Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore announced that four members of the department’s bomb squad have been disciplined for their role in a failed detonation of illegal fireworks in a South Los Angeles neighborhood two years ago.
Additionally, an internal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department resulted in the implementation of new protocols for the bomb squad to prevent similar events from occurring in the future, Moore said.
The June 30, 2021 controlled detonation on East 27th Street near San Pedro Street sent 17 residents and first responders to hospitals, destroyed a bomb squad truck, and damaged 22 residences, 13 businesses, and 37 vehicles.
“Work to stabilize and repair 27th Street began immediately after the 2021 fireworks explosion,” Moore said in a statement Saturday. “While our work in the community was underway, the Department also invested in a top-down internal review and implemented significant fixes. A full investigation was conducted which examined the actions of personnel on the scene that day and also conducted an in-depth review of Bomb Squad practices and protocols. As a result of this investigation, four Bomb Squad personnel were subject to Department disciplinary action due to their involvement in this incident. Additionally, this review resulted in the implementation of new protocols for the Bomb Squad to prevent similar events from occurring in the future and to ensure the safety of both community members and officers.”
“Even our best intentions cannot return this neighborhood to where it was before this event occurred,” Moore continued. “However, as a Department, we remain committed to supporting affected residents as we continue to work to correct this.”
That effort includes the commanding officers of the department’s Newton Station who meet weekly with the 27th Street Long-Term Recovery Group, the chief said.
In 2022, the city’s Housing Department reported that 23 people in six households had been relocated to permanent housing. Eight more homes were ready to move in and were searching for affordable units. The city has spent more than $3 million to support and help residents affected by the explosion.
