Pacific Palisades will resume to the public on Saturday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell told The Times Friday afternoon.
The wealthy coastal enclave has remained closed to the public since the devastating January wildfire months after other fire-covered areas reopened. Neighborhood access was limited to residents and workers with pass. Dozens of LAPD officers have placed 16 checkpoints on major roads in the community, according to the mayor’s office.
These checkpoints will no longer be staffed as of Saturday, but “the police presence will be heavy for the foreseeable future,” McDonnell said.
The decision was made in conjunction with Mayor Karen Bass, McDonnell said, in response to community members. Bass did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The city has extensive demonstrations of the Trump administration on Saturday, including the presence of heavy law enforcement. The need to shift personnel to other parts of the city ahead of the protest was a “factor” in McDonnell’s decision, but he also said it was a necessary evolution a few months after the fire.
LAPD spokesman Jennifer Faulksch said checkpoint status will be reassessed.
Councillor Traci Park was notified of the decision during a meeting with the Chief around 10:30am on Friday, according to her office.
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