Following the weekend fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy in the Palms neighborhood during an LAPD fundraising carnival, a member of the Police Commission Tuesday called on the department to clarify and bolster safety measures for fundraisers affiliated with the agency’s stations.
During Tuesday’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Maria Lou Calanche asked for the department to clarify or develop protocols to better secure fundraisers.
“We can’t prevent tragedy or random acts of violence, but we can at least have all our organizations that we work with know, like, here are the things that you should think about,” Calanche said.
Interim LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said the department would work with her on the effort, though he noted that booster groups and other organizations are responsible for safety at such events.
The events are often held to raise money for specific stations affiliated with a booster group, with officers patrolling and engaging the community.
“It’s supposed to be a fun event. This one, this particular event, had an incident that ended in tragedy,” Choi said.
The department aids event organizers by having some officers in attendance, ensuring the proper permits are pulled and helping with street closures. The Los Angeles Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development sometimes partners and have resources at these events, as well, Choi said.
On Saturday, a stabbing was reported around 10:30 p.m. near the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Keystone Avenue. A boy had been in a fight with “multiple” juveniles prior to being stabbed by the suspect, who was described as a man between 15 and 20 years of age, according to the LAPD.
The suspect fled on foot. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene, and police believe the attack was gang-related, according to the LAPD.
The LAPD did not immediately respond to an inquiry on the status of the investigation.
The stabbing occurred on the second day of a three-day event advertised as the Palms Community Weekend and Summer Carnival, co-hosted by the Pacific Area Boosters Association, the Motor Avenue Association and City Council District 5, which is represented by Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky.
The pop-up carnival was scheduled for June 21-23 on Venice Boulevard between Overland and Motor avenues. The primary sponsor of the event, the Pacific Area Boosters Association, is described as an organization of business professionals and community members that was incorporated in 1973 and supports the LAPD’s Pacific Division.
The Pacific Area Boosters Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Our entire community is shaken by the news of (Saturday) night’s horrific violence. My thoughts go out to the victim’s family and friends, as they navigate this devastating loss,” Yaroslavsky said in a statement to CNS. “My team and I are in regular communication with LAPD leadership, and have offered my office’s full support as they investigate this heinous act and bring the individual responsible to justice.”