Our LAPD Story

There is no doubt we are living through some of the most contentious of times. From an ever-evolving international pandemic to civil and social unrest, 2020 has been a year of constant change and unmitigated social angst, with law enforcement at the center of most of it. 

On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we meet up with Officer Michael Silva. While his name might not ring any bells, you more than likely have seen a now viral video of Officer Silva having racial slurs being hurled at him, and smoke being blown in his face during a recent episode of social unrest in Los Angeles. At face value, an incident like this might seem common place in today's day and age, however Officer Silva is an outlier as a proud African-American man, who grew up homeless to a mother who was addicted to drugs. The age-old saying is 'you should never judge a book by its cover' and Officer Silva is living proof that you just can't. 

Officer Pablo Soto grew up in South Los Angeles surrounded by a large family, with LAPD officers only coming around when something had gone wrong. Guided by a constant need to serve, he joined the military straight out of high school. After serving his country, Officer Soto was ready to serve Los Angeles, but specifically the neighborhood he grew up in. On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we sit down with Officer Soto, and learn a little bit more about what drove him to serve the city that raised him, and how went from a cop that was focused on putting criminals behind bars to building relationships with the residents of the Pueblo Del Rio housing development. 

From being diagnosed with COVID-19, to working around the clock during the recent days civil unrest that surged across our country as a result of the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Commander Cory Palka has had one of the busiest five weeks of his 30+ year career. Commander Palka has dedicated his life and career to living by the golden rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. In this episode of Our LAPD Story, we sit down with Commander Palka as he reflects on his career, and how a lifetime of dedication to principled patience and understanding, continues to resonate with those he serves. 

A career in medicine, and a career in law enforcement. Ask almost anyone, and they would say the two could not be more different. But here in Los Angeles, within the LAPD, both worlds come together in one person: Doctor Kenji Inaba. Doctor Inaba wears many hats-

-Keck Hospital of USC Professor of Surgery (Clinical Scholar)
-Keck Hospital of USC Director, General Surgery Program
-Keck Hospital of USC Vice Chair, Department of Surgery
-Keck Hospital of USC Chief of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care
-LAPD Reserve Officer.

In this episode we sit down with Kenji to get some insight into what led him towards a career in medicine, and also what drove him to simultaneously pursue an opportunity to protect and serve Angelenos. We also get an invaluable opportunity to get some perspective on the severity of this COVID-19 crisis from one of our city's top medical minds on the front lines. 

None of us could have imagined what life would be like today. Every day bringing a new set of developments and news related to COVID-19, more commonly referred to as the Corona Virus. In this episode of Our LAPD Story, we take you along as we head out onn patrol with LAPD Senior Lead Officer Jennifer Poepke of Topanga Division in the San Fernando Valley. While many Angelenos are working remote from home, LAPD Officers are not. Officer Poepke takes us along as she checks on some of our city's most vital locations- grocery stores -all while telling us about her LAPD story, and how this crisis is striking a familiar chord with all of us, no matter our profession, and how the Department is proactively responding. 

Aaron Green never really considered law enforcement as a career while he was in college. He was no stranger to the profession that is policing however. His dad, LAPD Lieutenant Mark Green, recently retired after 32 years of dedicated service, so Aaron decided to follow in his Dad's footsteps. On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we follow now Officer Green through his first day as an LAPD Officer, and learn why he decided to make policing the second largest city in the country, his profession. 

In episode three of 'The Reserve Journey Miniseries', we get an inside look at one of the cornerstones of the Reserve Officer Police Academy. No it's not learning to drive with the lights on...(yet)...it's first aid. Once all public safety issues are dealt with, one of the primary duties of every LAPD officer is to render aid, so a large portion of academy is fittingly dedicated to learning these potentially life-saving techniques. We also introduce you to another member of this Reserve Officer class, Joe Avalos. Joe currently serves as the Crisis Response Team Director for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, which is a full-time job in every way. However Joe, like his classmates, is answering a higher call for service, as he embarks on this shared journey of becoming an LAPD Reserve Officer. 

Whether it's Detective Stabler, Benson, Columbo, or Bosch, we all have our favorite T.V. Detectives. While you may have never heard of Detective Mitzi Roberts, you have seen her work. Detective Roberts is not only a technical advisor for the Amazon series 'Bosch', she is the inspiration for one of the characters in the series by writer/creator Michael Connelly, and a real life LAPD Robbery-Homicide Detective. This chapter of Our LAPD Story takes you through how Detective Roberts went from managing an L.A. staple, Mel's Dinner, to investigating some of our city's most notorious and disturbing crimes. 

Firearms training is one of the most important, and nerve-racking components of Los Angeles Police Department Academy process. In Episode 2 of the The Reserve Journey Miniseries, Josh (or Recruit Officer Rubenstein) give us an inside look into what firearms training within the LAPD sounds, and feels like. Along the way we get introduced to one of his classmates, a UCLA economics professor, to learn about what drove him to want to become a LAPD Reserve Officer. 

Sergeant Tim Colomey is just like any other police officer, but once you get to know him you'll begin to understand how he in many ways, he embodies what it means to be a LAPD Officer. Even though he was born in Boston, he quickly discovered his heart was in Los Angeles. Sergeant Colomey will be the first to tell you he is living out his dream as a member of the Department's prestigious S.W.A.T. Team, but it's a dream that almost came to end when he was struck by car during a foot-pursuit in 1997.