Law Enforcement

Residents Cite Privacy Concerns at Meeting Over LAPD Body Cameras
Residents cited privacy concerns over proposed new body cameras for Los Angeles Police Department officers at a public meeting Wednesday. Many attendees at the consultation on the subject at the Green Meadows Recreation Center in South Los Angeles were not in support of the measure, despite the controversial shootings of Ezell Ford in LA and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
NBC Los Angeles , Fox LA

LAPPL Statement Regarding On-Body Cameras
In response to inquiries about the on-body cameras, Craig Lally, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League released the following statement on behalf of the League: “As we have said in the past, we don't object to body cameras and actually believe they will be useful in defending our officers against false allegations. Accuracy is absolutely our most important goal and officers have a right, and duty, to be accurate and utilize every tool to accomplish this. We are looking forward to the meet and confer process and seeing a draft copy of the policy that is fair and reasonable, and consistent with best practices across the nation. At the end of the day, we strive to have a policy in place that protects everyone's rights and interests – the officers, the Department, the City and the community.”
LAPD.com

LA Sheriff: Decline of Gangs Helped Push Crime Down in 2014
Crime fell 6 percent last year in the wide swaths of Los Angeles County patrolled by the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said Wednesday. The agency patrols the county's unincorporated areas and 42 cities, including Compton, West Hollywood, and Lancaster. Mirroring national trends, violent crime fell 4.9 percent in 2014, compared to the year before, and has plummeted 20 percent over the past five years. There were 149 murders last year, down 10.5 percent from 2013
89.3 KCPP , Los Angeles Daily News

29-Year-Old Stabbed To Death Chasing Robber Out Of Family's Donut Shop
A 29-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death outside his parent's donut shop in South L.A. by a robber.The robbery happened at Louisiana Fried Chicken and Donut House at West Florence Avenue and South Broadway Street last night at about 9:20 p.m., KTLA reports. Police say the robber first ordered some food, then snatched cash from the open register and fled. The victim attempted to chase the robber, but was stabbed in a nearby alleyway, LAPD Officer Drake Madison said. The vicim was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
LAist

Driver Sought in Hit-and-Run that Injured Grandma, 5-Year-Old Grandson
Detectives from the LAPD's Central Traffic Division will hand out fliers Thursday morning in a quest to track down witnesses to a hit-and-run collision that injured a woman and her 5-year-old grandson.On Jan. 7, Emma Cermeno, 48, and Alvin Fuentes were crossing north on Beverly Boulevard, just east of Robinson Street, when they were struck by a Lincoln Navigator going east on Beverly, said Detective Felix Padilla of the Central Traffic Division.
MyNewsLA.com

Man Detained After Report Of Screams From Park Bathroom In Chatsworth
Authorities broke into a locked public restroom at a Chatsworth park Wednesday and detained a man in connection with a possible sexual attack. Officers arrived to Mason Park in the 10500 block of Mason Avenue about 6 p.m. after receiving reports of screams and such originating from the bathroom.
CBS Los Angeles

Search Continues In Palm Desert For Missing L.A. Executive
A search continued in Palm Desert for a missing Los Angeles executive last seen nearly a week ago. Omar Meza, 33, an AIG sales executive, was last seen last Thursday at Desert Springs, a J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa, on Country Club Drive. On Wednesday, his close friends, coworkers and complete strangers joined the search for Meza.
CBS Los Angeles

Suspect Arrested After Pursuit In West Covina
Authorities have made an arrest in a residential area in West Covina after a pursuit.The arrest was made in a cul-de-sac in the 300 block of Holly Oak Drive just before 4 p.m. Wednesday. Deputies initially in pursuit of the vehicle were in the process of handing it off to West Covina police when they lost track of the vehicle momentarily.
CBS Los Angeles

City Government

L.A. councilman tells labor groups to pay for their own minimum wage studies
Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price on Wednesday asked business and labor groups worried about the effects of raising the minimum wage to pay for their own studies on the subject. Price chairs the council's Economic Development Committee, which is considering a proposal to raise the minimum wage from $9 per hour to $13.25 by 2017 and to $15.25 by 2019.
MyNewsLA.com