Law Enforcement

The value of LAPD and Public Safety
The purpose of a City is to provide a variety of services to its residents, chief among them public safety. Services are provided by people, which is why the majority of costs in every city budget are the costs of employees. It is always interesting to hear critics of public employees decry the cost of their pay and benefits, while simultaneously assuming that slashing pay and benefits will result in more City services - as if quality employees will flock to work for an employer who offers compensation lower than what they could earn elsewhere.
LAPPL Blog

Here is where violent crime is surging in L.A.
Earlier this month Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck announced that violent crime had increased in the first half of 2014. The city saw a 2.8 percent bump compared the same period last year. But while the increase was small, it was the first time the city had seen anything but decreasing rates in more than 10 years. Mayor Eric Garcetti blamed the increase on "more aggressive reporting" of aggravated assaults, the definition of which is open to some interpretation on the part of those doing the paperwork. But after looking at the stats for the LAPD's 21 divisions, we've discovered that other crimes, including homicide, are contributing to this upturn.
LA Weekly

LAPD probing allegations commanders falsified police patrol levels
The Los Angeles Police Department has opened an investigation into allegations that command staff in some of the city's police stations have falsified records to artificially inflate the number of officers listed as being on patrol to comply with department regulations. The LAPD requires that each division have a certain percentage of its officers on street patrol at any given time, a computer-generated number determined by an individual division's needs that day.
Los Angeles Times

Missing girl, 2, found safe in Arizona after child-abduction alert issued: LAPD
A 2-year-old girl has been found safe in Arizona after allegedly being abducted on Wednesday by her biological parents, authorities said. Mariah Salguero was located about 10 p.m. PDT, according to a spokesman with the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Division. It was not immediately clear how the girl was found or by whom.
KTLA

Police investigate man suspected of crashing Prius into big rig in Studio City
Police Thursday were interviewing a man who allegedly crashed a Toyota Prius into a parked big rig in Studio City and then left the scene on foot. The crash occurred about 5:30 a.m. at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Moorpark Street, said Los Angeles police Lt. Warren Jones of the Valley Traffic Division. Police investigating the circumstances of the crash were led to the man's home, where officers were waiting when he returned about two hours later, Jones said.
City News Service

Mayor Garcetti turns to YouTube to communicate directly with LAPD officers about contract
Mayor Eric Garcetti took a digital detour Thursday, using YouTube to communicate directly with LAPD officers about a one-year contract they voted down two weeks ago. The mayor had intended to visit roll call meetings with officers, but the Los Angeles Police Protective League said that amounted to an unfair labor practice. The union signaled it would file a complaint.
KPCC

USC grad student dies after being attacked near campus
A graduate student at USC walking home from a study group was attacked by at least three men early Thursday morning and died sometime later at his apartment, university officials and police said. Investigators said engineering student Xinran Ji was assaulted with a blunt object at 12:45 a.m. Thursday near the corner of 29th Street and Orchard Avenue, a few blocks from campus.
Los Angeles Times

Traffic

'Century Crunch' street closure near LAX starts Friday night
People planning to travel to Los Angeles International Airport this weekend should give themselves plenty of time and consider alternate routes because a stretch of Century Boulevard will be closed for 57 hours closure beginning Friday night. The so-called "Century Crunch" closure will shut down the popular route beginning at 9 p.m. tonight, as crews demolish a defunct railroad bridge at Century and Aviation boulevards. Century will remain blocked until 6 a.m. Monday.
City News Service

Traffic top priority for MTA chair Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Taking over as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday the agency needs to look beyond the boundaries of any one city and deal with the various county transit issues as a whole. "While I represent my city, I want to represent all areas of the county in our priority to reduce traffic," Garcetti said at the start of the meeting, before laying out his objectives.
Los Angeles Daily News

Metro

MTA approves study to convert Metro Orange Line to light rail
Calling the San Fernando Valley one of the most underserved areas in the county for public transit, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board on Thursday authorized a study on changing the Orange Line busway into a light rail system. "One of five county residents lives in the San Fernando Valley, and yet of the 80 rail stations in the system, only two are in the Valley," said Councilman Paul Krekorian, who serves on the Metro board.
Los Angeles Daily News

City Government

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti heads to Colorado to explore bid for the 2024 Olympic Games
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti left Thursday night, along with a city delegation, to Colorado Springs for a weekend workshop on what is being sought by municipalities competing to host the 2024 Olympic Games. "We look forward to meeting with the United States Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs to discuss how we can present the strongest possible bid for our nation," Garcetti said.
Los Angeles Daily News