Apparently, more than 200 Occupy Los Angeles protestors were arrested early this morning in what the Los Angeles Police Department calls a “peaceful sweep”. LAPD Police Chief Charlie Beck addressed the media shortly after the disbandment of the camp, saying that the arrests were “mainly peaceful”.

Arrestees were loaded onto buses and taken to the LAPD Metro Jail to be booked and processed.  Bail for those that called us was set at $5,000. The jailer at the downtown LA Metropolitan Center Jail told us that protestors would not be released on their own recognizance or “cited out” as protesters usually are. We are somewhat skeptical of that given the already overcrowded Los Angeles jail systems. However, each individual will certainly be screened for warrants on a nation-wide basis. So with so many individuals to book in, any release, be it on bail or otherwise will be hours away.

According to  the Los Angeles Times, several hundred police officers arrived at the camp just after midnight and surrounded the encampment and declared it to be an “unlawful assembly”. Occupiers were told if they did not leave within 10 minutes they would be subject to arrest.

Although many complied with the order to leave, others willfully submitted to being arrested. Others, officers said, attempted to hide in trees.  LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he had never before seen more professional and restrained force on behalf of the LAPD.  Beck said the raid went as well as could be expected.  Many protestors were prepared to be attacked with tear gas. Members of the police department brought in bomb-sniffing dogs, however, tear gas was not used and no explosives were found.

Villaraigosa had previously said the Occupiers would need to abandon the camp outside City Hall by 12:01 a.m. Monday morning.  Law enforcement officials have said the raid on the camp was delayed due to strong defiance of the order.

The LAPD had been warned that efforts of defiance could be marked, and were told to “watch each others backs” .  They were further warned that gravel, rocks and other items could be thrown at them.  The Times also reported that other officers, concerned about the possibility that urine and feces could be thrown at them arrived to the scene wearing white protective body suits.

The Occupy Los Angeles protest began approximately two months ago as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement.  Protesters in Philadelphia have already begun to tweet support for LA Occupiers, saying they have been given a similar order to disband their camp.

“We’re grateful for the sacrifices you and your families make, and my administration is committed to making sure that you get what you need,” President Barack Obama told the honorees at the Rose Garden ceremony.

The Los Angeles Police Department honorees are: Sergeants John D. Shah and Greg Garcia and Officers Richard Garcia and Gilberto Rendon Jr.

President Obama stated that these four honorees are people who act heroically, decisively and swiftly with high regard for their fellow man and little regard for themselves. These are the people who step-up when someone is crying for help, shots are fired and when injustice goes unanswered. “Heroism is all around us, inside of all of us; just waiting to be summoned…these are America’s Top Cops.” Obama said.

The National Association of Police Organizations gives these awards on a yearly basis. There are more than 1,000 associations and police units who represent 241,000 law enforcement officials throughout the country.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said, “These four courageous heroes are responsible for saving numerous innocent lives during a dangerous hostage situation. Their bravery and skill are testimony to the men and women in blue who every day risk their lives to protect and serve the people of Los Angeles.“

The decision for increased security was announced eight days after Bryan Stow, a San Francisco Giants fan, was brutally attacked in the stadium parking lot. Stow is a 42-year-old paramedic in Northern California and father of two. The attack has left him in a coma.

Some of the security measures that Beck announced include:

• Any off-duty police officers hired by the Dodgers for security will be in uniform
• LAPD officers at all stadium entrances and exits
• The no-tailgating policy will be strictly enforced
• Use of a new data-based accountability system, like LAPD’s Comstat system, to track potential problems
• Officers will debrief after each home game

“When you go into Dodger Stadium, you’re going to meet a Los Angeles police officer. When you leave Dodger Stadium, you are going to bid farewell to a Los Angeles police officer,” Beck said during a news conference.

It’s been confirmed by Mayor Villaraigosa and Dodgers owner Frank McCourt that the cost for additional police security will be paid by the Dodgers. No comment was given on what the additional police presence will cost.

“I will respect the fact that the Dodgers are willingly paying for this safety. But I will deploy the resources necessary to keep fans safe,” Beck stated.

The next home game at Dodger Stadium is on Thursday, when the Dodgers face the St. Louis Cardinals.

The police have been given around 80 tips about Stow’s beating and have interviewed some witnesses, according to Deputy Chief Jose Perez Jr., lead investigator on the case. The tips have not, as yet, led police to any suspects “that we can identify and arrest,” he said.

There is a $150,000 reward in place. The Giants will be collecting donations to benefit a fund for Stow and his family, in addition to the $10,000 contribution from the team. There will also be an auction held to benefit the fund.

“Bryan is a father, paramedic, and lifelong Giants fan who has dedicated himself to caring for others,” said Giants managing general partner and CEO Bill Nuekom. “Now he needs our support as he fights for his life following this brutal and unconscionable act of violence.”

According to the LA Times, on Wednesday, officials finalized the loan that will enable the LAPD to have more officers on patrol rather than standing guard in the jail.

The Los Angeles Police Department, earlier this month made a plan to put 89 officers into staffing the detention center instead of being put on patrol because the jails were understaffed.

City Councilman, Greig Smith, along with others was unhappy with this plan and thus, approached a new plan. The plan would be to get a loan from a city trust fund, which is exactly what happened. The LAPD will receive an interest-free loan of approximately $640,000, under the condition that they pay it back within two years. This will allow the LAPD to put officers back on patrol and still have enough staff for the jail.

Exactly 27 officers will be able to be put back on patrol out of the 89.

This isn’t the first time the LAPD has seen problems with the new jail and staffing. Many problems have come about in concern of the Metropolitan Detention Center such as building it, keeping it open, maintaining it and of course, staffing the large building.

According to LAPD Chief, Charlie Beck, he said the decision of using the loan was, “one of the toughest I’ve had to make as chief.” Both the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief Beck were in awe with Smith, who has come up with the idea. Beck said, “Thanks to Greig Smith I get to feel a little bit better about that decision today.”

The loan money is coming from the Sunshine Canyon trust fund. In the past it has been used to improve projects around the landfill.

In relation to “gains,” it has been pretty impressive. For the first time in over four years, homicides in the last year dropped below 300. Beck said, “This is the ninth year of crime reduction in Los Angeles – no other big city has that.”

Beck further relayed at the meeting that the LAPD has already suffered from reduced overtime, budget cuts and the postponement of purchasing new police cars. There are certain members of the City Council who are interested in downsizing the LAPD in order to fill a $300 million deficit in their budget. One of these City Council members is Bernard Parks, Budge Committee Chairman who was a former police chief.

However, there are members who are on the support side such as Councilman Grieg Smith, who along with the Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa agree that the city needs to remain a safe city. The mayor said, “If Grieg Smith is for it, the writing is on the wall.”

The City Council has yet to plan or debate on the size of the budget for next year.  One city administrative officer, Miguel Santana, had said that the police cuts will help a deal in order to raise money by privatizing structures for city parking. However, Mayor Villaraigosa rebutted by stating that cuts should be anywhere except for in the size of the LAPD. He further said, “I can’t tell you it’s going to be easy. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be the hardest road we’ve ever traveled.”

The mayor would give no indications about which areas he would be willing to cut. Currently, he has cut back library hours, trimmed down both the fire department and city workers, in order to keep further cuts from happening inside the LAPD.

The attacks occurred Thursday afternoon near the spot where, a few hours earlier, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief William J. Bratton had held a news conference to tout a major reduction in crime and announce the hiring of 40 new officers for Hollywood.

Police said they chased down and arrested Domingo Rodas, 53, after he ran near the Music Box theater on Hollywood Boulevard, where officers were gathering evidence from one of the stabbings.

Until Thursday, there had been only six homicides in the LAPD’s Hollywood Division this year.