Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Exhibit
PREPARED TESTIMONY
OF
JAMING ARKANGEL
address.
Police Department. My business address is 1330 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles,
California, 90015.
Dorsey High School, to discuss the law enforcement challenges that will be posed by the
rail crossing planned for Farmdale Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, and to review how
alternative proposals for the crossing would improve my ability to enforce laws and keep
students safe.
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Q: How long have you been assigned to Dorsey?
A: I was assigned to an early morning patrol shift. I patrolled a wide range of areas
for emergencies or criminal activity between 9:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. I began that
position three months after my probationary period with the department ended. Before
joining the department, I was a Community Service Officer at California State University
at Northridge.
Criminlogy. I attended the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy, and attend in-service
A: My job is to enforce the law and keep students safe and secure. I investigate
crimes and make arrests. I also work with community organizations, such as Community
Build, which provides “eyes and ears” for students walking to and from school. I attend
develop.
within the Los Angeles Unified School District as part of my duties. I generally patrol
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within a two mile radius of Dorsey High School. I am often called to other nearby
Q: Aside from nearby schools, what off-site locations near Dorsey do you patrol
most frequently?
A: I patrol places where students congregate, including the neighboring park, the
burrito stand at Farmdale Avenue and Jefferson Avenue, the McDonalds on La Brea, and
the 7-11 on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. I also regularly respond to calls from
other businesses reporting thefts or that students have rushed the store. Drug usage
A: I arrive at 7:30 a.m. and leave about an hour after dismissal, just after 4:00 p.m.
Q: How would you describe the neighborhoods around Dorsey High School?
A: The area suffers from gangs and violence, and students at Dorsey are among the
gang members. Students and other gang members frequently fight in the area around the
school. For instance, the side streets just north of campus, between Jefferson and
Exposition, are full of industrial and commercial buildings, and have little foot traffic.
Students frequently fight in this area. Gang members and other individuals also target
students for robberies and drug dealing. I frequently get reports from students that they
Q: In your work as an officer for the Los Angeles School Police, have you
A: Yes.
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Q: Are you familiar with the plans to install an at-grade crossing, with a
A: Yes.
familiarity with the crossing design, do you have any concerns about the proposed
crossing?
A: Yes.
A: Based on student behavior that I have observed over the past four and a half years,
I am very concerned about the potential for students to engage in risky behavior that will
result in a deadly accident with the train. Every day, students crossing the street seem to
deliberately block cars in the intersections. I frequently must use my loudspeaker to get
students to move out of the street. Students seem to assume that drivers will stop for
them. I have seen students step into Rodeo Road to jaywalk with only a brief glance at
the cars coming nearest them. They continue crossing that four-lane road without further
looking. Students do not readily follow the rules when crossing the street, so I fear the
I am concerned that students will jump the gates and try to beat the train, or try to
run across the tracks as the gates are closing. Students engage in risky behavior without
regard for the consequences of their actions. I come across students who are under the
influence of alcohol and marijuana or a narcotic frequently, sometimes two or three times
a day. Students under the influence of drugs or alcohol frequently exercise poor
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judgment in determining whether it is safe to cross the tracks. I am also concerned with
students’ tendency to push others and the likelihood that they might push another person
The “holding pen” also concerns me. I believe students will try to find a way
around being corralled into this area. I am also concerned that the close quarters will
encourage robberies and fighting. When there is a high concentration of students in one
place, such as at dismissal, it takes very little to start a fight. As an example, one day at
dismissal a student was taking pictures of other students and a big fight broke out as a
result. I already have to call for backup officers from others schools on occasion at
dismissal and lunchtime due to the large fights that occur when big groups of students are
in a place at one time. I am concerned that such large fights will occur even more
routinely when students are forced to congregate in such a small area. Even worse than
fighting would be a drive-by shooting. Feuding between gangs in the area sometimes
results in a drive-by shooting, and the large number of students crammed into a small
I am also concerned about being able to respond quickly to crimes and fights
taking place on the far side of the tracks. Currently, the corner of Exposition and
Farmdale opposite the school is a hot spot for student fighting. When the trains are
coming through, my ability to reach that location will be decreased. Students will be
aware of this, and use this location for fights more often.
Q: Do you feel that you have an adequate number of adults to ensure safety and
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Q: Would you be able to post security officers or other monitors in any
A: Not without losing essential coverage in other areas, or without the addition of
officers or staff.
Q: Would a pedestrian overpass over the tracks address any of your concerns
A: As long as students were not able to easily access the tracks just outside of
campus, where they congregate in such large numbers, my concerns about students
jumping the gates, trying to beat the train, or fighting and pushing one another in front of
the train would be addressed. If there were no need for students to be forced to wait in
the “holding pen,” I believe there would be less violence and fewer robberies during the
dismissal period. The overpass would have to be fully enclosed so that students could not
because we would be able to take advantage of its good view of the area. Particularly
with the addition of extra personnel, the overpass could be useful for law enforcement
activity.
just north of Exposition, such as the burrito stand at Jefferson and Farmdale, where I am
frequently called to locate truants or intervene in student fights. In order to access these
areas, I would have to drive to Buckingham and cross the tracks there. I am concerned
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about the delay that would add to my response time. Nevertheless, my concern about the
dangers created by the proposed design of the Expo crossing lead me to conclude that if
the trains will be traveling at ground level, then a pedestrian overpass and closing
Exposition.
Q: Would a light rail overcrossing, where the train is on elevated tracks, address
your concerns?
A: If the train were to run above the street on elevated tracks and allow for vehicles
to travel freely through the intersection of Exposition and Farmdale, I believe that I
would be able to respond quickly to crimes or fights on the other side of Exposition, and
that students would be kept well away from the tracks in the area where they most
embankment, however, I would be unable to see students or others on the far side of the
embankment, creating a serious security risk. The tracks would have to be constructed on
posts so that the line of sight across the tracks is as unrestricted as possible.
A: Yes, it does.