United Firefighters of Los Angeles president is "outraged" over removal of LAFD chief
The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City president blasted Mayor Karen Bass for her decision to remove Kristin Crowley as Los Angeles Fire Department chief, saying she is a "scapegoat."
Bass made the announcement Friday afternoon and shortly after, union President Freddy Escobar, a 35-year LAFD veteran, said firefighters stand united in recognizing her removal as a "grave mistake" by the mayor.
"On behalf of the firefighters I represent, I am here to say we are outraged at the termination of fire Chief Crowley, period. In our opinion, Chief Crowley is being made a scapegoat, and she is being terminated for telling the truth."
Early in December, Crowley had issued a warning about $17 million in recent budget cuts potentially hurting LAFD's ability to respond to emergencies.
She wrote in a memo to the Board of Fire Commissioners that the slashing of $7 million in funding for overtime hours had "severely limited the Department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies."
Escobar said that the department has long been underfunded and under-resourced. He said staff was ready and available on Jan. 7 when the Palisades Fire broke out.
"I was here in Los Angeles when they did the recall. We had more members willing to participate than we had seats to put those members in," he said -- shifting blame to a lack of mechanics available to fix broken fire engines.
Escobar also refuted the other reason Bass gave for removing Crowley from her position as chief -- for refusing to do an after-action fire report.
" I have called for a full investigation of everything leading up to Jan. 7. A necessary step to the investigation was the president of the fire commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after-action report on the fires. The fire chief refused," Bass said at Friday's announcement.
"I am going to tell you right now, an after-action report is occurring while we speak," Escoabar said. "It's called FSRI, which stands for Fire Safety Research Institute." He said the institute is a private entity, funded by the state, and is actively investigating the Palisades and Eaton fires.
The union president continued to praise Crowley's work ethic and character. "I've known Chief Crowley for 20-plus years. She's a person of integrity and a true leader."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Over 200 arrests made amid curfew in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday night
The Los Angeles Police Department made more than 200 arrests during protests in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday night, following the enforcement of a citywide curfew and reports of criminal activity. While most people dispersed after officers arrived, police reported 203 arrests for failure to disperse. Authorities also reported 17 curfew-related arrests, three arrests for possession of a firearm, one for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, and one for discharging a laser at an LAPD helicopter. According to the LAPD, officers, along with multiple law enforcement partners, responded to large gatherings near Temple Street and Los Angeles Street after the curfew took effect at 8 p.m. 2 men charged with throwing Molotov cocktails at officers during protests The curfew, issued by Mayor Karen Bass, covered the area bounded by the 5, 10 and 110 freeways. The curfew is in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and will remain in place until further notice, according to the mayor's office Two LAPD officers were injured and received medical treatment, the department said. Police also deployed numerous less-lethal munitions during the crowd control efforts. Another update on arrests is expected Thursday morning. None of the arrestees were identified by Angeles — especially downtown — has been the site of destructive and at times violent demonstrations over the past five days. Protests also spread into Orange County when ICE raids were confirmed in Santa Ana. Local, state and federal leaders have urged demonstrators to protest peacefully; Bass went so far as to say that those who engage in looting and other violent activity 'do not care' about immigrants. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
A tamer night in downtown Los Angeles as LAPD makes more arrests, enforces curfew
After days of immigration protests, downtown L.A.'s first night under curfew ended Wednesday morning with dozens of arrests, but less destruction and fewer clashes between protesters and authorities. The curfew went into effect at 8 p.m. Tuesday and lifted at 6 a.m. the following day. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that at least 25 people were arrested for violating the curfew in its first hours. The curfew encompasses the downtown civic center, including City Hall, the main county criminal courthouse, LAPD headquarters and federal buildings that have been the target of protests leading to property damage and hundreds of arrests. Shortly before the curfew went into effect, Mayor Karen Bass and faith leaders marched to the federal building on Los Angeles Street, walking through an area that had for days been covered in shattered glass, graffiti and spent police munitions. Bass said that she expects the curfew to remain in place for several days and will consult with law enforcement and elected leaders before lifting it. She said it was necessary to curb the actions of 'bad actors who do not support the immigrant community.' Although no demonstrators were arrested by local law enforcement during initial confrontations with federal immigration authorities on Friday, tensions escalated over the course of the weekend, leading to larger gatherings punctuated by episodes of violence, theft, graffiti, and property destruction. L.A. police said they made 27 arrests on Saturday, 40 on Sunday and more than 100 on Monday. An additional 205 protesters were arrested Tuesday before Bass announced the curfew at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Over the last few days, people have been arrested for an array of alleged crimes including failure to disperse, throwing a Molotov cocktail at an officer, driving a motorcycle into a line of police, destruction of property and theft. 'Many businesses have now been affected by vandalism,' said Bass on Tuesday. 'Last night there were 23 businesses that were looted. If you drive through downtown, the graffiti is everywhere and has caused significant damages to businesses and a number of properties.' Parts of the city were last put under a curfew during the George Floyd protests in 2020. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said hundreds of people have been taken into custody during the raids since Friday. But it's not clear exactly how many people have been arrested. An immigrants rights leader in Los Angeles said about 300 people have been detained by federal authorities in California since sweeps began last week. Angelica Salas, director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said her group used interviews with family members, conversations with elected officials and direct reporting from the ground to confirm detentions. 'Our communities are being terrorized. We're in a state of terror. People are outraged at what's happening,' she told the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday. Staff writer Noah Goldberg contributed to this article. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Los Angeles under curfew as Marines prepare to mobilize
(NewsNation) — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday said her city has 'reached a tipping point' amid escalating protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. The city's police chief confirmed nearly 200 were arrested on Tuesday, with thousands of National Guard troops standing by at Trump's behest. U.S. Marines are expected to be deployed in LA's streets on Wednesday. Fines waived for those who self-deport, DHS says The protests — which began Friday after federal immigration raids in LA — have caused chaos in the nation's second-largest city, inspired similar rallies across the country and reignited tensions between Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Demonstrations are expected to continue throughout the week, with 'No Kings' events planned across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump's military parade through Washington. Bass declared a local emergency and implemented a curfew for the city: 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time. Officials said the restriction aims to deter vandalism and looting. Police made arrests as soon as the curfew took effect, while members of the National Guard stood watch behind plastic shields. The curfew is expected to last several days, Bass said. Geraldo Rivera: ICE arrest quotas 'deeply disturbing' The curfew doesn't apply to residents who live in the designated area, people who are homeless, credentialed media or public safety and emergency officials, according to LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell. Protests erupted Tuesday in Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Portland, New York and more, echoing the demonstrations in LA. In Chicago, the city's transit authority temporarily suspended bus services to the Loop, its downtown neighborhood, as protests and marches spread. NewsNation affiliate WGN reported a car appeared to drive through a crowd of marching protestors, narrowly missing them. It is unclear if the person in the vehicle has been apprehended by law enforcement. New York authorities said they arrested more than 80 people overnight following a demonstration at the New York ICE Bureau in Federal Plaza. ICE defends raids at Rio Grande Valley worksites, arrests 12 In El Paso, Texas, activists gathered in the city's downtown San Jacinto Plaza in solidarity with California's communities, NewsNation affiliate KTSM reported. 'What we're seeing in Los Angeles is not new. It's the amplification of a strategy we've endured at the border for years,' said Fernando Garcia, executive director for Border Network for Human Rights, in a news release. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday night he planned to deploy the state's National Guard to 'ensure peace and order.' 'Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest,' Abbott said on social media. According to the Pentagon, the deployment of troops to California will cost at least $134 million and mainly cover 'just the cost of travel, housing and food' for about 700 active-duty Marines and more than 4,100 National Guard troops sent to protect federal buildings and personnel. 'We stated very publicly that it's 60 days because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we're not going anywhere,' Hegseth told lawmakers. The war of words between Trump and Newsom has escalated alongside the protests. In sending troops to LA, Trump cited Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which allows the president to 'call into federal service members and units of the National Guard of any State in such numbers as he considers necessary' when there is a rebellion, an invasion or the danger of either happening. ICE raids won't stop despite protests: DHS spokesperson Newsom called the deployment a threat to democracy and sued the administration. Though a judge did not grant an injunction on Tuesday, a hearing is scheduled for Thursday. California Attorney General Rob Bonta told NewsNation on Wednesday that Trump has overstepped. 'There's existing law that governs what the president can do and can't do. The president has invoked a specific statute to call in the National Guard that he believes authorizes him … and that law requires that there be a rebellion there,' Bonta said Tuesday on 'Elizabeth Vargas Reports.' 'There's no rebellion. It requires that there be an invasion. There's no invasion,' he said. Posse Comitatus Act: Does law allow Trump to send troops to LA? The president has not ruled out invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to use the military to conduct civilian law enforcement activities. The last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. On Monday, Trump floated the idea of border czar Tom Homan arresting Newsom, telling reporters, 'I would do it if I were Tom.' NewsNation's Anna Kutz and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
