KTLA News: "LAPD officers feed apprehended undocumented immigrants" (1974)

[Dick Garten:] Sergeant. How did you determine that these illegals had not eaten in such a long period of time? [Sergeant:] Well, several of the officers were talking to 'em, asking 'em, how long they'd been on the road, and where they'd come from. And they remarked that they had been on the road for quite a while, but they weren't able to say how long, which tells me that they were probably covered so they couldn't see. And, one of them stated he hadn't eaten in three days. And then it appeared from the conversation following that statement, that there were three separate groups that had arrived all from different locations, the one group hadn't eaten for three days; one group hadn't eaten for two; and I believe the last meal the other group had had was within 24 hours. Or 24 hours from the time we talked to 'em. [Garten:] How much money did you collect? Where did you get the food? And how did they react to it? [Sergeant:] Well, we collected about, I think it was about six or seven dollars from the troops that were in the station. And we talked to one of the bakers on the north end of the division that, who incidentally is owned by a fellow that I went to school with, and they contributed a large box of, of Mexican sweet bread. We figured that they would be familiar with that. And it is a breakfast food. And then we were able to come up with some Hawaiian punch. We started to make coffee, but they weren't interested in the coffee. [Garten:] What time of the morning was it? Kind of hard to find food at that time? [Sergeant:] Well about that time, it must have been after four o'clock. Not much open that time. [Garten:] And where are they off to now? [Sergeant:] Well, Immigration just picked them up, and they're on the way to the Federal Building. [Garten:] With thanks, I'm sure, to you fellas here. [Sergeant:] I think they were very surprised in the way they were treated here. [Garten:] Oh really? [Sergeant:] Yes, I don't know what experience they've had with police before, but they were very grateful and their fear seemed to disappear. I don't know why they should be afraid of us. We're not interested in illegal aliens, other than they become involved in a crime, or are victims of a crime. [Garten:] These, these appeared to be just fresh over the border? [Sergeant:] Yes, sir. I would say so. [Garten:] It was a great thing. Sergeant, thank you very much. [Sergeant:] You're welcome, sir. [no audio]