Law Enforcement

L.A. considers lifting 30-day impound on cars of unlicensed drivers
A new policy that would allow unlicensed drivers, including illegal immigrants, to avoid having their cars impounded for up to 30 days is in the process of being finalized but first will be subject to community input and Police Commission review, Los Angeles officials said Tuesday. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been working closely with the Los Angeles Police Department to develop a policy that should be ready by January, said spokesman Peter Sanders. The proposed policy already has come under fire by the Los Angeles Police Protective League and others who said it breaches state law and threatens public safety.
Los Angeles Times

Teen fatally shot in southwest L.A., police arrest 1 suspect
A 17-year-old boy was fatally shot in southwest Los Angeles Tuesday, and police arrested one of two suspects believed involved in the crime. Paramedics sent to Manchester and Western avenues shortly before 8 a.m. picked up the wounded teen but could not save him, authorities said. He was declared dead a hospital, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Tim O'Gorman of the 77th Street Station. Police arrested one young man and sought another, O'Gorman said. A gun believed to have been used in the crime was recovered, O'Gorman said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Armed man fires rounds as LAPD surrounds his motor home
Los Angeles police swarmed a neighborhood in Westchester on Tuesday evening after a man armed with several high-powered weapons fired repeated rounds and then ran inside his motor home, authorities said. The man was holed up inside the motor home in the 8400 block of Hindry Avenue as officers swarmed the area, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The man was believed to be armed with a shotgun, two semiautomatic handguns and a smaller-caliber handgun, the LAPD said. The shots were reported around 5:15 p.m.
Los Angeles Times

Former LAPD Chief Bratton to head UC pepper spray inquiry
Former LAPD Chief William J. Bratton will head a UC-sponsored investigation into the controversial pepper spraying of student protesters last week at UC Davis, university officials announced Tuesday. Bratton is to lead an independent review of the incident and report results within a month, said UC President Mark G. Yudof. Bratton, who also served as police chief in New York City, now heads the New York-based Kroll security consulting firm. The goal is to provide "an independent, unvarnished report about what happened at Davis," Yudof said in a statement.
Los Angeles Times

'Find My Phone' iPhone app leads police to armed robbery suspect
A parolee has been charged with robbery after LAPD officers investigating an armed holdup used the iPhone "Find My Phone" application to locate the suspect, who was still carrying the stolen device. Wilshire division officers responded to a call of an armed robbery Thursday in the vicinity of Sierra Bonita and Rosewood avenues. The victim told officers that a man had robbed her at gunpoint and ran off with her purse, which contained her Apple iPhone. Luckily for her, the Find My Phone tracking application was installed, and a local citizen let officers use his computer to track the cellphone to the vicinity of 11th Street and Ardmore Avenue.
Los Angeles Times

Parolee hiding from LAPD falls out of tree
A California parolee who fled after a hit-and-run crash in Burbank fell out of a tree and was arrested after a police standoff that briefly shut down Interstate 5. Lt. Ed Ruiz said the suspect fell out of the tree at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday near the freeway's Burbank Boulevard exit. Ruiz says the man, whose name hasn't been released, has an outstanding arrest warrant. The man ran away after crashing a car at 11:30 p.m. Monday on San Fernando Boulevard near the freeway. Officers searching the area found him about an hour later in a tree near the freeway off-ramp.
Associated Press

Department of Justice watching banks' debit-card fees
The U.S. Department of Justice says it's keeping a close eye on banks' debit-card fees, a warning that comes as banks are expected to hike fees on checking accounts and other banking services in order to recoup lost revenue. "Please be assured that if it finds that individuals, banks or other parties may have violated the antitrust laws, the department will take appropriate action," the department wrote in a letter to Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont and other Democratic lawmakers. The department said it is reviewing actions by banks and trade associations regarding possible increases in debit card fees.
Wall Street Journal

Occupy L.A.

Occupy L.A.: A cop's perspective
Your right to protest does not include the right to inconvenience your fellow citizens by blocking traffic or interfering with lawful commercial enterprises. The Occupiers love to talk about their rights and to claim the streets and parks as their own. It's a shame that here in Los Angeles we have a political establishment that's so bent on protecting the Occupiers' rights that they're willing to forget about everyone else's. Yes, Chief Beck, we may be stuck with the Occupiers for the next year, but only because you allow it.
Jack Dunphy/PJ Media

Occupy L.A. protesters say city wants them out by Monday
There were growing signs Tuesday that city officials were moving to bring the Occupy L.A. encampment to an end. Los Angeles officials have given Occupy LA protesters a Nov. 28 deadline to get off the City Hall lawn, according to protesters who have been in negotiations with the city. At a meeting on the west steps of City Hall Tuesday afternoon, the negotiators told their fellow protesters that they have asked for an extension of that deadline as they decide how to respond to the city's recent proposal to give them a work space in a city-owned building nearby.
Los Angeles Times

Occupy L.A. leaders say city backpedaled on offer of office space
Occupy L.A. leaders said on Tuesday that city officials backpedaled on an offer to lease a downtown space to the group after news outlets published details of the offer. Looking for a peaceful way to end the Occupy L.A. encampment, the city offered to lease a 10,000 square foot office space in the Los Angeles Mall. The city-owned space, most recently occupied by B. Dalton Booksellers, was offered to the protesters for $1 a year lease. But Occupy L.A. organizer Ryan Rice, who met with representatives from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office on Tuesday afternoon, said the city staff were unhappy after numerous news outlets, including the Daily News, published information on the lease deal.
Los Angeles Daily News