often does the mayor and the new chief of police stop by your restaurant. I spoke with Michel Moore, and he is a genuine man of God who wants to focus on improving relations between the police department and the community. The way they ate, I know they will be back. I like the new chief and I think he is an excellent choice and I look forward to working with him in any way that I can.”
Stop Number Two:
Avalon Carver Community Center
Los Angeles County has one of the largest homeless population counts in the nation. Since Garcetti came into office in 2013, he made the homelessness crisis a primary focus on his agenda. So it was no surprise when the mayor arranged for Moore and himself to have a public discussion with residents at the Home At Last Community Development Corporation (housed by the Avalon Carver Community Center); a non-profit organization that provides complimentary social work services to at-risk youth in South Los Angeles.
During the discussion which took place at Home At Last’s youth shelter, residents had the opportunity to voice their concerns and ask both Garcetti and Moore questions.
“You don’t judge a city just on its mountain peaks…we have to look at where we still have valleys. We have to talk to young people who still have hopes but can’t find a place to live. Folks that are in tents around all the neighborhoods of our city and figure out how public safety is something that is really a partnership, responsibility of all of us,” said Garcetti.
“I chose Michel Moore to be our next police chief because he was the person who could implement that next chapter. Not only of LAPD’s history but also of our city’s history and for me that starts in South L.A.”
Home At Last Administrative Director, Gina Dapremont, who attended the discussion had this to say about the event.
“I was very impressed with the appearance. The fact that the mayor and the new police chief took the time to come out and first hand observe and take note to the actual participants in the program, and address the needs and desires,” said Dapremont. She goes on to say that she plans to work with Moore and Garcetti in the future to determine ways in which they can better assist the organization.
Councilman Curren Price who was also at the discussion shared his thoughts on Garcetti’s pick for LAPD chief.
“It is imperative that the new LAPD chief spend time in diverse communities like South Los Angeles,” said Councilman Curren Price.
“The next chief of police must be out there making a genuine effort to gain the public's trust and strengthening relationships with our residents. I have a lot of respect for Michel Moore's decades-long experience and I look forward to working with the chief closely and learning more about his vision and goals for the future.”
Final Stop: Exclusive
L.A. Sentinel Interview
Garcetti and Moore made their final stop with a behind the scenes exclusive interview with Los Angeles Sentinel Managing Editor Brandon Brooks at the Avalon Carver Community Center. During the interview, Moore stated that the goal of coming to South L.A. Sunday was to show by both his words and actions, how important this part of the community is to him as a police chief and Angeleno.
“Los Angeles is made up of so many rich communities and so many of those communities have history and not all that history with the police has been good,” said Moore.
“I am committed to working in each of those communities, by being a police chief who listens and hears and does everything possible to address the concerns and grievances that communities may have and also to represent my officers. The men and women of this department are great and tremendous people who come to work each day to do good work and to do service and make sacrifice.”
Moore continued, the interview by saying he gets to take the messages he heard from the discussion on Sunday back to his fellow officers. Moving forward, Moore plans to bring a different tone to his department and the city by deepening community trust and providing officers with better resources.
“I intend to continue amplifying our engagement and presence in the houses of faith, on the street, our efforts to have coffee with a cop…so that we are visible, we are accessible and we are responsive,” said Moore.
He continued the interview by stating that he expects that same from LAPD and he knows that the men and women on the force are ready to make a change.
June 14, 2018
By Cora Jackson-Fossett
Contributing Writer
Family patriarchs will take center stage at the 16th Annual Honoring Unsung Fathers (H.U.F) Awards and Scholarship Brunch on Sunday, June 17, at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel.
Sponsored by the Mablean Ephriam Foundation, the event recognizes Southern California fathers who play a vital role in all aspects of their children’s upbringing.
Ephriam, a former Los Angeles prosecuting attorney, is well known for leading the popular TV programs “Divorce Court” and “Justice with Judge Mablean.” In March, she and her daughter, Taj Paxton, made history by becoming the first African American mother/daughter to earn dual Daytime Emmy nominations.