The Problem With City Council's Motion to Modify "Special Order 40"

Oh no...Zuma Dogg was happy to see some leadership inside Council chambers with it's motion to modify Special Order 40, based on Jamiel Shaw, Sr's public comment before L.A. City Council, last week.

However, it was based on "hearing" a description of the motion. Although many people feel Zine's motion doesn't go far enough, I feel the actual Jamiel's Law as authored by Mayoral candidate Walter Moore would NEVER be approved by City Council.

But the motion at City Council is just a "request" to have LAPD make the modifications...and since Antonio controls Bratton/LAPD...he can make sure they don't make them until he is out of office. (ZD is of the belief Antonio's #1 directive is to protect all illegals in this City and prevent this exact motion/law from happening.)

So as Mr. Shaw referred to in his email to ZD earlier today (click here) , "We are going to work on getting the law on the ballot for the voters to decide. That's Plan B. Just in case the council members continue to ignore us."

HERE'S THE ZINE MOTION:

Special Order 40 should also be modified to address the specific situations of known gang members who are also undocumented immigrants.

The LAPD, with the authorization of the Board ofPolice Commissioners, has allowed gang suppression units to keep files on known gang members and share those files with other law enforcement and anti-gang agencies. LAPD officers should be instructed to access that information to determine whether suspects they encounter in the course of gang investigations are in fact known gang members. Further, officers should be authorized to question suspects who are known gang members regarding their immigration status.

I THEREFORE MOVE that the City Council request the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners to modify Special Order 40 to state that when, in the course of gang suppression investigations, LAPD officers are able to verify that a suspect is a known gang member, those officers be instructed to obtain information on the suspect's immigration status and transmit that information to ICE.

I FURTHER MOVE that this modification to Special Order 40 also include a provision stating that if a known gang member is arrested by LAPD, and that person is also found to be an undocumented immigrant, that an immigration hold be placed on the arrestee by LAPD until such time as the arrestee may be released to the custody of ICE.

Now I know Walter Moore and Kevin James don't think this goes far enough (they have a problem with what this would do if LAPD DID decide to approve this. My main problem (and it's a HUGE problem) is the word "request". Looks to me like nothing but one of City Council's famous "symbolic resolutions".

I'll follow-up in on Thursday morning and try and get a response from Zine's office as to the concern over this motion only being a "request."

ZUMA TIMES PREDICTS: Look for CM Tony Cardenas to support Council's motion to "request" these S.O. 40 modifications. CM Cardenas is a bigger opponent of the Mayor Antonio than Zuma Dogg is...so ZD says Cardenas can/will support this.

EQUAL TIME: Someone contacted Zuma Times to mention something that concerns certain members of the Latino community regarding this issue: Some people feel that when a Hispanic is killed in the street all you hear is the sound of crickets chirping from the media...but when it is an African American who is shot...the whole world rallies and there is all kinds of people coming forward and all the media coverage. [So I am mentioning this because it is a political factor to be considered.]

ZumaTimes.com

ITA UPDATE: AGM/XO Ken Simmons announced in the Executive Managers meeting that he is leaving ITA, effective May 9, 2008.