Law Enforcement

Los Angeles Police, CHP Included in Peace Officers Memorial
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. Included in this special recognition is a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who died in 1881, called the End of Watch. The most recent is LAPD Officer Roberto Carlos Sanchez, who lost his life May 3, 2014.
Glendora Patch , NBC Washington

CBS2's Pat Harvey Sits Down With LAPD Chief To Discuss Deadly Officer Shooting In Venice
It has been a controversial week for the LAPD as it looks into a struggle with officers that led to the shooting death of an unarmed man in Venice. Police Chief Charlie Beck gives a one-on-one interview with CBS2's Pat Harvey, and talks about why he said he was troubled by security video of the shooting and why he's going to continue being candid about the investigation.
CBS Los Angeles

Man stabbed 9 times on Skid Row
A man believed to be about 50 suffered nine stab wounds in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, police said today. The stabbing in the 400 block of South Towne Street was reported at 10:45 p.m. Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The man was stabbed in the neck and chest, police said. He was transported to a hospital where his vital signs were stable following surgery.
Los Angeles Daily News

Police ‘hot' on trail of woman's Western Avenue killer
Police today sought the gunman who shot and killed a woman outside a bar in the Harvard Heights section of central Los Angeles while aiming for someone else, authorities said. The woman fatally shot in the head outside Lupillos Bar at 1400 Western Ave. around 8 p.m. Saturday was not the intended target, said Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section. Officers dispatched to the scene found the woman inside the bar suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, he said, adding that witnesses told police she was not the gunman's intended victim.
Los Angeles Daily News

Bike Thefts Are Up Nearly 60% Downtown
Do you like riding your bike around downtown? It's time to invest in a serious U-lock. The Downtown News kicks off Bike Week by reporting that since last year, bike thefts are up 59% in the neighborhood. The LAPD says that 138 bikes have been stolen in 2015, compared to 87 bikes last year. If this keeps up, there could be more than 400 bikes stolen in 2015 in downtown alone. Prime places for thefts include restaurants, the Central Library and coffee shops. Thefts can happen at any time, but data shows that most of the thefts happen on Thursday between noon and 6 p.m.
LAist

Gun Buyback in Los Angeles Yields 746 Weapons
The Citywide Gun Buyback Program is an initiative of the Mayor's Office Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program. Major corporate sponsorship was provided by the Ralph's Corporation. While many in the media covered the event, the primary media partners for this event were KCBS2 / KCAL9. Individuals are able to surrender guns to any Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Community Police Station all year long. When bringing a firearm to a police station, please leave the unloaded gun(s) in a locked container or stored in a vehicle trunk.
Eagle Rock Patch , CBS Los Angeles

Sheriff blames deaths of Mississippi officers on Obama's ‘war on police'
Authorities have arrested four people in the shooting deaths of two Mississippi police officers over the weekend, but the sheriff of Milwaukee County — more than 900 miles away, in Wisconsin — says there's a fifth culprit on the loose. Suspect description: African American, slender build, salt-and pepper-hair, last seen wearing a blue power tie and sounding professorial. His alias: President Barack Obama.
The Washington Post

Number of police killed rises 89%, but remains below 35-year average
The number of police officers “feloniously killed” in the line of duty last year sharply jumped from 2013 but was still well below the annual average for the last 3 1/2 decades, the FBI said Monday. The agency reported that 51 law enforcement officers were killed in 2014 in the line of duty — 89% more than the 27 officers killed in 2013. An average of 64 officers were killed each year from 1980 to 2014, the agency said.
Los Angeles Times , NBC News

Homelessness

Homelessness up 12% in L.A. city and county
The homeless population jumped 12% in the last two years in both the city and county of Los Angeles, driven by soaring rents, low wages and stubbornly high unemployment, according to a report released Monday. In one of the most striking findings, the number of tents, makeshift encampments and vehicles occupied by homeless people soared 85%, to 9,535, according to biennial figures from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Los Angeles Times , KPCC