LAPD officials acknowledged Wednesday that they disbanded a counter-terrorism unit earlier this year as part of Chief Charlie Beck's efforts to put more patrol officers on the streets amid budget cuts.
The Protective Security Task Force consisted of about two dozen plainclothes cops who could be dispatched to provide a “cloak” of high-level security at a building or event that had been threatened with attack or was otherwise believed to be at risk, said Deputy Chief Michael Downing, head of the LAPD’s Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau.
Officers from the task force also tested the vulnerabilities of city skyscrapers, landmark buildings and other possible high-value targets by sneaking into the locations as terrorists might and later reviewing ways to tighten security with the buildings' private security forces, Downing said.
Officials said it was painful decision to disband the unit but stressed that the task force made up only a small part of the LAPD’s counter-terrorism efforts and that the bureau’s primary function of gathering intelligence continues.
About 270 people are assigned to the bureau, Downing said. The task force “was a valued asset, and I would have liked to keep it,” he said, “but every part of the department has to make sacrifices right now, and this made the most sense.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Spamming will be removed.
Due to spamming. Comments need to be moderated. Your post will appear after moderated regardless of your views as long as they are not abusive in nature. Consistent abusive posters will not be viewed but deleted.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.