A Los Angeles Police Department captain was being investigated for possibly providing security at an illegal marijuana-growing operation that was discovered in a warehouse in the Sun Valley area.
The LAPD confirmed that a department employee under investigation and currently assigned to home duty due to possible involvement in the warehouse growing operation, which was discovered about 4 a.m. Oct. 31 by detectives investigating a burglary at the location in the 8800 block of Bradley Avenue.
LAPD officials declined to say if the employee, who they would not identify, was an officer or a civilian.
But the Los Angeles Times identified him as Rampart Division Capt. Phillip A. Smith, who told the newspaper in an email exchange that he was off-duty and called police to report the possible burglary.
Smith told The Times that he didn't know marijuana was being grown at the location.
According to the LAPD, unidentified suspects pried open the rear door of the warehouse and fled with property that included a safe, cigarettes, cigars and marijuana plants.
"The location was determined to be an illegal marijuana cultivation warehouse. Gang and Narcotics Division (detectives) are investigating the illegal cultivation," according to the LAPD statement, which says "an LAPD employee was identified as being affiliated with the location."
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Detectives from the Internal Affairs Division are handling the confidential personnel investigation, and Smith "has not been arrested, and there are no current criminal charges pending" against him, according to the LAPD.
Smith joined the LAPD in 1988 and earned the rank of captain in 2016, according to The Times.
