LAPD Cadets Arrested for Stolen Patrol Cars
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has arrested seven teenagers in its cadet program after patrol cars and equipment were stolen from the agency’s motor pool.
Photo via Flickr/Tomás Del Coro
Photo via Flickr/Tomás Del Coro
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has arrested seven teenagers in its cadet program after patrol cars and equipment were stolen from the agency’s motor pool. Three patrol cars were stolen from two locations, as well as two Tasers, two police radios, and a bulletproof vest.
At a press conference, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the cadets manipulated the agency’s automated motor pool system by logging in with the name of a sergeant who was on vacation. The first vehicle was discovered missing after a young cadet was seen filling up a police cruiser at an agency-owned fueling station.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the city's civilian-led Police Commission will ask the LAPD's inspector general to look into how the agency recruits and supervises its cadets.
The LAPD Cadet Program is open to members of the community between 13 and 20 years old. Currently, 2,300 cadets are enrolled in the program. The LAPD plans to review its cadet program as well as its equipment management systems.
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