LA Mayor Stabs LAPD in the Back

Before the investigations have even gotten a good start, L.A. Mayor Antonio (VivaLaRaza) Villaraigosa is declaring the cops guilty and siding with their accusers:

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez are expected to join immigrant-rights protesters Thursday at a rally denouncing police behavior during a May 1 immigration rights rally.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a town hall-style meeting at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, located at Wilshire Boulevard and Berendo Street, followed at 6 p.m. by a 10-block procession to MacArthur Park, where organizers will hold a candlelight vigil and a series of performances.

"The LAPD denied our community both a political and physical space to nonviolently claim our rights to legalization for all undocumented immigrants and a fair immigration reform for the country," said the event's organizer, Mexican American Political Association President Nativo Lopez. "Political leaders and organizations throughout the country stand solidly with us."

This is a huge mistake by the mayor. The LAPD has been struggling to maintain adequate staffing for some years and morale is at an all-time low (previous related post here). Though there were clearly errors in how the LAPD handled the May Day rally, investigations are underway and it would have been much better for the city had the Mayor waited until all the information was in before taking sides. Thanks to actions like this, there will come a day when L.A. citizens will dial 911 and nobody will come because they won't be able to get anybody to take the job.