Law Enforcement

LAPD in danger of layoffs without sales tax hike, chief warns
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck on Thursday warned that police officers will be in danger of layoffs unless the city proceeds with a half-cent sales tax hike planned for the March 5 ballot. Speaking to The Times' editorial board, Beck complained that he is already unable to hire 911 operators, custody officers and mechanics to repair squad cars. And he warned that the LAPD would probably lose 500 officers without the more than $200 million expected from a sales tax increase.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD to install 38 working surveillance cameras in Downtown
LAPD's Central Division has secured funding and later this month will begin installing 38 new surveillance cameras throughout Downtown L.A. These cameras will replace the broken or failing ones which have been defunct for more than three years now. The new cameras, monitors and technological set-up is expected to cost $225,000 which the division has secured through an "urban area" federal grant, said LAPD Capt. Horace Frank.
Blogdowntown

San Fernando reserve police officer's car stolen, burned: gun, badge and uniforms missing
A car stolen from the Monrovia home of a San Fernando reserve police officer was found abandoned and burned in El Monte early Thursday. However, a gun, badge, police uniforms and other items that had been inside it remained missing, authorities said. The car was stolen about 7:50 a.m. Wednesday from the 200 block of Los Angeles Street in Monrovia, Monrovia police Sgt. Nick Manfredi said.
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Boyle Heights man charged with murder in double slaying
Prosecutors charged a Boyle Heights man Thursday with murder in the slayings of his brother and a family friend. Israel Lopez, 29, faces two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for multiple murder in the killings of his 25-year-old brother, Gustavo, and the friend identified by authorities as Rafael Aguilar-Rodriguez. Prosecutors have not yet decided if they will seek the death penalty.
Los Angeles Times

Widow of churchgoer slain by tagger asks witnesses to talk
The widow of a church deacon shot to death after interrupting a tagger vandalizing his house of worship scheduled a news conference Thursday to ask witnesses to tell police what they know. Andres Ordonez, 25, a cook and father of a 1-year-old boy, was killed Sunday evening during a service at Iglesia Principe de Paz west of downtown. He had come to the aid of a fellow parishioner who had asked a tagger to stop spraying gang graffiti on the church's cream stucco wall.
Los Angeles Times

Topanga Station to host West Hills Neighborhood Watch meeting
The Los Angeles Police Department's Topanga Station will host a Neighborhood Watch meeting for the West Hills area Monday. Discussion will center around recent crime trends in the community as well as issues that have recently been in the news. LAPD's Neighborhood Watch program helps educate the community regarding crime and in ways to help prevent it.
Woodland Hills Patch

Young Jerry hopes to someday protect and serve
"To Protect and to Serve" is the motto of the Los Angeles Police Department, and it is a motto that this week's Wednesday's Child hopes to personally adopt when he is older. Jeremias (1997), who likes to be called Jerry, is a well-mannered and goal-oriented youth who wants to be a police officer one day and is already part of the Police Explorer program. We decided to give Jerry's dream a boost by setting up a private meeting for him with LA's "Top Cop", LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
Fox LA

Jury finds LAPD officer was wrong to handcuff disabled man
A jury this week found a Los Angeles police officer used excessive force when he handcuffed a partially paralyzed man tightly enough to cause nerve damage in the man's wrist. Allen Harris, 56, was awarded nearly $1.6 million Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court for his injuries, marking the latest in a long string of seven-figure verdicts against the Los Angeles Police Department for officer misconduct.
Los Angeles Times

Pensions

L.A. mayoral candidate Perry calls for more public pension reform
Warning that Los Angeles is facing insolvency, mayoral candidate and City Councilwoman Jan Perry outlined her plan for reforming the city's employee pension and benefits system. "The truth is that we cannot afford to continue to pay our city workforce in its current configuration," said Perry in an address billed as her first major campaign policy speech.
Los Angeles Times

Traffic

Express lane on 110 Freeway to open Saturday
Los Angeles County's first toll lane will open Saturday on the 110 Freeway, allowing drivers with FasTrak accounts to cruise past traffic in the express lane. The 11-mile toll lane, created using existing carpool lanes, runs between the Harbor Gateway Transit Center/182nd Street and Adams Boulevard. A car must be equipped with a FasTrak transponder and account to drive in the toll lane.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Audit: Housing Authority plagued by poor money management
The city's low-income housing authority has been troubled by bad financial management that exposes the agency to "questionable practices and poor decisions," according to an audit released Thursday by City Controller Wendy Greuel. The Housing Authority of the city of Los Angeles, which has an annual budget of more than $1 billion, oversees about 75,400 housing units and is engaged in an effort to add 30,000 more units over the next 10 years.
City News Service