July 15, 2010
LAPD Chief blasts non-revocable parole program
The Los Angeles Police Department has asked the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to investigate how a parolee who fired nearly a dozen gunshots at two LAPD officers over the weekend in the San Fernando Valley was able to gain early release and why he was classified as a low-level offender.
In the letter to Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck expressed concern that Javier Joseph Rueda, 28, of Panorama City was placed on "non-revocable parole" in May after serving just two years of a 10-year prison sentence.
"If you determine that there were issues regarding Mr. Rueda's status, we would appreciate your feedback on how we can work with you to ensure that incidents of a similar nature do not occur," Beck wrote.
Paul M. Weber, head of the union that represents nearly 10,000 LAPD officers, was far more critical, calling parole policies -- including the state's early-release program and computerized parole classification system -- a threat to officers...
LINK - LATimes.com
