What do you notice about the City of LA's budget priorities over the past 13 years? 🤔
I'll point out one thing: the department that maintains, preserves, and enhances our roads, sidewalks, and trees has a SMALLER operating budget than it did 13 years ago!
Know which one? 🛠️
New on Knock: Trump is coming for public housing. By banning mixed immigration status families from public housing, the regime wouldn’t only send homelessness skyrocketing; the rule change would dynamite the financial support for the entire system.
knock-la.com/trump-is-com...
A collage of headlines about the killings of Takar Smith, Oscar Leon Sanchez, Keenan Anderson at the hands of LAPD, And the text: New Report: On the Sideline: Assessing LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit and SMART Co-response Model. Read the report: bit.ly/lapdmeu
NEW ASSESSMENT: LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit We found that LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) fails to prioritize mental health treatment & de-escalation. Instead, it prioritizes: - Relieving patrol units - Putting people in forced 72-hour detention Read the report: bit.ly/lapdmeu
Quote by Controller Mejia: “Currently, the primary response that exists for mental health emergencies is the LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit’s SMART teams. MEU’s own stated mission is to prevent unnecessary incarceration and hospitalization and reduce violence – however, my Office’s assessment of LAPD MEU found that LAPD does little to prove MEU or SMART accomplish any of this.
NEW 🚨
In January 2023, LAPD killed three people suffering mental health crises.
In response, our Office assessed the LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) & found that LAPD requires a patrol-first, armed response in mental health calls for service.
Full report:
bit.ly/lapdmeu
A screenshot from the LA Times article headline that says “Supreme Court upholds ‘roving patrols’ for immigration stops in Los Angeles. Below the text is a photo of masked men in Border patrol facing the camera and walking
Today is a dark day for LA.
The Supreme Court ruled that ICE is allowed to racially profile people. Even when this was ruled illegal in July, ICE continued indiscriminate raids in LA.
We fear more kidnappings of Angelenos by the federal government.
An image of the LA Times front page with the headline, “One dead, 40 hurt in East LA riot. Times columnist Ruben Salazar killed by bullet”
On this day 55 years ago in 1970, more than 20,000 people, mostly Chicanos, marched through East LA to protest the Vietnam War, systemic racism, police brutality & the disproportionate number of Mexican American soldiers dying overseas.
It was called the Chicano Moratorium.
What is the City of LA doing to REDUCE HARM & LIABILITY PAYOUTS? 🤔
On ABC7 to talk about our NEW AUDIT that we just launched!🔎
A photo of Watts during the Watts Uprising, showing a few buildings on fire.
This week marks the 60th anniversary of the Watts Uprising.
The initial spark was a drunk driving arrest on August 11, 1965, but below the surface, the ensuing 6 days of civil unrest were fueled by years of neglect and alleged police abuses.
🚨 NEW AUDIT 🚨
We're auditing the City of LA's risk management practices to REDUCE HARM & LIABILITY PAYOUTS‼️
The City must do its best to manage risks before they lead to injuries, death, and the claims, litigation, & payouts that follow (a BIG reason for our budget deficit).
As the City's Accountant, we're working to calculate City related costs to protests in response to the violent ICE raids & militarization of our City.
One question we've been getting asked a lot is:
"HOW MUCH HAVE LA TAXPAYERS PAID IN LAPD LIABILITIES RE: PROTEST EVENTS?" 🧵
We won! The hotel has asked #ICE to leave! #Pasadena #protest #RachelMadow
08.06.2025 23:53 — 👍 2262 🔁 506 💬 53 📌 63
NEW AUDIT of the City of LA’s AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERSIGHT Financial Distress, Noncompliant Properties, Habitability Concerns Controller Kenneth Mejia Calls for More Investment, Stronger Enforcement, Better Oversight To Improve Living Conditions Read the audit: bit.ly/ah-audit
🚨 NEW AUDIT: AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERSIGHT
We found:
📉Financially distressed properties
❌Income & rent limit violations
🪳Habitability issues (e.g., infestations)
The City needs stronger oversight & enforcement instead of a reactive & siloed approach.
bit.ly/ah-audit
The City of LA is SPENDING money (during a budget crisis) to STOP Venice Dell - an affordable housing project that the public wants, the City desperately needs, & that 👏 WAS 👏 ALREADY 👏 APPROVED 👏 by the City & the State.
(Even a federal Judge spoke up about it 👨⚖️)
Tell City Council: Vote for emergency renter protections City Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez recently proposed tenant protections in response to the fires. This week, a majority of Council voted to send their proposed protections back to committee for further consideration. With the vote delayed, you can still call your councilmember! Ask them to vote for the strongest renter protections possible. Meanwhile, keep reading to learn your existing rights➡️ Look up which Councilmember represents you: laforward.org > Resources > Find Your Reps
You still have time! 📞Contact your Councilmember & ask them to vote for the strongest renter protections possible! laforward.org > Resources > Find Your Reps
Meanwhile, keep reading - & 🔖BOOKMARK THIS - to learn your existing renters’ rights➡️
A still from an animated gif of the map, originally showing each year, 2019 through 2022. Arrests appear to decrease significantly between 2019 and 2020, and then further decrease slightly each year over the following years.
📱NEW Map & Analysis:
Over the past four years (2019-2022), LAPD has made nearly 300,000 arrests. We created a map of these arrests:
https://arrests.lacontroller.io/
Select a year, then filter the map by race, Council District, LAPD Division, & type of arrest.
MEGATHREAD: Our first 6 months in office Thank you to all who attended our Virtual UPDATE! If you missed it, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/Wl5YAeHkyJs Here’s a recap of what we’ve done and what we’re working on since December (A LOT):
27.06.2023 19:05 — 👍 4 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
Our transparency work on the criminalization of homelessness got the LAPD’s attention yesterday.
A big question remains though:
With all the funding the LAPD gets (https://budget.lacontroller.io) why didn’t they do the math on their own? 🤔
Check out our map: https://4118arrests.lacontroller.io
Our team created this tool to give LA & beyond a look at what criminalizing poverty means.
In LA, it means that 43% of folks arrested were Black, even though they only make up 8% of our population.
Our unhoused neighbors need services & homes, not discriminatory fines & jail.
The cover for the FWA report
A chart defining Fraud, waste, & abuse. Fraud is: Any intentional act or omission designed to deprive the City of its resources to which the individual or person is not entitled, including but not limited to: making false statements or submitting false documents; withholding or misrepresenting material facts;bribery; or unauthorized disclosure of confidential procurement documents. Waste is: The extravagant or excessive expenditure of City funds above and beyond the level that is reasonably required to meet the needs of the City or the consumption or use of City resources that is not knowingly authorized. Abuse is: The improper use of City resources in a manner contrary to law or City policy or the improper use of one’s position for private gain or advantage for themselves or any other person where not otherwise lawful. Source: Los Angeles Administrative Code, Division 20; Chapter 4; Article 2; Section 20.60.4.
📝ANNUAL REPORT: FRAUD, WASTE, & ABUSE
Today, we released the Fraud, Waste, & Abuse Annual Report 2022.
Our Fraud, Waste, & Abuse (FWA) Unit works to protect your tax dollars by deterring fraud, waste, & abuse in City government.
controller.lacity.gov/audits/fwa-2022
A photo of the executive staff of the Controller's office.
📝 What are we working on, what have we done, & what is ongoing? 🧵
The City Controller's office has close to 150 amazing staff to carry out our work as LA City's accountant, auditor, & paymaster.
Here’s where we’re at after 4.5 months in office!
Big welcome to @lacontroller.bsky.social, the first LA city agency on bluesky.
We hustle hard to boost transparency & accountability in areas that matter, including public safety & homelessness.
Check out this thread and our data tools (https://controller.lacity.gov/data) for a taste of our work.
A wikihow illustration of a person with a thought bubble of one cat and another thought bubble of too many cats
What hustle culture does to the brain
11.05.2023 01:25 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0This doesn’t absolve toxic hustle culture and its #1 problem, which is causing people to get too many cats
11.05.2023 01:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Toxic hustle culture’s number 1 problem: We’re told constantly to adopt more cats. We get pressured to adopt a 3rd cat… then a 4th cat… pretty soon you find yourself with 6 cats and you still feel like you’ll never have enough cats. And hustle culture keeps telling you still to adopt more cats
11.05.2023 00:52 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Photo of my cat. Crouching, eyes dilated, ears flattened and forward
Another photo of my cat crouched down, eyes dialated, ears flattened, so serious
My other cat posing with all of her toys which she earned by hunting them all down like a beast
My cat with a stuffed mouse in her mouth. She looks fierce
What hustle culture in my household looks like
11.05.2023 00:39 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
An infographic detailing that 49% of injuries or deaths resulting from LAPD car chases were suffered by bystanders.
According to a newly released report, LAPD were involved in 4,203 car chases from Jan. 2018 - Mar. 2023.
- 38% (1,592) ended in crashes.
- 25% (1,032) involved injury or death.
Innocent bystanders make up 49% of those hurt or killed, including:
- 9 deaths
- 496 injuries
It’s budget season across the US - do you know how your city is spending your money?
Here’s a striking fact: the LAPD's proposed $3.24B budget is more than 34 other City department and bureaus combined.
Some include: Youth Development $3M, Community Investment for Families $35M, & Housing $334M.
Jorts we know you follow your humans into the bathroom. It’s ok
05.05.2023 04:38 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The cruel murder of Jordan Neely shows the dangers that unhoused folks face every day.
In L.A., over 20% of last year’s murders were of unhoused folks, who only make up 1% of our community. Black folks comprised 30% of all deaths.
We have to do better. Our team built this tool to map the crisis:
Heard that there are still tons of wildflowers blooming at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in Baldwin Hills and the rumors are true
01.05.2023 04:07 — 👍 11 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
