Police Chief of South Gate, Darren Arakawa, Makes $460,000 a Year, While Arakawa Turns Blind Eye to Underground Colombian Theft Ring.

In 2022, Police Chief of South Gate, Darren Arakwa, made $458,016.47, according to Transparent California. The U.S. Census states that South Gate has approximately 90,926 residents. The average income per capita in South Gate is $22,927. 

Therefore, the police chief makes 20 times more than the average resident of South Gate. Furthermore, South Gate has only around 50 police employees.

In contrast, in 2022, according to the same website, Chief Michel Moore of the City of Los Angeles made $389,398.80. Moore managed around 9,000 staff. The City of Los Angeles has 3.85 million residents. The average income of an Angelino is $30,225. Hence, Moore makes 12.9 times the amount an average resident of LA makes.

Also, in contrast, Governor Gavin Newsom of California made $290,119.64 in 2022.

Arakawa's salary became an issue, when his rookie officer, Jose Gonzalez, who makes almost $100,000 a year refused to arrest a Colombian theft ring for having stolen property. One of the members of that theft ring punched the victim who nabbed the thief, and still Arakwa's officer, being poorly trained, refused to do anything. Gonzales also failed to respect Miranda rights.

When Elder Arambula, a victim of Arakwa's incompetence found out about Arakawa's salary, he stated, "This kind of corruption keeps the people of South Los Angeles trapped in a cycle of poverty. This is where all our money is going."