Law Enforcement

LAPD officer rescues man from burning wreckage
A Los Angeles police bomb squad officer rescued a man from his burning station wagon after a fiery freeway crash on Christmas. LAPD Officer Don Thompson was treated for serious injuries including first and second degree burns plus smoke inhalation and abrasions after pulling a man in his 60s from his burning vehicle Wednesday. The driver was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.
Associated Press

Driver who was rescued from burning car arrested for DUI
A 72-year-old man who was rescued from his burning car on the 405 Freeway has been arrested on suspicion of DUI, according to the CHP. The driver's black Mercedes Benz station wagon burst into flames after he veered across the lanes and crashed into the center divider around 1:45 p.m. near the Sepulveda Pass. LAPD Bomb Squad Lt. Don Thompson happened to be passing by on the opposite side of the freeway when he saw the fiery crash.
ABC7

1,520 drivers arrested so far during county-wide DUI crackdown
A multi-agency task force taking part in a holiday season crackdown on intoxicated driving has arrested 1,520 people for DUI during the first 13 days of the ongoing campaign, authorities said. Police agencies, sheriff's stations and California Highway Patrol offices will continue their county-wide crackdown through Jan. 1, Brewer explained.
Los Angeles Daily News

Police share surveillance video in Jefferson Park fatal stabbing
Los Angeles police on Monday shared surveillance video that they hope will help them catch the person who fatally stabbed 35-year-old Williams Jennings near his home in Jefferson Park last week. Jennings was killed on Friday in the 3300 block of West Jefferson Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 or Detective Matt Courtney at 213-485-4341.
KTLA

Woman visiting for Christmas killed in South LA
Police were asking for the public's help to find out who shot and killed a Southern California woman on Wednesday while she was visiting South Los Angeles for Christmas, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The woman, 24, of Pomona, was struck by gunfire in a drive-by shooting in the 700 block of East 87th Street in South LA about 5 p.m., officers from the LAPD South Bureau Homicide Division said.
NBC4

LAPD seeks public's help to locate missing man who needs medical care
The Los Angeles Police Department is seeking the public's help to locate a man who was reported missing on Dec. 21. Charlie Christenberry, 59, was last seen in the 10000 block of Index Street in Los Angeles. Christenberry utilizes crutches to walk and is under a doctor's care. Family and friends say he needs medication and are "gravely concerned for his welfare," according to the LAPD. Christenberry was described as a white male with brown hair and green eyes.
CBS LA

Author chronicles the stories behind the Los Angeles Police Department in new book
After eight years of research, local historian and former police officer James Bultema has published his first book about the history of the Los Angeles Police Department. Bultema, a Parks (Ariz.) resident, published "Guardians of Angels: A History of the Los Angeles Police Department" this month. The book provides a chronological history of the department, starting in 1850 when Los Angeles became a city.
Williams-Grand Canyon (Ariz.) News

LAPD command post: What do they do in there?
It's called the RACR division. Like so many organizations in government or law enforcement, it has a cool acronym. RACR stands for ''Real Time Crime Analysis and Response''. It's a unit of the LAPD that works inside a very secure, high tech command post on the edge of Downtown LA. 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and yes even on Christmas, they are operational. It's a way for the police to keep a big picture look at Los Angeles and Southern California.
Fox LA

In a car-culture clash, it's the Los Angeles Police vs. pedestrians
In a city of seemingly endless highways - with its daily parade of car accidents, frustrating traffic jams and aggressive drivers - the Los Angeles Police Department these days is training its sights on a different road menace: jaywalkers. It is not quite "Dragnet," but the Police Department in recent weeks has issued dozens of tickets to workers, shoppers and tourists for illegally crossing the street in downtown Los Angeles.
New York Times

LAX shooting suspect Paul Ciancia pleads not guilty to all charges
Paul Anthony Ciancia pleaded not guilty Thursday to 11 federal counts, including murder and attempted murder, in connection with the Nov. 1 shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport that left a Transportation Security Administration officer dead. Ciancia, 23, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Bristow during a hearing at a detention center in Rancho Cucamonga, where he is recovering from gunshot wounds he sustained in the rampage.
Los Angeles Times

Juvenile Halls

Audit finds continuing problems at LA County juvenile halls
The Los Angeles County Probation Department is stumbling in its implementation of reforms demanded by the U.S. Justice Department at juvenile halls, according to a recent audit. In a report to the county Board of Supervisors, Auditor-Controller Wendy Watanabe explained her office continued monitoring the juvenile halls after the DOJ concluded in 2009 that the department had already completed the reforms listed in a consent decree.
Los Angeles Daily News

Pardons

California governor Jerry Brown pardons 127, mostly for drugs
In the spirit of holiday forgiveness, Gov. Jerry Brown announced pardons on Tuesday for 127 people. Everyone getting their names cleared finished serving their time more than a decade ago and have stayed out of trouble since, according to Brown's office. The clemency messages also testified that the people in question had become upstanding citizens who "exhibited good moral character" and "lived an honest and upright life."
Sacramento Bee

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