Public Safety Committee approves consent items; public commenters press LAPD on donations, encampments and fees

At its Jan. 28 meeting the Los Angeles Public Safety Committee adopted items 2 through 10 on consent (4 ayes; Councilmember Price absent) after the chair proposed the consent package and read the accompanying recommendations and amendment. The committee later approved an amendment to item 3 instructing the Fire Department and Department of Building and Safety, in consultation with the City Attorney, to report on how materials identified for removal in hillside very‑high fire severity zones are determined to pose a fire hazard; the amendment passed on a 4–0 vote.

During the public comment period several speakers addressed items on the agenda and broader policing concerns. Andrew Grabner urged a shift from patrol emphasis to community services and questioned enforcement priorities regarding cannabis and the department’s use of equipment. Business representatives Dustin Goe and Rachel Golding, speaking for STISI, asked for additional city support at 2001 Alameda Street and on McGarry Street to address encampment‑related theft, illegal dumping and an encampment fire on Jan. 20 that, they said, required Fire Department response and created safety concerns for employees.

Other public commenters raised ethical and transparency concerns about a Board of Police Commissioners nonmonetary donation valued at $250,000 and urged clearer disclosure of donation sources; some speakers named Scientology while others argued against fees for certain rescue responses to seniors. The committee did not take immediate policy action in response to those public comments during this meeting.

The meeting concluded after committee votes and the clerk confirmed no further items; the chair adjourned.