Law Enforcement

The loss of Bill Eaton
It's with heavy hearts that we grieve the loss of Captain Bill Eaton, who recently passed away after a grueling battle with cancer. Over his near 22-year career in LAPD, Captain Eaton was respected for his talents, ethics and leadership. He was a mentor and friend to many within the Department and the community. With the many successes over his career, he was never more proud than he was as a father to his two boys. The Board of Directors, attorneys and staff of the League extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to his children, family, loved ones and friends, all who will clearly mourn a substantial loss in the passing of Captain Eaton.
LAPPL Blog

Yet again, tragic and predictable consequences of a broken parole system
On Tuesday night, Los Angeles County Deputy Mohammed Ahmed was shot in the face by career criminal Nestor Torres, who was on the streets of East Los Angeles after being paroled last September for the fourth time in three years. This is the latest in a long string of incidents in which a parolee with a violent criminal history takes advantage of a dysfunctional parole system to gain early release and then shoots an officer.
LAPPL Blog

LAPD defends fatal shooting of unarmed naked man
The Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday said that two officers involved in the fatal shooting of a former college football player in Playa Vista were "fighting for their lives" in the moments before one of them discharged his weapon. The statement about the shooting of Reginald Doucet Jr., who was unarmed and naked when he encountered police Friday morning, came as a prominent civil rights activist questioned why officers couldn't have used non-lethal means to subdue him and called on LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to review the department's training and tactics in dealing with unarmed suspects.
Los Angeles Times

Statement regarding Reggie Doucet Jr. officer involved shooting
It is disappointing that community leaders immediately and predictably turn to questioning and trying to blame the LAPD, when officers have to respond with force and sometimes lethal force to protect their lives. Instead of attending the "second guessing press conference", we urge everyone to listen to the actual radio traffic of one of the officers involved in the shooting (it is on YouTube) to recognize that he was in a fight for his life.
LAPPL Media Statement

Witnessing the harvest
Three years ago, in my very first column here at Pajamas Media, I wrote about the consequences that would result if federal and local authorities proceeded with implementing one provision of the consent decree under which the Los Angeles Police Department was operating. In a misguided effort to avert corruption, officers assigned to anti-gang and narcotics units were ordered to provide personal financial information so as to detect any among them who might be inordinately wealthy. I predicted many officers would balk at this intrusion and accept reassignment to other duties rather than submit to an examination of their private financial affairs. With the March deadline for implementation of the policy coming near, we are witnessing the harvest.
Jack Dunphy/Pajamas Media

Woman kidnapped and forced to withdraw money
The hunt is on for a man who kidnapped a woman and forced her to take money out of an ATM. Los Angeles police say he kidnapped a woman in a parking garage near Pico Boulevard and Bronson Avenue on Jan. 11. They say the robber forced the victim to drive to an ATM and withdraw money before dropping him off near Normandie Boulevard and 30th Street.
ABC7

Accused shooter in killing of New Jersey police officer is arrested in Camden
The 19-year-old man arrested Sunday for the fatal shooting of Lakewood, N.J., Police Officer Christopher Matlosz was apprehended inside an apartment in a low-rise housing development, law enforcement officials confirmed. Jahmell Crockam, who had been the subject of a massive dragnet involving officers from across the state, was arrested without incident at 6:30 a.m., authorities said. Two other people were also taken into custody.
Newark Star-Ledger

Politics

Bill would ban 'open carry' of unloaded handguns in public
New legislation would ban the controversial practice of carrying unloaded handguns in public places after a similar proposal was shelved in the final hours of last year's Assembly session. The issue has sparked headlines nationwide in recent years because of a protest movement that encourages participants to show up at public places en masse with firearms strapped to their side.
Sacramento Bee

City Budget Crisis

Council shaves $18.2 million in costs
The Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved $18.2 million in cuts and savings to the city budget, but it put off making decisions on the most controversial proposals, including furloughs and layoffs of city workers. The cuts include $1 million from the budgets of the mayor and City Council, $1 million from the city attorney, $200,000 from the LAPD, $3 million from citywide salary savings and $12 million in savings from capital projects.
Los Angeles Daily News

Health Care

Blue Shield stands by California health care premium hikes
Blue Shield of California, stung by public outrage over its latest premium hikes, said Friday it won't back down from its plans to raise rates by as much as 59 percent, setting the stage for a confrontation with the state's new insurance commissioner. Last week, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones asked Blue Shield to delay for 60 days a planned rate hike the company said would go into effect in March. Earlier this week, Jones also asked Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and PacifiCare to delay their previously announced rate hikes.
Sacramento Bee

Immigration

States expected to push more confrontational immigration legislation
States have pushed their way to the forefront of immigration-related lawmaking in recent years, citing the absence of federal legislative reform, and the tenor of their efforts is expected to intensify this year. The number of such bills in 2011 probably won't increase over past years', but immigration experts said the proposals will be more confrontational in nature. The measures include a campaign to remove automatic citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants, efforts to replicate a controversial Arizona law and creation of state guest-worker programs.
San Jose Union-Tribune

In observance of the Martin Luther King Day holiday,
the LAPPL offices will be closed today.

Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday.