The City Council voted 11-0 to adopt my legislation closing a loophole, which left LAPD officers who fall victim to assaults while off-duty and out of City limits without any means to have rewards issued on their behalf. After Wednesday’s vote and one more second-reading vote next week, the City of Los Angeles will now be able to issue rewards on behalf of officers who are assaulted or killed, whether officers are attacked while on-duty or off, in or out of City limits. The maximum rewards for assaults on Los Angeles Public Safety officers will also be raised to $100,000.I want to thank Councilmember Greig Smith and the Public Safety Committee, the LAPD and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. A special thanks to LAPD Capt. Rigoberto Romero for sharing his story his story about the time some years ago his wife, two young daughters and he were shot at outside of City limits as they entered their home. Their assailants were never caught. Thank goodness Capt. Romero and his family were not struck, despite nine rounds being shot at them.
On behalf of officers like Capt. Romero, we want to make sure should something like that happen again, the City of Los Angeles can and will use every legal tool possible, including rewards, to bring criminals who target our officers to justice.
