KAEPERNICK'S FREEDOM FIGHTERS LIBERATED MORE THAN 150 LAPD PATROL CARS

Bill Tops $1 Million To Fix Police Cars Damaged During Civil Unrest

LAPPL News Watch
June 25, 2020

More than 150 patrol cars were damaged during two days of civil unrest in the city of Los Angeles last month and the total cost to taxpayers -- over $1 million.

"You can see here the officer's water bottles, the metal water bottles, so they didn't have time to gather any of their belongings," said Mark Wyrick, the LAPD auto body repair supervisor. Wyrick is usually working on patrol cars such as one that got T-boned in a severe crash earlier this month.

But it was after two days of not-so-peaceful protests in LA in May that led to patrol car after patrol car, smashed, slashed or scorched. "These are 100% totaled," he said. "We can't salvage anything from these vehicles. I've been in my position about 11 years now. This is the worst I've seen."

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the patrol vehicles are critical to be able to police the 468 square miles of Los Angeles and that proposed budget cuts have forced the department to conduct a top-to-bottom review of every line item, including the money for squad cars.

The 'black and white' is literally a police officer's office," he said. "The nearly one-million dollars in damage to our fleet during the recent protests will make it even more difficult to replace our already aging fleet."