Public commenter urges council members to request state investigators review LAPD oversight

During the public-comment period at the Sept. 17 Los Angeles City Council meeting, a speaker urged council members to seek the governor’s help by requesting investigators to review alleged police misconduct and deficient record-keeping.

The speaker, whose name was called by the clerk, told the council that “the police are not doing their jobs here and elsewhere” and said officers “are refusing to make required records and they are refusing to do serious investigations.” He asked each councilmember to “individually write letters to the governor and ask him to send a handful of investigators from the National Guard to look into police misconduct.”

The commenter framed the request as a low-cost, high-impact action and asked that councilmembers either make the request or explain why residents are not “entitled to this highest level of oversight.” The council acknowledged public comment and proceeded to the next business item; the transcript does not record any immediate council response or a motion arising from the comment.

The clerk had called the name Damon Heller as an early speaker; the transcript indicates the comment occurred during general public comment and is recorded in the meeting minutes for Sept. 17.