LAPD To Dramatically Downsize Special Units, Focus On Patrol As Budget Cut Shrinks Force

The LAPD in coming months will downsize its specialized units and stop responding in person to traffic collisions and other minor incidents as part of a broad reorganization aimed at preserving patrol and community engagement functions amid new fiscal constraints. Although specific figures weren’t available Friday, the reshuffling will reduce the size of the vaunted but troubled Metropolitan Division, as well as cut the air support, robbery and homicide and gang and narcotics divisions. The department also will reduce desk hours at its stations, cut special deployments in popular areas such as Venice and Hollywood, and stop staffing teams that cover homelessness issues. A total of 234 officers will move back into patrol. Station desks will be manned only during weekday hours. Victims of misdemeanor hit-and-run crashes and collisions with minor injuries will be advised to file a report online. Craig Lally, president of the police union, said his group plans to engage with Moore to make sure the cuts and transfers of officers are “done in a fair and transparent way” for officers — but that the changes will be a “catastrophe for the safety” of Angelenos at a time of intense violence. “These cuts can’t come at a worse time, and our neighbors will be less safe. It’s going to be catastrophic,” he said. “There’s nothing good that’s going to come out of this, and it’s only going to get worse. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

LAPD To Scale Back Election Week Staffing Surge

The LAPD officers it would scale-down its preparations for post-election protests or other events and reduce the number of extra officers on duty in the coming days. A single command post near downtown LA would remain open to manage any unusual events while sites set up in West and South LA and in the San Fernando Valley would close, according to two officials involved in the planning. The LAPD said its plan was to have plenty of uniformed officers on-duty each day this week in case they were needed for crowd or traffic control at protests, to provide security for election officials and voting locations, or to monitor potential demonstrations at the homes of elected or appointed officials. Little need materialized. One protest in the streets near Staples Center on election night led to 81 people being arrested or cited, most for allegedly failing to disperse or blocking a street, and 3 people were arrested or cited at a smaller protest near 5th and Hill Streets Wednesday night, the LAPD said.

Traffic Accidents Drop Nearly 42% In LA During Coronavirus Pandemic

When the coronavirus hit Los Angeles in March and people began sheltering at home, the number of traffic collisions in the city instantly fell, and a report released Friday said accidents are down nearly 42% in the first nine months of this year. The city recorded 24,541 collisions between January and the end of September, a steep drop from the 42,279 accidents during the same time last year, according to Los Angeles Police Department data analyzed by Crosstown, a nonprofit news organization. The decline began in March, the month that Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered all nonessential businesses to close, Crosstown reported. There were 2,917 collisions this March, a 41% drop from the same month a year ago. The difference is most stark between April and July, when far fewer people were driving to work or to accomplish every little errand. This year, the LAPD recorded between 1,723 and 2,159 collisions each month. The 2019 figures were all at least twice as high, bouncing between 4,487 and 4,858.

LAPD Searching For Missing 79-Year-Old-Man

Los Angeles police asked for the public's help Sunday night to find a 79-year-old man, suffering from an unspecified medical condition that may leave him disoriented. George Bailey was last seen about 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Los Angeles, the LAPD said. There was no specific location provided by authorities. Bailey is Black. He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 155 pounds and has black hair, the LAPD reported. He was last seen wearing a black beanie, black jacket, blue shirt, khaki pants and gray shoes, according to the department. A Silver Alert was also issued by the California Highway Patrol on behalf of the LAPD. Anyone with information on Bailey's whereabouts was asked to call the LAPD's 24-hour tipline at 877-LAPD-24-7 or 911.

Motorist Leads Authorities On Car Chase At Van Nuys Airport

A man was taken into custody Friday, Nov. 6, after leading authorities on a car chase on the grounds of Van Nuys Airport, authorities said. He surrendered after the car apparently became disabled at about 9 a.m. when it crashed through a fence. The chase lasted about 20 minutes and led onto runways and taxiways. According to Fox 11, police believe the suspect breached security at a construction site near the airport grounds.

Man And Woman Shot To Death In East Los Angeles Saturday Night

A man and woman were shot to death Saturday night in East Los Angeles. The shooting was reported at 7:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of East Olympic Boulevard, according to Deputy Grace Medrano of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. The two victims were found unresponsive in a parking lot at Olympic Boulevard and Indiana Street, Medrano said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and paramedics took the woman to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, she said. No suspect description was available and the murder weapon was not found at the scene, Medrano said. It was not known whether the shootings were gang related. Homicide detectives are conducting a crime scene investigation, Medrano said. Anyone with information was asked to call homicide detectives at 323- 890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

1 Dead, 1 Injured In Shooting At Large Gathering In Unincorporated LA

An investigation was underway Sunday into a shooting that left one man dead and another man injured in unincorporated Los Angeles. The shooting unfolded just before 11 p.m. Saturday in the 13100 block of San Pedro Street. It was there that deputies responded to the scene and located two men who were both suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported to the hospital where one died. The other was in unknown condition. Investigators say there was a large gathering at the location and as several people were leaving, a shooting broke out. The incident was believed to be gang-related. Anyone with information about this incident was asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

FBI raids on local officials mark latest probe targeting corruption in cannabis licensing

Since California voters legalized recreational cannabis four years ago, allegations of conflicts of interest, bribery and bias in the permitting process have plagued cities and counties as they try to regulate the fledgling industry. The accusations have led to a series of high-profile arrests and prosecutions of local government officials and pot operators. The latest law enforcement investigation involving cannabis licensing emerged in recent days after FBI agents served warrants at the home of a Compton councilman, the downtown L.A. law offices of the Baldwin Park city attorney and the home of a San Bernardino planning commissioner.

Chatsworth Man Accused Of Cyberstalking 2 Sisters, Threatening Them With Rape And Murder

A federal grand jury on Friday returned an indictment charging a Chatsworth man with cyberstalking two sisters by sending them text messages that threatened them with rape and murder. Alex Scott Roberts, 25, was named in a six-count indictment that outlines an alleged harassment and threat campaign that spanned a three-week period this summer. The indictment charges Roberts with two counts of stalking and four counts of making threats by interstate communications, specifically text messages. If convicted, he would face up to five years in federal prison for each count in the indictment — a total of 30 years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Information about Roberts’ alleged motive or whether he knew the sisters beforehand was not provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and was not included in the indictment. Roberts is currently in state custody serving a sentence resulting from a parole violation. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered him back into custody in September, after the FBI executed a federal search warrant related to the cyberstalking case at his residence.

L.A.-Area Man In Custody After Allegedly Threatening Mass Shooting If Biden Wins

A Los Angeles area man who took to social media to threaten a mass shooting if Vice President Joe Biden wins the presidential election has been taken into custody, law enforcement sources confirmed to The Times. The man was handcuffed by members of a task force led by federal and local law enforcement agencies and detained inside a vehicle Friday. Investigators were searching his home for evidence of any means he has to carry out any form of attack, the sources said. “The FBI is aware of the reported threats, and we’re working with our partners. The subject is being evaluated by state officials. The federal government has not made any arrest nor filed charges at this time,” FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a statement.

Man In Culver City Takes At Least $1,000 Cash During Robbery At Trader Joe’s

Police Saturday sought the public’s help in identifying an armed suspect who robbed a Trader Joe’s in Culver City of approximately $1,000 during a money transfer, also snatching cash from four separate cash registers. Officers received a radio call at 8:45 p.m. Friday of a robbery in progress at a Trader Joe’s at 9290 Culver Blvd., the Culver City Police Department reported. They arrived at the scene within seconds, police said, however the suspect had already fled the location. He had walked into the store and approached the manager, who was in the process of conducting a money transfer. The man pointed a gun at the manager and demanded money. The suspect was described as a male Black, from 20 to 30 years old, approximately 6-feet tall with a thin build wearing a dark blue hoodie and black pants. His vehicle was described as a white four-door sedan.

67-Year-Old Man Killed Following Crash, Possible Road-Rage Attack In Unincorporated Compton

A 67-year-old man died Sunday in a possible road-rage attack following a collision in unincorporated Compton. Deputies said the victim and the suspect had been involved in a collision around 5:40 a.m. in the 19000 block of S. Laurel Park Road in East Rancho Dominguez. Following the crash, authorities say the pair were involved in an altercation at which point the suspect allegedly beat the victim before running over him multiple times. The suspect fled on foot, but has been detained by deputies and arrested on suspicion of murder, authorities said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Anyone with information about this incident was asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

SoCal: Ex-Financial Advisor Who Stole $30 Million From Pro Athletes Sentenced To Prison

A former Southern California financial adviser who stole millions of dollars from professional athletes among his clientele was sentenced Friday to more than three years in federal prison. Ash Narayan, 55, of Irvine received the 37-month sentence and was ordered to pay $18.8 million in restitution, the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement. Prosecutors contend that Narayan stole more than $30 million in savings from pro athletes including San Francisco Giants pitcher Jake Peavy, Denver Broncos quarterback Mark Sanchez and retired Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt. Narayan pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and subscribing to a false tax return. Narayan was an investment advisor at RGT Capital Management Ltd.'s Irvine office, where his clients were “high-net-worth individuals who were current and former professional athletes," the U.S. attorney's office statement said.

81-Year-Old Harbor Gateway Man Dies In Fire Caused By Home’s Heater: LAFD

An 81-year-old Harbor Gateway man died in a fire believed to have been caused by a heater inside the home early Sunday morning, fire officials said. Firefighters responded to the blaze around 6:34 a.m. to find heavy smoke and fire showing from the single-story home in the 500 block of 157th Street, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said. Neighbors were trying to get to the man who was trapped inside by the flames. His daughter was also trying to rescue her father, and she sustained burns that were not life-threatening, according to the department. Firefighters searched for the man as others began aggressively attacking the flames. The crew quickly extinguished the blaze about 20 minutes later, eventually finding the man who was pronounced dead at the scene. “The cause of the fire was determined to be the accidental use of an outdoor heating element of propane being used to heat the home inside,” LAFD spokesman David Ortiz told KTLA.

Helicopter Carrying Donated Organ Crashes On Top Of Hospital Helipad, LAFD Says

A helicopter believed to be carrying a donated organ for a local hospital crashed and overturned on the helipad Friday afternoon. The Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to a call of a trapped vehicle on a helipad at the Keck Hospital of USC on North San Pablo Street. Two people were being treated from the crash, LAFD said. LAFD said a private air ambulance helicopter was trying to deliver a donated organ to the hospital. The crash did not cause any fire and there weren't any signs of a significant fuel leak, LAFD said. Officials did not say if the donated organ made it to the hospital in peace.

Public Health Officials Warn Against Crowds As COVID-19 Cases Keep Surging In L.A. County

As Los Angeles County recorded more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for the third straight day, health officials on Saturday again pleaded with residents to avoid large gatherings as the disease is “widespread and increasing” across the county. Health officials confirmed 2,418 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 new deaths on Saturday, topping the previous day’s total and continuing to increase to levels the county hadn’t seen since August. “Our metrics this week are concerning and confirm that transmission of COVID-19 is widespread and increasing in L.A. County,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in its statement. As of Saturday, the county has reported a total of 319,977 positive cases of COVID-19 and 7,170 deaths. The number of people hospitalized with the virus also climbed steadily this week, health officials said.

Coronavirus Is Again Stalking California, But There Is Still Time To Prevent A ‘Third Wave’

While California has started to see a rise in coronavirus cases, the pace of increase is slower than that seen in the rest of the United States, and experts said there is still time to prevent a “third wave." There are clear warning signs, including a troubling increase in daily cases in Los Angeles County. But statewide, the uptick — for the moment — is proceeding at a pace considered relatively slow, and health officials say there’s no conclusive sign of the kind of spike that roiled California this summer. “We are fortunate in the sense that we have a much more muted uptick that’s beginning to occur,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. “And I think it’s because we are still adhering, for the most part, to this tiered approach of gradual opening of the economy and schools.” California’s slow reopening process has prompted criticism from some businesses, including executives of the state’s largest theme parks, which remain ordered shut.

Local Government News

A Newly Constituted City Council Could Change L.A.'s Approach To Homelessness

For years, homelessness has loomed over the civic culture of Los Angeles as its most intractable problem, one that defined the city and its government in the eyes of many people. Now change may be in the air, with the election of three new members to the City Council, relentless pressure from a federal judge and the potential for a new administration in Washington. The council’s three newest members rode a wave of discontent over the government’s failure to help the 40,000 Angelenos who have no home amid a pandemic. For some voters, it came down to the city’s inability to keep streets clean and rights-of-way clear. For others, it was about the plight of the most vulnerable citizens — and how the city has essentially criminalized their existence. Councilman-elect Mark Ridley-Thomas returns to the council after decades of helping to shape homeless policy at the local and state level, including helping pass Measure H, which raised a quarter-cent sales tax to generate about $355 million a year for homeless programs. Another incoming councilman, Kevin de León, comes from a stint as state Senate president pro tempore, helping to oversee state aid for the homeless.

Councilman David Ryu, Who Sought A Second Term, Concedes Defeat To Challenger Nithya Raman

Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu conceded to his challenger, urban planner Nithya Raman, on Friday, Nov. 6, after several days of results showing that he consistently trailed his opponent by 5 percentage points. “The voters of District Four have spoken, and I respect the outcome of this election,” Ryu said in a statement sent out just after the release of the latest update from the county registrar-recorder’s office. The district includes Sherman Oaks and Toluca Lake in the San Fernando Valley, the Greater Wilshire area, parts of Bel-Air, Mid-City, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Silver Lake, and small slices of Van Nuys and Studio City. Ryu, who was attempting to gain a second term, was unable to shake Raman from her lead since initial results were released on election night. There have now been more than 120,000 votes counted in the race, well above the number of ballots counted in the March primary.