An email from a Los Angeles police officer that surfaced online Thursday said law enforcement was planning to arrest homeless people en masse during a scheduled cleanup — prompting the department to issue a condemnation of the email, and the city controller to promise an investigation.
"Everyone will be arrested and all their belongings will be taken away by sanitation," the email said.
Hollywood resident and LAPD critic William Gude, who posts on Twitter under the account @FilmThePoliceLA, tweeted a screenshot just before noon Tuesday of an email that appeared to be written by Senior Lead Officer Brittney Gutierrez of the LAPD's Topanga Division. It described a "scheduled cleanup with sanitation" for Thursday. It was unclear to whom Gutierrez was sending the email.
Gude said he was sent the screenshot by another Twitter user, @CaliCre8ive. He posted an email he sent to LAPD Chief Michel Moore inquiring about the veracity of the image.
"If this email is legit, the LAPD is planning to arrest homeless on Thursday," he tweeted with the screenshot.
It also suggested the action was covert.
"As always, do not approach these individuals experiencing homelessness. I want to make sure all are there at the encampment on the 29th so I can arrest them," the email said. "This is a hush hush task force."
The screenshot received more than 1,000 retweets and prompted a response from the office of City Controller Kenneth Mejia.
"This is troubling & reinforces the criminalization of homelessness in the City of LA," Mejia said on Twitter, adding that his office will be investigating further.
At 6:30 p.m. PT, LAPD issued a statement about the "Care Plus" cleanup, calling the email "highly inappropriate" and saying the cleanup had been postponed.
"When enforcement becomes necessary it is in response to a criminal action," the statement read. "Enforcement will not be used as a means of creating a quick fix to a complicated situation, nor will it be based solely on the person's homeless status."
"Care Plus" cleanups are done on a daily basis in conjunction with the Los Angeles Sanitation Department. They are typically announced multiple days in advance to give those living in encampments time to clear the area before the cleanup.
The statement was issued in direct response to the email screenshot circulating on social media, LAPD spokesperson Capt. Kelly Muniz said.
In addition to the cleanup postponement, the LAPD scheduled a community meeting for the Topanga area office at 6 p.m. PT July 11 led by the unit's commanding officer, Capt. Francis Boateng, to discuss the department's stance when it comes to homeless residents.
