Complex magazine is suggesting the LAPD was secretly targeting the late Nipsey Hussle and his Marathon Clothing store under a program called LASER.
The LASER (Los Angeles Strategic Extraction and Restoration) program, as discussed in a recent episode of the Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast, was designed to utilize what’s described as “predictive policing technology.” Notably, the “secretive’ program—which launched in 2011—ended back in 2019 amid widespread criticism.
Law professor Andrew Ferguson told CBS News back in 2020 that LASER, essentially, was built on “the metaphor that they were going to, like laser surgery, remove the tumors, the bad actors from the community.” The idea itself, Ferguson pointed out, was “offensive.”
Ultimately included as part of the LASER targeting, per a new report, was Nipsey’s Marathon Clothing store Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles.
Related: Can LA Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson be Trusted
Predictive policing isn’t a new phenomena in Los Angeles.
USC engineering students built a program called ARMOR that was used at LAX airport under the tenure of Inglewood Mayor James Butts who hailed the programs success because it gives off the appearance there are more cops available than usual.
The new random placement “makes travelers safer” and even gives them “a greater feeling of police presence” by making the cops appear more numerous, says Butts. That’s good for visitors and, officials hope, bad for would-be terrorists.
ARMOR was implemented due to a mandate by then Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to make the airport safer.
The program successfully launched in 2011, but ended in 2019 due to criticism.
Listen to the podcast episode by clicking here.
2 Comments
Wow thank you for your photos and links!
Two query’s come to mind
Re Manchester/Vermont: What was the overnight Board of Supervisors urgency regarding that corner requiring sudden eminent domain since according to the google satellite image there is still nothing there 4 years later. Theoretically plans include a county run middle and high school boarding school ….and surprise Jan 28, yes dated tomorrow applications for students will be available on line …that would be applications for the not there school…which per the website will open in August.
Re the nuisance issue at The Marathon : why couldn’t or didn’t those either already elected or want to be elected who were so concerned about the property speak with the business owner. It looks as if it was a case of forked tongue by at least some elected – I know you have a good rep in the hood Nipsy, and want some of those votes on Election Day but hey really not so interested in your future once I get my photo op.
VOTERS REALLY NEED TO VET THOSE WHO WANT TO BE ELECTED.. and once the elected are in office they need to be held accountable for each and every one of their votes actions !
Well, at least it has been put out there in real words…..”they” consider “some people” as unacceptable and unworthy of existence —-“tumors”….. worthy of Surgical Removal……..
Wow o Wow ! Imagine that “some” saw that offensive really? …. perhaps if it was changed just a bit to make the “sorta wealthy” or those “kinda un-minority appearing” among those considered “tumors” a few more might find the concept offensive …????
What if the “tumor” class was defined based on Job description- computer geeks/ television performers/ finance brokers / real estate developers… would that make the “tumor” concept just maybe a tad more offensive????
My oh my…..google more about the Info kept in the LASER data system among them was ….friends/family/vehicle license……so could it be that the new parking permit and housing protection registration data gathering is really about this same type of policing of our lives? Who we invite to dinner or overnight should not be IPD’s business unless of course they are want to provide the dinner fixings…..
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That a “appearance” of safety is the measure of “success” certainly explains so much for Inglewood residents …. appearance, appearance, so reality need not matter because appearance equals success?
Remember when we paid for almost as many police cars as we had full time officers? They were parked around town left in the same place for days and we or maybe just the designated “tumor” in our midst
was supposed to be so foolish as to not notice there was no living body in uniform anywhere around.
Hmmm …..nice to know —some think if we “feel safer” reality is unimportant…Is the story of frog in the beaker applicable here ? Does that explain why instead of crime reports now IPD has I incident reports?
The potential of the numbers of adult sports fans and concert goers outnumbering our entire cradle-to-grave population will soon be our reality,….and the mayor thinks if there is a “greater feeling of police presence” all the visitors will magically behave in a gracious, kind, and considerate manor toward members of the community and those who sports fans may consider lessor ? What is that word to sum that thought up?.. Delusional or ~ to ask it in a local vernacular …what he be been smokin?
Maybe the thing is we are so close to Hollywood we, unlike the non-Hollywood aware, know there is a difference between imagery and reality……
Racism is Racism no matter what reports, studies, data gatherings or titles are used in an attempt to “justify” judging individuals by the color of their skin, the way they speak or the clothes they wear ~rather than upon their individual actions.