By Joanna Putman
Police1
LOS ANGELES — A pair of unfinished buildings has become a prime target for vandalism and other crimes that putting a strain on the LAPD, NBC News reported.
During a press conference on Feb. 13, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said that working to stop vandals from further covering the empty towers in graffiti and even stopping people from leaping from the building with a parachute has consumed more than 3,000 hours of police work.
“We have called in some officers on an overtime basis so that we can provide for these added patrols or station them at that site to deter vandals and others from gaining access to it while also ensuring that we meet the minimum deployment requirements for stations across the city,” he said.
Officers have been stationed at the towers for 24 hours per day since Feb. 1when vandals graffitied every window on the tower stretching 30 floors up, according to the report. Eighteen arrests have been made at the tower since that incident occurred.
“We do think that unfortunately it has become an iconic location to draw and for nefarious acts,” Moore stated.
The Los Angeles City Council will meet next week to consider investing $3 million to install a new security fence, clear debris and hire private security guards, according to the report.
