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MTS celebrates the death of this cold blooded sociopath who, in cold blood, brutally murdered LAPD Officer Ian Campbell. It is fitting that he died a slow, painful death in a lonely and desolate place, without friends or family.
'Onion Field' killer Gregory Powell dies in prison of cancer at age 79
Gregory Powell, known as one of the kidnappers whose case was made famous in the 1973 best-selling novel "The Onion Field" and a later film, has died at age 79. Powell and his partner Jimmy Lee Smith abducted a pair of L.A. police officers in 1963, Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger, after the officers pulled them over on a Hollywood street. The kidnappers drove the officers to an onion field in Bakersfield where they killed Campbell, shooting him in the face; Hettinger escaped to a farmhouse four miles away.
Southern California Public Radio
Wife chronicles slain SWAT officer's life behind and beyond the badge
Four years after Randy Simmon's death during an LAPD SWAT raid, his wife wrote a book about his life. She says it started as a historical record for the couple's two children and turned into a chronicle of a man who was much more than a devoted officer. "I woke up at five every morning and started writing," recalls wife Lisa Simmons. "A couple times I had to start and stop, because you're reliving everything." Those moments are shared in her new book, "41D: Man of Valor," named after Randy Simmons' police radio handle.
NBC4
Four years after SWAT officer Randal Simmons' slaying, widow tells her story
People are always asking Lisa Simmons when there will be a movie about her husband. Randy Simmons, a 27-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran, was shot and killed in February 2008 during a SWAT raid of a house in Winnetka. The first-ever killing of an LAPD SWAT officer in the line of duty stunned the department and much of the city. Ten thousand people came to his funeral at the Crenshaw Christian Center, known as the "Faith Dome." In late 2010, Lisa Simmons, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident, sat down to start writing what she thought would be a screenplay. Instead, it became a book, the just-released "41D -- Man of Valor," named for Randy's police radio handle.
Los Angeles Daily News
5 LAPD officers probed in mother's death; Beck vows answers
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck vowed to thoroughly investigate the death of a mother during a confrontation with LAPD officers. "I take all in-custody death investigations very seriously," Beck said in a statement late Thursday. "I am confident we will get to the truth no matter where that leads us." At least five Los Angeles police officers are under investigation in the death of a woman who stopped breathing during a struggle that included an officer stomping on her genital area and the use of additional force by others to take her into custody, police officials confirmed Thursday.
Los Angeles Times
Convicted murderer from L.A. attacks two guards on death row
A Los Angeles gang member who was convicted of murder attacked two guards Thursday on death row at San Quentin State Prison, authorities said. Timothy Joseph McGhee, 39, who was convicted of killing three people, used a hand-made weapon to attack the guards Thursday morning as they returned him a a shower to his cell, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said. The guards received cuts and wounds on their heads, necks and arms and were treated at a hospital.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck demotes Foothill commanding officer over use-of-force concerns
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has relieved the commanding officer of the Foothill division from duty and is demoting him over his handling of a use-of-force incident against a 34-year-old woman in Tujunga last week. "I have serious concerns about this incident and I believe the commanding officer of Foothill area was severely deficient in his response," Beck said. "Proper steps were not taken, including appropriate notifications and the removal of the involved officers from the field. Because of these issues, I have removed him from his command and initiated downgrade procedures."
Los Angeles Daily News
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck voices 'serious concerns' about use-of-force by two LAPD officers
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said he has "serious concerns" about the actions of two officers who are under investigation for use of force. The LAPD released a statement Tuesday evening with little detail on the incident, saying only that it happened Aug. 21 following a traffic stop in the Foothill Area. LAPD spokeswoman Officer Karen Rayner told the Daily News the statement was released because a television station had obtained a video of the incident.
Los Angeles Daily News
State overhaul extends to local workers
There are thousands of local government agencies around the state, employing hundreds of thousands of workers covered by a variety of retirement plans. By Friday, the Legislature is scheduled to consider imposing its plan to overhaul public-employee pensions on them. The pension-overhaul proposal that emerged this week after months of private negotiations between Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic leaders and public-employee unions would make sweeping changes to the retirement plans not only of state workers, but also to those of firefighters, police, code enforcement officers and other local employees.
Riverside Press-Enterprise
California lawmakers approve ban on open carry of rifles, shotguns
The state Assembly on Wednesday voted final legislative approval to a ban on carrying unloaded rifles and shotguns openly in public in California cities, with supporters citing recent mass shootings in other states and concern by police officers. The Assembly voted 43-30 to send the legislation to Gov. Jerry Brown, who has said he owns three firearms but has not yet taken a public position on the bill.
Los Angeles Times
San Jose Police Department losing some of its best after pension reform
Colleagues told Jincy Pace that one day she'd become a deputy chief of the San Jose Police Department. Smart, hardworking, respected, the West Point graduate had all the attributes for a high-ranking position. Pace still has that goal, but it won't happen in San Jose. After almost 14 years with the department, Thursday was Pace's last day as a San Jose cop. She traded in her sergeant's badge to become a patrol officer in Hillsboro, Ore. Pace is one of 79 officers who have resigned from the SJPD since 2011, including 30 this year.
San Jose Mercury News
Bill would increase fines for using cellphones while driving
State lawmakers sent two road-related proposals to the governor Tuesday, one that would hike fines for Californians who use a cellphone while driving and another that would exempt hybrid drivers from toll charges in car-pool lanes. The cellphone bill, SB 1310 by state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), would increase the current fine for driving while using a hands-on phone or text messaging from $20 to $30 for a first offense, and from $50 to $60 for a subsequent offense.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD reluctant to change its handling of photo lineups The LAPD detectives' conduct, which emerged during a murder trial, is one of several cases across the country that has helped prompt a rethinking of the age-old methods of police interviews. As a result, a growing number of law enforcement agencies are abandoning the practice of allowing detectives who know the identity of a suspect to conduct photo lineups. The change, proponents say, is needed to guard against influencing witnesses with subtle, unintentional comments and gestures - or more heavy-handed techniques.
Los Angeles Times
Jurors reject suit over LA fatal police shooting
A jury has rejected allegations in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the estate of an illegal immigrant who was killed by Los Angeles police after he lunged at an officer with a knife. Jurors last week found in favor of the Los Angeles Police Department, which was sued by the family of Manuel Jaminez, who was killed in September 2010. The Guatemalan day laborer was shot by police after he tried to stab a pregnant woman. Police said Jaminez lunged toward an officer after refusing orders in Spanish and English to drop the knife.
AP
Truth triumphs over payoff demand
Last week, the jury in a federal civil rights case came to a swift and correct decision on who was responsible for the death of Manuel Jamines; it was 37-year-old Manuel Jamines. We applaud the City for refusing to pay off the plaintiffs any sum of money in this case as a "cost of doing business." We commend Chief Beck and the Commission for looking at the facts in this incident and standing behind the officers who protected the community from an intoxicated, knife-wielding man.
LAPPL Blog
State Democrats: Pension changes coming
Ten months after Gov. Jerry Brown proposed sweeping changes to public employee pensions, Democratic legislative leaders say they are finally poised to take action on the issue this week. They'll have to if any changes are to occur. The state Legislature ends its two-year session at midnight Friday, and bills that haven't been approved by then die. Details of what kinds of changes legislators will consider, however, are still vague.
San Francisco Chronicle
Gut-and-amend bill seeks 'safe harbor' for illegal immigrants
With only days left before the California Legislature adjourns for the year, lawmakers are breathing new life into a failed initiative campaign calling for creation of a five-year program to allow undocumented workers to live and work openly in the state. Senate Bill 901 was gutted and amended this week by Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, D-Sylmar, to propose the "safe harbor" plan for up to 2 million undocumented immigrants. The bill's contents previously set guidelines for a program that pays owners of high-polluting vehicles to retire them.
Sacramento Bee
California OKs bill shielding undocumented immigrants
California state legislators passed a bill Friday that seeks to protect undocumented immigrants charged with relatively minor crimes from being deported. The bill, by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, would prohibit local police from detaining anyone on an immigration hold if the person is not charged with or has not been convicted of a serious or violent crime. The bill, which only needs the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown to become law, passed the Assembly on Friday after being amended in the state Senate to remove language that would have required police departments to develop plans to guard against racial profiling.
San Francisco Chronicle
Dems try to give young illegals licenses
Democratic legislators are working with Gov. Jerry Brown and Department of Motor Vehicles officials to provide driver's licenses to hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants now eligible to work under President Obama's new "deferred action" policy. "In the past, the argument against providing driver's licenses has been that it would be rewarding someone who has broken the law," said state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. "But now we're talking about people who, by definition, have not broken any laws."
San Francisco Chronicle
California Senate approves police-fire death benefits bill
A highly controversial bill to make it easier for survivors of police officers and firefighters to collect workers' compensation benefits was approved Thursday by the California Senate. Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez is personally carrying the measure, Assembly Bill 2451. It would double the time period in which benefits could be claimed for deaths linked to a number of conditions, such as cancer, that are presumed by current law to be job-related.
Sacramento Bee
Legislators OK higher fines for texting while driving
Acting on nearly 200 proposals, state lawmakers Thursday advanced measures that would increase fines for texting while driving, allow voter registration on election day and restrict the ability of law enforcement to track people through their cellphones. The Senate passed and sent Gov. Jerry Brown a bill that would require law enforcement officers to obtain a warrant before searching for someone's location and movements based on data in the person's cellphone or other wireless device.
Los Angeles Times
Agencies warn of possible anarchist activity at conventions
Law enforcement officials are concerned about possible violence by anarchist extremists at the upcoming Republican and Democratic national conventions, according to an intelligence bulletin prepared by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. The bulletin, which was obtained by CNN, says that anarchists could try to use improvised explosive devices. It also says that, as of March, the FBI had intelligence indicating individuals from New York "planned to travel to Tampa and attempt to close" all of the Tampa Bay-area bridges during the Republican National Convention next week.
CNN
Downtown L.A.'s Pershing Square Park gets its very own task force
Following the recent attacks on a security guard and repeated instances of verbal and physical abuse, the City of Los Angeles has unleashed the beast: The Pershing Square Park Task Force. The Downtown L.A. task force, spearheaded by Councilman Huizar and other city departments, includes Council District 14, the Los Angeles Police Department, General Services Department, the City Attorney's office and Department of Recreation and Parks. Since the task force's inception, the LAPD has made two arrests and increased patrols at the park as promised.
LAist
City moves toward two-tier pension reform
The City Council took some initial steps toward new pension reforms Tuesday, looking at having new workers stay on the job longer and contribute more to the system. After a closed-door session, the council instructed City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana to meet with actuaries and report back on the impact of the proposed changes. "We are going to address our problems when it comes to pension reform," City Council President Herb Wesson said. "It's too early to say exactly what we are doing, but I asked that actuaries look at different options."
Los Angeles Daily News
L.A.'s public safety pension costs steadily growing
Taxpayers in Los Angeles will see retirement costs for police officers and firefighters climb by 56% over the next four years, even after passage of a ballot measure that trimmed the pension benefits paid to new hires, according to projections released by city budget officials. Pensions and retiree healthcare costs for sworn employees are projected to consume $789 million of the city's general fund budget in 2016, up from $506 million this year, according to figures prepared by budget analysts.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD probes excessive-force claim in video arrest
Police were investigating allegations Monday that officers used excessive force when they dog-piled on a skateboarder who was punched during a weekend arrest recorded on video. Ronald Weekley Jr., 20, claimed he suffered a broken nose, broken cheekbone and a concussion during the confrontation outside his home in the Venice neighborhood. His face appeared slightly bruised as he spoke with friends, supporters and journalists.
Associated Press
FBI to open facial recognition searches to police nationwide
The FBI is expanding the pilot project of its facial recognition software and will be offering a free-of-charge client software version later this summer to law enforcement agencies. The Universal Face Workstation will enable law enforcement agencies to conduct automated facial/photo searches with minimal resource investment. The facial recognition system was piloted in February with the state of Michigan, which is currently submitting searches to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, according to Jerome Pender, the division's deputy assistant director.
Government Computer News
DMV working on issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is getting closer to a decision on providing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who qualify for federal work permits under a new initiative of the Obama administration. DMV spokesman Mike Marando said Monday the agency's staff is working through technical issues including a determination of whether the Legislature will have to clarify the law.
Los Angeles Times
L.A. police, fire unions angry over call for pay freeze
Los Angeles public safety unions responded angrily last week to a proposal to freeze the pay of firefighters and police if the city's contribution to their retirement benefits reaches a certain amount. The proposal, from a group of business leaders and former Mayor Richard Riordan, came as the city released new budget projections showing that taxpayers would see retirement costs for police officers and firefighters climb by 56% over the next four years.
Los Angeles Times
Hero Honored 49 years later - LAPD Officer Ian Campbell Square to be dedicated At 1:30 p.m. today (Friday), the intersection of Carlos and Gower in Hollywood will be officially named in honor of LAPD Officer Ian Campbell. Glynn Martin of the Los Angeles Police Museum, in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, spearheaded the idea of renaming the intersection. Council members Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge introduced a Council motion to make it happen.
LAPPL News Release
Truth triumphs over payoff demand
Last week, the jury in a federal civil rights case came to a swift and correct decision on who was responsible for the death of Manuel Jamines; it was 37-year-old Manuel Jamines. We applaud the City for refusing to pay off the plaintiffs any sum of money in this case as a "cost of doing business." We commend Chief Beck and the Commission for looking at the facts in this incident and standing behind the officers who protected the community from an intoxicated, knife-wielding man.
LAPPL Blog
Is increased enforcement paying off in Highland Park?
The numbers tell a compelling story. According to Crimemapping.com, 13 violent crimes - many of them shootings - were reported in Highland Park between July 15 and July 31. In the two weeks between August 1 and August 15, crimemapping.com shows only one violent crime--a report of a shooting at a moving vehicle. What changed? On Thursday, July 27, LAPD Northeast Division Senior Lead Officer for Highland Park, Nina Preciado, told Patch that extra officers from LAPD Central Bureau were being deployed to the area and that a "zero tolerance" policy was being put in place.
Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch Law enforcement trains to stay calm during RNC
Law enforcement won't allow violent assaults at the Republican National Convention. They won't stand for property damage, either. But up to that point, they plan to let a lot slide. Baiting has long been a way to get police to react. Protesters yelled "Pigs!" and "I smell bacon!" at the 2008 RNC in St. Paul, Minn. Some lunged threateningly at officers. Others dangled doughnuts. Cameras recorded the officers' reactions. Tampa expects its officers to be even-tempered. Actions that appear to be assaults could be traps.
Tampa Bay Times
Search on for suspect accused of assaulting LAPD officer
Los Angeles police were searching a South Los Angeles neighborhood for a suspect though to have assaulted an officer Tuesday morning. The assault on a Los Angeles Police Department officer occurred in the 1000 block of East 28th Street at about 10:25 a.m., according to LAPD's media office. There was a perimeter set up in the area of East 27th Street and South Central Avenue. Aerial video showed yellow crime scene tape blocking off access to streets, with officers and patrols cars scattered across multiple blocks.
NBC4
Calif. bill bars agencies from cellphone jamming
A year after San Francisco's transit agency touched off a global free speech debate by jamming cellphones to block a protest, lawmakers are taking steps to pre-empt a similar scandal. On Thursday, the state Assembly approved a bill that would prohibit agencies from disrupting cellphone service without probable cause and a court order.
Associated Press
Man arrested on suspicion of giving teen fatal heroin dose
Los Angeles police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after he allegedly injected a 13-year-old boy with heroin. Topanga-area Det. Dave Teteque said an investigation led officers to believe that 23-year-old Brett Cronin purchased heroin and injected himself, then injected his younger brother's friend, who was at a sleepover.
Los Angeles Times
Undocumented immigrants line up for federal program to avoid deportation
Hundreds of young undocumented immigrants lined up in the Westlake District today to take advantage of a new federal program under which they can avoid deportation and obtain the right to work. The government began accepting applications Wednesday for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which targets immigrants who came to the country at a young age and have been attending school or served in the military and have not been convicted of a crime.
City News Service
Obama administration's immigration changes begin Wednesday
Immigration authorities are bracing for a deluge of applications Wednesday, the first day when more than 1.2 million young illegal immigrants who were brought to America as children can seek to legally stay and work in the country under a policy change by President Obama. Even before the first request is filed, critics and advocates alike are warning of potential budget shortfalls and a logjam of paperwork that could mar the initiative, delay processing and facilitate fraud.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD impound lawsuits
A judge Wednesday consolidated for trial two lawsuits challenging the Los Angeles Police Department's recently modified policy for impounding cars driven by unlicensed drivers. Special Order 7 was aimed at lessening the financial burden on drivers who have their cars impounded for as long as month for driving without a valid license. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing about 9,900 rank-and-file LAPD officers, and the group Judicial Watch opposed the moved and sued to stop it.
City News Service
Push on again for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses
Natividad Carrera recalled an event in 2004 when a group of undocumented immigrants celebrated at a local Department of Motor Vehicles after they heard they would soon be able to apply for a driver's license. But that celebration turned out to be premature. Then-Sen. Gil Cedillo's bill to provide licenses for the undocumented was signed into law, but then repealed before it ever took effect. Now an assemblyman who is termed out this year, Cedillo, D-L.A., is pressing his eighth and presumably final attempt at turning the bill into law.
Los Angeles Daily News
Anaheim: No laughing place
There is more to Anaheim, Calif., than Disneyland. As shown on the crime map, the unfortunate tourist who takes a wrong turn on his way out of the Magic Kingdom may quickly find the neighborhood he has entered is far from The Happiest Place on Earth. Things are not getting any happier. On a recent Friday morning, Anaheim police officers shot at (and missed) a man who attempted to run them down with a car when they interrupted him and an accomplice while committing a burglary.
Jack Dunphy/National Review
California Senate leader, attorney general back gun-control bill
In the wake of the recent mass shootings in Colorado and Wisconsin, the leader of the California Senate and the state attorney general said Monday they support a gun control bill aimed at making it harder to reload assault rifles. Senate President Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris said the measure addresses weapons like those used in the movie theater shooting in Colorado last month that left 12 dead.
Los Angeles Times
State Supreme Court upholds death sentence in killing of deputy
The California Supreme Court on Monday upheld the death sentence of a man convicted of murdering Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Deputy Michael Hoenig. In a unanimous decision, the state's highest court rejected an appeal by Enrique Parra Duenas, convicted of fatally shooting Hoenig, 32, in South Gate in 1997 when the deputy tried to stop Duenas as he rode by on a bicycle.
Los Angeles Times
Occupy LA costs put at $4.3M
The two-month Occupy L.A. demonstration cost the city $4.2 million in services and overtime, the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee was advised on Monday. As expected, most of the costs were for overtime paid to police and Recreation and Parks personnel who monitored and provided facilities for the protest that took over the park outside City Hall last fall. The committee deferred action on the report for two weeks.
Los Angeles Daily News
Law enforcement fatalities decrease 44% in the first half of 2012, reaching a 52-year low
In a reversal of recent trends and positive news for the law enforcement community, law enforcement fatalities declined significantly nationwide during the first half of 2012, reaching a 52-year low. Fifty-three law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the first six months of this year, according to preliminary figures released today by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), in conjunction with the Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.). This represents a 44 percent decrease over the 94 officers who lost their lives during the same time last year. Officer fatalities decreased across all circumstances yet peace officer ambushes remain the leading circumstance of fatal shootings.
NLEOMF Press Release
Dramatic photos, dispatch recordings released from officer-involved shooting
The California Highway Patrol released dramatic photos and chilling dispatch recordings from the shooting along Highway 178 back in May that left a CHP officer wounded. This is the transcript of the dispatcher recordings with Officer Ryan Bunting: "I've been shot twice... Suspect vehicle, blue Yukon with 24-inch wheels, bullet holes on the driver's side with a blown out window on the driver's side. Passenger in the back wearing a tank top, shot....The shooter was in the driver's side back seat, wearing a wife-beater t-shirt and I'm pretty sure I hit him a couple of times. My vehicle is out of commission with a flat tire. Tell other units to slow down, my wounds are not life threatening."
KGET News
MTS celebrates the death of this cold blooded sociopath who, in cold blood, brutally murdered LAPD Officer Ian Campbell. It is fitting that he died a slow, painful death in a lonely and desolate place, without friends or family.
'Onion Field' killer Gregory Powell dies in prison of cancer at age 79
Gregory Powell, known as one of the kidnappers whose case was made famous in the 1973 best-selling novel "The Onion Field" and a later film, has died at age 79. Powell and his partner Jimmy Lee Smith abducted a pair of L.A. police officers in 1963, Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger, after the officers pulled them over on a Hollywood street. The kidnappers drove the officers to an onion field in Bakersfield where they killed Campbell, shooting him in the face; Hettinger escaped to a farmhouse four miles away.
Southern California Public Radio
Wife chronicles slain SWAT officer's life behind and beyond the badge
Four years after Randy Simmon's death during an LAPD SWAT raid, his wife wrote a book about his life. She says it started as a historical record for the couple's two children and turned into a chronicle of a man who was much more than a devoted officer. "I woke up at five every morning and started writing," recalls wife Lisa Simmons. "A couple times I had to start and stop, because you're reliving everything." Those moments are shared in her new book, "41D: Man of Valor," named after Randy Simmons' police radio handle.
NBC4
Four years after SWAT officer Randal Simmons' slaying, widow tells her story
People are always asking Lisa Simmons when there will be a movie about her husband. Randy Simmons, a 27-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran, was shot and killed in February 2008 during a SWAT raid of a house in Winnetka. The first-ever killing of an LAPD SWAT officer in the line of duty stunned the department and much of the city. Ten thousand people came to his funeral at the Crenshaw Christian Center, known as the "Faith Dome." In late 2010, Lisa Simmons, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident, sat down to start writing what she thought would be a screenplay. Instead, it became a book, the just-released "41D -- Man of Valor," named for Randy's police radio handle.
Los Angeles Daily News
5 LAPD officers probed in mother's death; Beck vows answers
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck vowed to thoroughly investigate the death of a mother during a confrontation with LAPD officers. "I take all in-custody death investigations very seriously," Beck said in a statement late Thursday. "I am confident we will get to the truth no matter where that leads us." At least five Los Angeles police officers are under investigation in the death of a woman who stopped breathing during a struggle that included an officer stomping on her genital area and the use of additional force by others to take her into custody, police officials confirmed Thursday.
Los Angeles Times
Convicted murderer from L.A. attacks two guards on death row
A Los Angeles gang member who was convicted of murder attacked two guards Thursday on death row at San Quentin State Prison, authorities said. Timothy Joseph McGhee, 39, who was convicted of killing three people, used a hand-made weapon to attack the guards Thursday morning as they returned him a a shower to his cell, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said. The guards received cuts and wounds on their heads, necks and arms and were treated at a hospital.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck demotes Foothill commanding officer over use-of-force concerns
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has relieved the commanding officer of the Foothill division from duty and is demoting him over his handling of a use-of-force incident against a 34-year-old woman in Tujunga last week. "I have serious concerns about this incident and I believe the commanding officer of Foothill area was severely deficient in his response," Beck said. "Proper steps were not taken, including appropriate notifications and the removal of the involved officers from the field. Because of these issues, I have removed him from his command and initiated downgrade procedures."
Los Angeles Daily News
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck voices 'serious concerns' about use-of-force by two LAPD officers
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said he has "serious concerns" about the actions of two officers who are under investigation for use of force. The LAPD released a statement Tuesday evening with little detail on the incident, saying only that it happened Aug. 21 following a traffic stop in the Foothill Area. LAPD spokeswoman Officer Karen Rayner told the Daily News the statement was released because a television station had obtained a video of the incident.
Los Angeles Daily News
State overhaul extends to local workers
There are thousands of local government agencies around the state, employing hundreds of thousands of workers covered by a variety of retirement plans. By Friday, the Legislature is scheduled to consider imposing its plan to overhaul public-employee pensions on them. The pension-overhaul proposal that emerged this week after months of private negotiations between Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic leaders and public-employee unions would make sweeping changes to the retirement plans not only of state workers, but also to those of firefighters, police, code enforcement officers and other local employees.
Riverside Press-Enterprise
California lawmakers approve ban on open carry of rifles, shotguns
The state Assembly on Wednesday voted final legislative approval to a ban on carrying unloaded rifles and shotguns openly in public in California cities, with supporters citing recent mass shootings in other states and concern by police officers. The Assembly voted 43-30 to send the legislation to Gov. Jerry Brown, who has said he owns three firearms but has not yet taken a public position on the bill.
Los Angeles Times
San Jose Police Department losing some of its best after pension reform
Colleagues told Jincy Pace that one day she'd become a deputy chief of the San Jose Police Department. Smart, hardworking, respected, the West Point graduate had all the attributes for a high-ranking position. Pace still has that goal, but it won't happen in San Jose. After almost 14 years with the department, Thursday was Pace's last day as a San Jose cop. She traded in her sergeant's badge to become a patrol officer in Hillsboro, Ore. Pace is one of 79 officers who have resigned from the SJPD since 2011, including 30 this year.
San Jose Mercury News
Bill would increase fines for using cellphones while driving
State lawmakers sent two road-related proposals to the governor Tuesday, one that would hike fines for Californians who use a cellphone while driving and another that would exempt hybrid drivers from toll charges in car-pool lanes. The cellphone bill, SB 1310 by state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), would increase the current fine for driving while using a hands-on phone or text messaging from $20 to $30 for a first offense, and from $50 to $60 for a subsequent offense.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD reluctant to change its handling of photo lineups The LAPD detectives' conduct, which emerged during a murder trial, is one of several cases across the country that has helped prompt a rethinking of the age-old methods of police interviews. As a result, a growing number of law enforcement agencies are abandoning the practice of allowing detectives who know the identity of a suspect to conduct photo lineups. The change, proponents say, is needed to guard against influencing witnesses with subtle, unintentional comments and gestures - or more heavy-handed techniques.
Los Angeles Times
Jurors reject suit over LA fatal police shooting
A jury has rejected allegations in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the estate of an illegal immigrant who was killed by Los Angeles police after he lunged at an officer with a knife. Jurors last week found in favor of the Los Angeles Police Department, which was sued by the family of Manuel Jaminez, who was killed in September 2010. The Guatemalan day laborer was shot by police after he tried to stab a pregnant woman. Police said Jaminez lunged toward an officer after refusing orders in Spanish and English to drop the knife.
AP
Truth triumphs over payoff demand
Last week, the jury in a federal civil rights case came to a swift and correct decision on who was responsible for the death of Manuel Jamines; it was 37-year-old Manuel Jamines. We applaud the City for refusing to pay off the plaintiffs any sum of money in this case as a "cost of doing business." We commend Chief Beck and the Commission for looking at the facts in this incident and standing behind the officers who protected the community from an intoxicated, knife-wielding man.
LAPPL Blog
State Democrats: Pension changes coming
Ten months after Gov. Jerry Brown proposed sweeping changes to public employee pensions, Democratic legislative leaders say they are finally poised to take action on the issue this week. They'll have to if any changes are to occur. The state Legislature ends its two-year session at midnight Friday, and bills that haven't been approved by then die. Details of what kinds of changes legislators will consider, however, are still vague.
San Francisco Chronicle
Gut-and-amend bill seeks 'safe harbor' for illegal immigrants
With only days left before the California Legislature adjourns for the year, lawmakers are breathing new life into a failed initiative campaign calling for creation of a five-year program to allow undocumented workers to live and work openly in the state. Senate Bill 901 was gutted and amended this week by Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, D-Sylmar, to propose the "safe harbor" plan for up to 2 million undocumented immigrants. The bill's contents previously set guidelines for a program that pays owners of high-polluting vehicles to retire them.
Sacramento Bee
California OKs bill shielding undocumented immigrants
California state legislators passed a bill Friday that seeks to protect undocumented immigrants charged with relatively minor crimes from being deported. The bill, by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, would prohibit local police from detaining anyone on an immigration hold if the person is not charged with or has not been convicted of a serious or violent crime. The bill, which only needs the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown to become law, passed the Assembly on Friday after being amended in the state Senate to remove language that would have required police departments to develop plans to guard against racial profiling.
San Francisco Chronicle
Dems try to give young illegals licenses
Democratic legislators are working with Gov. Jerry Brown and Department of Motor Vehicles officials to provide driver's licenses to hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants now eligible to work under President Obama's new "deferred action" policy. "In the past, the argument against providing driver's licenses has been that it would be rewarding someone who has broken the law," said state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. "But now we're talking about people who, by definition, have not broken any laws."
San Francisco Chronicle
California Senate approves police-fire death benefits bill
A highly controversial bill to make it easier for survivors of police officers and firefighters to collect workers' compensation benefits was approved Thursday by the California Senate. Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez is personally carrying the measure, Assembly Bill 2451. It would double the time period in which benefits could be claimed for deaths linked to a number of conditions, such as cancer, that are presumed by current law to be job-related.
Sacramento Bee
Legislators OK higher fines for texting while driving
Acting on nearly 200 proposals, state lawmakers Thursday advanced measures that would increase fines for texting while driving, allow voter registration on election day and restrict the ability of law enforcement to track people through their cellphones. The Senate passed and sent Gov. Jerry Brown a bill that would require law enforcement officers to obtain a warrant before searching for someone's location and movements based on data in the person's cellphone or other wireless device.
Los Angeles Times
Agencies warn of possible anarchist activity at conventions
Law enforcement officials are concerned about possible violence by anarchist extremists at the upcoming Republican and Democratic national conventions, according to an intelligence bulletin prepared by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. The bulletin, which was obtained by CNN, says that anarchists could try to use improvised explosive devices. It also says that, as of March, the FBI had intelligence indicating individuals from New York "planned to travel to Tampa and attempt to close" all of the Tampa Bay-area bridges during the Republican National Convention next week.
CNN
Downtown L.A.'s Pershing Square Park gets its very own task force
Following the recent attacks on a security guard and repeated instances of verbal and physical abuse, the City of Los Angeles has unleashed the beast: The Pershing Square Park Task Force. The Downtown L.A. task force, spearheaded by Councilman Huizar and other city departments, includes Council District 14, the Los Angeles Police Department, General Services Department, the City Attorney's office and Department of Recreation and Parks. Since the task force's inception, the LAPD has made two arrests and increased patrols at the park as promised.
LAist
City moves toward two-tier pension reform
The City Council took some initial steps toward new pension reforms Tuesday, looking at having new workers stay on the job longer and contribute more to the system. After a closed-door session, the council instructed City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana to meet with actuaries and report back on the impact of the proposed changes. "We are going to address our problems when it comes to pension reform," City Council President Herb Wesson said. "It's too early to say exactly what we are doing, but I asked that actuaries look at different options."
Los Angeles Daily News
L.A.'s public safety pension costs steadily growing
Taxpayers in Los Angeles will see retirement costs for police officers and firefighters climb by 56% over the next four years, even after passage of a ballot measure that trimmed the pension benefits paid to new hires, according to projections released by city budget officials. Pensions and retiree healthcare costs for sworn employees are projected to consume $789 million of the city's general fund budget in 2016, up from $506 million this year, according to figures prepared by budget analysts.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD probes excessive-force claim in video arrest
Police were investigating allegations Monday that officers used excessive force when they dog-piled on a skateboarder who was punched during a weekend arrest recorded on video. Ronald Weekley Jr., 20, claimed he suffered a broken nose, broken cheekbone and a concussion during the confrontation outside his home in the Venice neighborhood. His face appeared slightly bruised as he spoke with friends, supporters and journalists.
Associated Press
FBI to open facial recognition searches to police nationwide
The FBI is expanding the pilot project of its facial recognition software and will be offering a free-of-charge client software version later this summer to law enforcement agencies. The Universal Face Workstation will enable law enforcement agencies to conduct automated facial/photo searches with minimal resource investment. The facial recognition system was piloted in February with the state of Michigan, which is currently submitting searches to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, according to Jerome Pender, the division's deputy assistant director.
Government Computer News
DMV working on issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is getting closer to a decision on providing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who qualify for federal work permits under a new initiative of the Obama administration. DMV spokesman Mike Marando said Monday the agency's staff is working through technical issues including a determination of whether the Legislature will have to clarify the law.
Los Angeles Times
L.A. police, fire unions angry over call for pay freeze
Los Angeles public safety unions responded angrily last week to a proposal to freeze the pay of firefighters and police if the city's contribution to their retirement benefits reaches a certain amount. The proposal, from a group of business leaders and former Mayor Richard Riordan, came as the city released new budget projections showing that taxpayers would see retirement costs for police officers and firefighters climb by 56% over the next four years.
Los Angeles Times
Hero Honored 49 years later - LAPD Officer Ian Campbell Square to be dedicated At 1:30 p.m. today (Friday), the intersection of Carlos and Gower in Hollywood will be officially named in honor of LAPD Officer Ian Campbell. Glynn Martin of the Los Angeles Police Museum, in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, spearheaded the idea of renaming the intersection. Council members Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge introduced a Council motion to make it happen.
LAPPL News Release
Truth triumphs over payoff demand
Last week, the jury in a federal civil rights case came to a swift and correct decision on who was responsible for the death of Manuel Jamines; it was 37-year-old Manuel Jamines. We applaud the City for refusing to pay off the plaintiffs any sum of money in this case as a "cost of doing business." We commend Chief Beck and the Commission for looking at the facts in this incident and standing behind the officers who protected the community from an intoxicated, knife-wielding man.
LAPPL Blog
Is increased enforcement paying off in Highland Park?
The numbers tell a compelling story. According to Crimemapping.com, 13 violent crimes - many of them shootings - were reported in Highland Park between July 15 and July 31. In the two weeks between August 1 and August 15, crimemapping.com shows only one violent crime--a report of a shooting at a moving vehicle. What changed? On Thursday, July 27, LAPD Northeast Division Senior Lead Officer for Highland Park, Nina Preciado, told Patch that extra officers from LAPD Central Bureau were being deployed to the area and that a "zero tolerance" policy was being put in place.
Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch Law enforcement trains to stay calm during RNC
Law enforcement won't allow violent assaults at the Republican National Convention. They won't stand for property damage, either. But up to that point, they plan to let a lot slide. Baiting has long been a way to get police to react. Protesters yelled "Pigs!" and "I smell bacon!" at the 2008 RNC in St. Paul, Minn. Some lunged threateningly at officers. Others dangled doughnuts. Cameras recorded the officers' reactions. Tampa expects its officers to be even-tempered. Actions that appear to be assaults could be traps.
Tampa Bay Times
Search on for suspect accused of assaulting LAPD officer
Los Angeles police were searching a South Los Angeles neighborhood for a suspect though to have assaulted an officer Tuesday morning. The assault on a Los Angeles Police Department officer occurred in the 1000 block of East 28th Street at about 10:25 a.m., according to LAPD's media office. There was a perimeter set up in the area of East 27th Street and South Central Avenue. Aerial video showed yellow crime scene tape blocking off access to streets, with officers and patrols cars scattered across multiple blocks.
NBC4
Calif. bill bars agencies from cellphone jamming
A year after San Francisco's transit agency touched off a global free speech debate by jamming cellphones to block a protest, lawmakers are taking steps to pre-empt a similar scandal. On Thursday, the state Assembly approved a bill that would prohibit agencies from disrupting cellphone service without probable cause and a court order.
Associated Press
Man arrested on suspicion of giving teen fatal heroin dose
Los Angeles police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after he allegedly injected a 13-year-old boy with heroin. Topanga-area Det. Dave Teteque said an investigation led officers to believe that 23-year-old Brett Cronin purchased heroin and injected himself, then injected his younger brother's friend, who was at a sleepover.
Los Angeles Times
Undocumented immigrants line up for federal program to avoid deportation
Hundreds of young undocumented immigrants lined up in the Westlake District today to take advantage of a new federal program under which they can avoid deportation and obtain the right to work. The government began accepting applications Wednesday for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which targets immigrants who came to the country at a young age and have been attending school or served in the military and have not been convicted of a crime.
City News Service
Obama administration's immigration changes begin Wednesday
Immigration authorities are bracing for a deluge of applications Wednesday, the first day when more than 1.2 million young illegal immigrants who were brought to America as children can seek to legally stay and work in the country under a policy change by President Obama. Even before the first request is filed, critics and advocates alike are warning of potential budget shortfalls and a logjam of paperwork that could mar the initiative, delay processing and facilitate fraud.
Los Angeles Times
LAPD impound lawsuits
A judge Wednesday consolidated for trial two lawsuits challenging the Los Angeles Police Department's recently modified policy for impounding cars driven by unlicensed drivers. Special Order 7 was aimed at lessening the financial burden on drivers who have their cars impounded for as long as month for driving without a valid license. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing about 9,900 rank-and-file LAPD officers, and the group Judicial Watch opposed the moved and sued to stop it.
City News Service
Push on again for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses
Natividad Carrera recalled an event in 2004 when a group of undocumented immigrants celebrated at a local Department of Motor Vehicles after they heard they would soon be able to apply for a driver's license. But that celebration turned out to be premature. Then-Sen. Gil Cedillo's bill to provide licenses for the undocumented was signed into law, but then repealed before it ever took effect. Now an assemblyman who is termed out this year, Cedillo, D-L.A., is pressing his eighth and presumably final attempt at turning the bill into law.
Los Angeles Daily News
Anaheim: No laughing place
There is more to Anaheim, Calif., than Disneyland. As shown on the crime map, the unfortunate tourist who takes a wrong turn on his way out of the Magic Kingdom may quickly find the neighborhood he has entered is far from The Happiest Place on Earth. Things are not getting any happier. On a recent Friday morning, Anaheim police officers shot at (and missed) a man who attempted to run them down with a car when they interrupted him and an accomplice while committing a burglary.
Jack Dunphy/National Review
California Senate leader, attorney general back gun-control bill
In the wake of the recent mass shootings in Colorado and Wisconsin, the leader of the California Senate and the state attorney general said Monday they support a gun control bill aimed at making it harder to reload assault rifles. Senate President Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris said the measure addresses weapons like those used in the movie theater shooting in Colorado last month that left 12 dead.
Los Angeles Times
State Supreme Court upholds death sentence in killing of deputy
The California Supreme Court on Monday upheld the death sentence of a man convicted of murdering Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Deputy Michael Hoenig. In a unanimous decision, the state's highest court rejected an appeal by Enrique Parra Duenas, convicted of fatally shooting Hoenig, 32, in South Gate in 1997 when the deputy tried to stop Duenas as he rode by on a bicycle.
Los Angeles Times
Occupy LA costs put at $4.3M
The two-month Occupy L.A. demonstration cost the city $4.2 million in services and overtime, the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee was advised on Monday. As expected, most of the costs were for overtime paid to police and Recreation and Parks personnel who monitored and provided facilities for the protest that took over the park outside City Hall last fall. The committee deferred action on the report for two weeks.
Los Angeles Daily News
Law enforcement fatalities decrease 44% in the first half of 2012, reaching a 52-year low
In a reversal of recent trends and positive news for the law enforcement community, law enforcement fatalities declined significantly nationwide during the first half of 2012, reaching a 52-year low. Fifty-three law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the first six months of this year, according to preliminary figures released today by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), in conjunction with the Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.). This represents a 44 percent decrease over the 94 officers who lost their lives during the same time last year. Officer fatalities decreased across all circumstances yet peace officer ambushes remain the leading circumstance of fatal shootings.
NLEOMF Press Release
Dramatic photos, dispatch recordings released from officer-involved shooting
The California Highway Patrol released dramatic photos and chilling dispatch recordings from the shooting along Highway 178 back in May that left a CHP officer wounded. This is the transcript of the dispatcher recordings with Officer Ryan Bunting: "I've been shot twice... Suspect vehicle, blue Yukon with 24-inch wheels, bullet holes on the driver's side with a blown out window on the driver's side. Passenger in the back wearing a tank top, shot....The shooter was in the driver's side back seat, wearing a wife-beater t-shirt and I'm pretty sure I hit him a couple of times. My vehicle is out of commission with a flat tire. Tell other units to slow down, my wounds are not life threatening."
KGET News