Local Police Remember LA Riots

It has been 20 years since the infamous Los Angeles riots took place.  The week of violence that occurred, in late April and early May of 1992, just after a jury acquitted four officers from the Los Angeles Police Department for the videotaped beating of Rodney King, an African- American motorist.

South Gate was left mostly untouched during the riots, in spite of the havoc that happened in some of its bordering cities, such as Lynwood and Huntington Park.

The decision of the to monitor the traffic coming into and out of the city was remembered as a highly effective tactic for maintaining the peace.

“We had a plan in place for securing our borders,” said l, South Gate’s city manager, who at the time served as a captain with the South Gate Police Department.  “This was very successful.”

The vehicles that were allowed to enter and circulate were limited to those who either worked or lived in South Gate.

“We really tried to restrict traffic to those who lived or whose business was in our city,” said Chief of Police , who was a patrol officer with the South Gate Police Department during the riots. “We eliminated a lot of the risk by keeping away the people that wanted to commit crimes.”

The South Gate Police Departments decision to focus on areas that could become hotspots of looting was also important.  No situation was dealt with lightly or considered to small.

“We were very vigilant and didn’t ignore the small flares that could turn into large ones if unattended,“ said Davis.

The careful guarding of businesses that were particularly prone to being looted was also important. The Weatherby rifle shop and manufacturer on Firestone Boulevard was given particular attention by the local police.

“That was a target we were very concerned about,” said Troxcil. “We were worried about folks coming over from other cities to loot the weapons from the store. “

Weatherby is no longer in South Gate and the building that it once used now houses an auto services shop. The building at the time had windows that gave it a certain amount of fragility.

“If [the looters] smashed the windows, and were fast enough, they could have gotten a hold of the weapons and ammunition,” said Captain Darren Sullivan, as he recalled the specific worries of the time.  

In order for the South Gate Police Department to carry out its strategies effectively, it was forced to work over time with a large number of officers on the street, at all times.

“It was very busy,” said Captain Keith Hupp, who in 1992 held the rank of detective.  “We deployed a lot of police officers.”

Support from residents was also crucial for these sensitive operations to be carried out effectively

“The community was very supportive when we implemented the curfew,” said Troxcil. “Restaurant owners were also there to help feed all of our employees who were working twelve hour shifts.”

When the riots were all done, the damage that South Gate received totaled about $4000, said Troxcil. This was a price that was hardly a drop in the $1 billion total of property damages that was sustained through out the Los Angeles area.

“It was positive to see that South Gate came out relatively unscathed,” recalled Davis. 

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