Law Enforcement

Lawmen across state protest recommended parole of Los Angeles cop killer
Lawmen across the state are seeking to block the parole of a man who'd indirectly helped murder a Los Angeles cop in front of his 6-year-old son in a hail of machine gun fire in front of a Canoga Park church school. “There are no words to describe the surprise and anger we felt,” said a statement by the Los Angeles Police Protective League Board of Directors, which represents 10,000 LAPD officers, after learning last week of a decision to recommend his parole. “We implore Gov. Jerry Brown to reverse any decision by the Parole Board to free Williams and keep this brutal killer behind bars for the public good.
Los Angeles Daily News

FBI, LAPD seek armed bandit suspected in Northridge bank robberies
Federal and local lawmen are seeking public help in identifying a man suspected of sticking up two banks in Northridge this summer before fleeing in a white van. The Federal Bureau of Investigation released photos of a man they suspect held up a Chase bank on July 29 and a Wells Fargo branch on Wednesday for an unidentified sum, according to Los Angeles FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.
Los Angeles Daily News

Man In Custody In Connection With Fatal Canoga Park Hit-And-Run
Police on Saturday morning said they had a suspect in custody in connection with an overnight hit-and-run crash that left a motorcyclist dead and the motorcyclist's passenger critically injured. Shortly before 4 a.m., a pickup truck struck the motorcycle at the intersection of Saticoy Street and De Soto Avenue in Canoga Park, the LAPD said.
CBS Los Angeles

Man Killed in Hit-and-Run in South LA
A man was killed after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in South Los Angeles early Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The collision was reported just before 1 a.m. at the intersection of Broadway and West 103rd Street after a passerby found a man lying on the street, according to Lt. Charles Springer with LAPD's South Traffic Division.
NBC Los Angeles

What it's like to be a cop during 'anarchy'
To the editor: Thanks to novelist and former Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Joseph Wambaugh for his Op-Ed article recalling what it was like for officers on duty during the Watts riots. ("Joseph Wambaugh: The Watts riots — from inside a black-and-white," Op-Ed, Aug. 11) I was 10 years old when the riots occurred and vaguely remember the news broadcasts and not much else. I learned of the seriousness of the Watts riots when I read Wambaugh's book, “The New Centurions,” and the closing dealing with the riots and their chaotic effect on the officers. The book's narrative was obviously taken from Wambaugh's personal experience.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD broke labor laws in requiring some officers to repay training costs, court rules
Anthony Alvo joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1998 at age 21, fresh out of the Marine Corps, envisioning a long career in the department. But he quickly grew frustrated by a department that he just didn't like. The atmosphere was toxic, he said, the pay wasn't great, and there was more money and better conditions to be had elsewhere. In 2000, after less than two years with the LAPD, he quit to take a higher-paying job with the Chino Police Department. In response, the city of Los Angeles sued him, accusing him of fraud and saying he owed $34,000 for his police training.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. County Inmate ‘Democracy' Tackles Conflict Verbally, Not Violently
The tall man with the bushy black beard gestured at his dark blue jail uniform. His shirt barely reached his navel, leaving a swath of bare skin above his waistband. "I'm 6 feet 4. My shirt is like a crop top," he said to laughter from inmates as jail laundry supervisors listened. Too small. Dirty. Full of holes. Until now, there was little the inmates of Dorm 45 could do except wear the garments or cut slits to make them fit better. But on this June day at the Los Angeles County jail's South Facility, they were venting their frustrations to the people in charge.
Los Angeles Times

Nevada Police Officer Fatally Shot in Line of Duty
A Nevada sheriff's deputy was shot and killed after a suspect opened fire on police officers who were responding to a domestic violence call, officials have reported. According to the Associated Press, police officers responded to a report of domestic battery and an injured woman. A male suspect came out of the house and opened fire, killing one of Carson City's sheriff's deputies around 2:18 a.m. Saturday, August 15.
TheBlaze.com

Prop. 47

In the Wake of Proposition 47, California Sees a Crime Wave
"The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act" isn't living up to its promise. Also known as Proposition 47, the California ballot initiative, which was approved in November 2014 with 60 percent of the vote, downgraded drug possession and many property crimes from a felony to a misdemeanor. Proponents argued that lesser punishment for low-level offenders would enhance public safety. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon was the rare prosecutor who pushed for its approval.
Townhall.com

Pensions

San Jose, police union agree on pay, pension settlement
The City Council on Friday approved a tentative agreement on raises with the police union after agreeing to the officers' demands for implementing a settlement on voter-approved pension reforms. Both sides saw the deal as crucial to retaining officers in the depleted police force. The one-year pay agreement, tentatively reached earlier in the week, calls for 8 percent raises, plus a 5-percent, one-time "retention" bonus and return incentive for officers who have left the force for other jobs. The current police contract expires at the end of the year. |
Mercurynews.com