LAPD Prepared For Election-Related Unrest, Chief Moore Says

LOS ANGELES, CA —The Los Angeles Police Department is bracing for violence or potential civil unrest related to the looming Nov.3 general election, Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday.

The announcement, itself, is a sign of the unusual times. Not in modern history has there been widespread doubt about peaceful elections the United States.

But Moore said he doesn't anticipate any major incidents in Los Angeles, as the city doesn't have the same volume of armed militia groups as other cities. It does, however, have 15 hate groups in the city, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Some right-wing white supremacist groups have been increasingly violent during demonstrations, and President Donald Trump triggered widespread alarm when he called upon one such group to "Stand Back and stand by," at the last presidential debate.

LAPD sent an internal memo to its officers last week that said they may need to reschedule any vacations around election day as the agency prepares for possible protests or other unrest, according to the Los Angeles Times. Moore said the LAPD will be fully staffed during the election period, with officers alternating shifts to ensure a full presence.

At a Police Commission meeting Tuesday, Moore sought to assure residents that voters who head to the polls will be safe from harm.

"The most important aspect in our democracy is an election, a right to vote," Moore said. "We are safe."

The law enforcement community statewide is working together to prepare for contingencies including protest groups that may become violent.

"We're working with all of our partners, both first responders, emergency partners as well as L.A. County (sheriffs) ... to talk about the approaching election cycle," Moore said.

The LAPD is also coordinating with state and federal law enforcement, he added.

Voting will start at many Los Angeles County vote centers on Saturday, and voting by mail has been in full force throughout California, with more than 1.5 million early ballots already cast, according to state officials.

The chief said the department is working with the Registrar Recorder/County Clerk's office to ensure that people understand the rules of participating in an election and the ways they can vote.

Moore said if there are any disturbances, the LAPD is prepared to issue similar orders put in place in late May and early June due to protests over the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

During that time, curfews were implemented and unlawful gatherings were issued, and more than 2,700 people were arrested for not complying, vandalism, assault or other alleged crimes.

The LAPD was criticized by social justice groups in its response to the protests, which showed images of demonstrators being shot at with less- lethal projectiles, while some were corralled into buses -- closely quartered despite the coronavirus pandemic -- to be processed.

During the Los Angeles City Council meeting, Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said the county's Emergency Operations Center has been activated since the beginning of the pandemic, and it responds civil unrest as well.

"It's a critical concern, and I share the frustration with the national narrative around that," Logan said. "We want voters to feel comfortable using any of the options available for voting in Los Angeles County, and we've invested a lot into messaging around that."

Logan said county officials have spoken with poll workers about when to tell people that campaigning near a voting center is illegal, and what to do if a dispute becomes tense.

ERIC HEINZ, City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.