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ENCINO, Calif. – Amid the violent protests that erupted in Los Angeles, Calif., Patrick Gipson, the L.A. County GOP Vice Chair and a former sheriff’s deputy, harshly criticized the state and local leaders. He accused them of failing in their duties and using the situation for political gain.
“These riots are utterly unnecessary,” Gipson told Fox News Digital. “We didn’t need to see burning cars, looted businesses, and people’s livelihoods destroyed. It was all preventable.”
Gipson pointed the finger squarely at Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom, blaming him for failing to deploy the National Guard in time to prevent chaos.
He continued, “Newsom is reactive rather than proactive. If he had deployed the National Guard sooner, we could have saved billions in insurance costs and better protected our small businesses.”
The consequences of what Gipson described as “soft-on-crime” policies are, in his view, compounding the unrest. He cited the state’s failure to properly fund Proposition 36, which was overwhelmingly passed in 2024 to curb back the radical policies of Proposition 47, as proof of Sacramento’s disregard for public safety.
“Gavin Newsom is not funding Prop 36. Store owners can’t even go after criminals. Patrons are scared to shop. People won’t even get on the freeway toward LA now,” Gipson said. “They’re afraid a brick’s going to come flying through their car window.”
A law enforcement officer works to put out a fire during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. (Ethan Swope)
Reflecting on his experience as a former sheriff’s deputy, Gipson said the state of law enforcement morale in L.A. is dire.
“Law enforcement has not been able to do their job,” he said. “Officers are afraid, literally afraid, to do their jobs because they don’t want to go to jail for following their training. There’s no backing from Newsom, none from Bass.”
“They’re handcuffed,” he added.
“For over 10 years, Gavin Newsom has not protected law enforcement in California. They’ve been defunded, defamed and demoralized. And now they wait. They hesitate. And when you hesitate in this line of work, people get hurt.”
Several cars burn on a North Los Angeles street during clashes between protesters and police on June 8, 2025, in Downtown Los Angeles, California. (Vondruska/Getty Images)
Gipson also faulted the bureaucratic chain of command for paralyzing law enforcement at critical moments.
“The sheriff answers to the Board of Supervisors. The LAPD chief answers to the mayor. And when they can’t arrest people right away, the violence just keeps going,” he said.
The solution, Gipson argued, is straightforward: consequences.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Newsom‘s office said that the Trump administration “didn’t even tap into the additional resources available to clean up their mess.”
“Let’s be clear: The National Guard wasn’t needed in Los Angeles. State and local law enforcement were responding, and federal agencies didn’t even tap into the additional resources available to clean up their mess. Calls for troops to handle a protest show a basic misunderstanding of how public safety works — which is rather shocking for someone who used to have a badge.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Bass’ office for comment.
