Law Enforcement

L.A. in 2013: Public safety on the line
The new year is shaping up to be a momentous one in our city's history with public safety on the line. For only the third time in 75 years, no incumbent will be on the ballot for mayor in 2013. In addition to electing a successor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who leaves office June 30, voters will determine whether the current city attorney keeps his office, pick a new controller and elect a majority of the City Council. The stakes have never been higher. The outcome will serve as a leading indicator of the value L.A. residents place on public safety by putting in office those candidates clearly committed to putting public safety first .
LAPPL Blog

LAPD wants public's help identifying robbery suspect
The LAPD wants your help identifying a robbery suspect. The robbery happened on December 23rd at a gas station near Slauson Ave. and Avalon Blvd. in Los Angeles. In surveillance video released by the LAPD, a suspect points a gun at the cashier and demands money. The suspect is a Hispanic male in his 30s, standing roughly 5-10 tall, weighing around 190 pounds. Authorities say he drove an early 2000s-model light grey or white Impala on the day of the robbery.
KTLA5

LAPD car hit by semi-truck downtown; no injuries reported
Part of Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles was closed Thursday morning after a Los Angeles Police Department car was side-swiped by a truck. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred at 5th and Spring streets shortly before 6 a.m., Los Angeles police Sgt. Richard Tamez said. Tamez said the unmarked police vehicle was making a right turn onto Spring when it was struck by the flatbed semi-truck.
Los Angeles Times

Bank robber flees Granada Hills Wells Fargo in silver BMW
A man robbed a Wells Fargo office in Granada Hills Thursday and fled in a silver BMW, prompting a police search of the area. The robbery occurred shortly before noon at 16844 San Fernando Mission Road, police said. The suspect was described as a male, wearing a bandana over his face. It was unclear if the suspect escaped with any cash. KCAL9 reported that the Wells Fargo office was a mortgage center, not a bank branch, and the man escaped with only a few hundred dollars.
Los Angeles Daily News

Child pornography in the San Fernando Valley: Authorities ask public's help in tracking down suspects
Saying they've exhausted every avenue of investigation, federal agents Thursday asked the public for help in identifying the molesters in a widely circulated series of child pornography photos believed taken in the San Fernando Valley over a decade ago. At a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, US Attorney Andre Birotte distributed images of the man and the woman who appear in the "Jen Series" of photos recovered among the collections of about 275 child pornography suspects nationwide.
Los Angeles Daily News

Have you seen Panorama City's 'Red Car Flasher' suspect?
Police released a second sketch Thursday of a man they call the "Red Car Flasher," who has exposed himself to young women and teenage girls more than a dozen times. Many of the flashing crimes occurred near Panorama City and Arleta middle and high schools. Detectives said they hope to make an arrest before school resumes after the holiday break. The sketch released today depicts a fair-skinned man with a receding hairline, believed by police to be between 25 and 40 years old.
City News Service

Two Southern Californians among hundreds sought in international child porn investigation
More than 200 adults have been arrested in an international investigation of child pornography, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday. The agency's director, John Morton, said 123 child victims were identified during the five-week investigation, which ended in early December. ICE and local authorities found 110 victims in 19 U.S. states, while the others were living in six countries elsewhere.
Associated Press

Inside LAPD's Elite Airborne Unit
Negotiating traffic on Sunset Boulevard and PCH may be challenging for police officers on the ground, but not for officers piloting the airborne units of the Los Angeles Police Department's Air Support Division (ASD). These elite helicopter units have become legendary not only in movies like 'Blue Thunder' and 'Terminator 2,' but also on the streets where they are often referred to as 'ghetto birds' by the criminals they chase.
Palisades Post

Alleged serial burglar arrested; 150+ stolen items recovered
An alleged serial burglar was apprehended and now police are looking for the rightful owners of more than 150 recovered items. Frank Chibbaro was arrested Jan. 1 on suspicion of at least six burglaries, according to police. The 38-year-old allegedly used spray paint to blind surveillance cameras in underground parking garages during the thefts. Police recovered the suspect's Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which contained the stolen merchandise, police said.
NBC4

2 LAPD officers allegedly forced sex acts on women
Two Los Angeles Police Department officers are under investigation for allegedly preying on women over a period of five years, luring them into an unmarked car and forcing them to perform sex acts, according to court records. Detectives from the LAPD's internal affairs unit suspect that Officers Luis Valenzuela and James Nichols targeted at least four women whom they had arrested previously or who worked for them as informants, according to a search warrant reviewed by The Times.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

L.A. budget official warns of major cuts if Congress fails to act
The top budget official at Los Angeles City Hall warned Thursday that the city could lose up to $115 million in federal grants if Congress fails to stave off automatic across-the-board budget cuts scheduled for March 1. In a report submitted to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said tens of thousands of residents would be affected if the city loses out on $92 million in federal assistance for housing programs and $23 million in funding for public safety and community development.
Los Angeles Times

Initiative to keep some L.A. pot shops open qualifies for ballot
Prospects that the emotional debate over medical marijuana dispensaries will bleed into the Los Angeles' mayoral race increased sharply this week when an initiative to keep some pot shops open qualified for the ballot. The measure was certified as eligible to appear on the ballot late Wednesday after officials determined that its supporters had collected the required 41,138 valid signatures. The City Council has until the end of the month to enact the proposed ordinance, call a special election or place it before voters in the May 21 election.
Los Angeles Times