Gleaming, New LAPD HQ Has Brown Lawn, Wilted Palms

Former Chief William Bratton called it the most-expensive, state-of-the-art police headquarters in the nation, a $437-million, green-friendly monument to the original boys and girls in blue. And yet, something's amiss at the Los Angeles Police Department's new, gleaming, high-tech Police Administration Building downtown.

As blogdowntown's Eric Richardson illustrates, the grass in front of the HQ is brown and Palm trees are limper than Hugh Hefner at a brunette convention. The blog reports that the grass got trampled during a Nov. 7 fundraising gala for the Los Angeles Police Foundation just a few weeks after the headquarters' public opening.

The foundation, in fact, has apparently taken responsibility for the shabby condition of the grounds, but work has yet to start. Thom Brennan, the department's commanding officer of facilities management tells blogdowntown that the condition of the trees is an unrelated matter that will be addressed via the city department of Recreation and Parks.