Police Commissioner Calls For Probe Into Meeting With Mexican Mafia Hit Man
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A decision to use LAPD resources to set up a meeting between a convicted member of the Mexican Mafia and members of the law enforcement and local business community in downtown Los Angeles has prompted calls for an investigation.
The meeting with Rene 'Boxer' Enriquez, who was the subject of a book about his time as a mob killer and his redemption, saw the LAPD maintain a heavy police presence around a small section of the city near Spring and Sixth streets.
Los Angeles Police Commission President Steve Soboroff has asked the Police Department's inspector general to investigate the event.
LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Downing, who is in charge of counter terrorism and special operations, helped organize the event, and defended the meeting Thuesday.
"Both law enforcement and the business organization walked away with some lessons learned," Downing told CBS2's Randy Paige. "I think there was tremendous value in listening to somebody who built one of the largest transnational criminal enterprises that we've seen that probably reached tens of thousands of gang members."
Soboroff was out of town, and not available for comment on Thursday, but Downing said the concerns the commission president has include where the meeting was held.
"What he has an issue with is the location and perhaps the integration or the invitation to the Young Presidents Organization to participate in that," Downing said. "Maybe the location could have been better, so we didn't become a spectacle in downtown Los Angeles. Perhaps we should have been off-site. But the event itself, I believe, was vital."
Early Thursday evening Police Chief Charlie Beck issued a statement in which he noted that "Mistakes were made in holding this event."
"I have directed the department to more thoroughly review future events before committing LAPD resources," he added.
Mayor Eric Garcetti also expressed concerns about the meeting.
