Radical progressive Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez – a vocal supporter of the “Defund the Police” movement – is facing criticism after one of his staffers reportedly requested the Los Angeles Police Dept. (LAPD) Wednesday night in an effort to raise patrols to help his car.
The LAPD received a request from Soto-Martinez’s office on Wednesday to patrol the area around a white Lexus that had broken down, FOX LA reportedPolice believed the item belonged to the Councilman, as it was.
Image shared by popular Instagram account @streetpeopleoflosangeles and published in Los Angeles Magazine appeared to show an officer’s mobile computer screen featuring instructions that read in part, “EXTRA PATROL THOROUGHT NIGHT FOR PARKED WHITE LEXUS BELONGING TO COUNCILMEMBER. VEH BROKE DOWN.”
“By Friday, the image had migrated to Instagram and Twitter, where it became ammunition for Soto-Martinez’s enemies in L.A.’s never ending culture wars,”The L.A. Magazine’sJason McGahan wrote.
Soto-Martinez’s deputy communications director Nick Barnes issued a statement to the publication, reading:
It’s come to our attention that a deputy staffer has had some contact with the LAPD regarding his personal vehicle. We are investigating this matter internally and will be taking appropriate action…Council member Soto-Martinez is very upset, as this does not reflect the values of transparency, responsible governance, and being accountable to the community that elected him.
Per Fox LA and David Mai, the employee has been identified by him as David Mai. It was in the station’s broadcast driving the Lexus. Soto-Martinez (district 13) tweets that he has a Prius.
LA City Council District 13 has seen the labor movement. 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/LIA00pB6O3
— Hugo Soto-Martínez (@HugoForCD13) December 12, 2022
The office’s request provoked accusations of hypocrisy in light of Soto-Martinez’s past remarks about law enforcement. A few weeks later, George Floyd died in May 2020. The councilman then tweeted an image showing a protest and wrote, “We are not going to stop until we defund the police.”
Echo Park lake. With a thousand of my most trusted friends. We will not stop until the police are defunded, Jackie Lacey is gone, and this society transforms. #PeoplesBudgetLA #CareNotCops pic.twitter.com/TgIhy2dQG7
— Hugo Soto-Martínez (@HugoForCD13) June 13, 2020
Soto Martinez also the L.A. TimesNotes was a former “elected leader of the L.A. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America”Has tweetedYou can find the “LAPD has killed hundreds”Moreover, tweeted “cops kill POC [people of color] with impunity.”
California will start to reduce unemployment benefits from $450 per week beginning August 1, 2010. Given that economic hardship is the main reason people get thrown into the streets, this doesn’t look good. The police must also be defunded. #PeoplesBudgetLA #CareNotCops https://t.co/vaEtqSsfri
— Hugo Soto-Martínez (@HugoForCD13) June 12, 2020
While we have vacant hotels and Airbnbs, the homeless sleep on the streets, millions of people are not employed, while cops murder POC with impunity. It gets worse @MayorOfLAIs it possible to propose a budget which gives the cops an increase while cutting services in cities? There should not be any surprise. #peoplesbudgetla @BLMLA
— Hugo Soto-Martínez (@HugoForCD13) May 31, 2020
Fox LA reports that Soto-Martinez also checked the box on his city council questiononiare identifying him as a prison abolitionist and a police officer.
“Police officers have so much more to do than to go and do X patrol on anyone’s vehicle,” Sgt. Jerretta Sandos, Vice President of Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), stated in an interview with FOX LA. “When you are anti-police, abolish the police… then why are you calling for help?”
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