Law Enforcement

LAPD pinched by loss of civilian staffers
The Los Angeles Police Department is beginning to feel the loss of civilians in several critical areas that could soon impact its ability to fight crime, a city panel was told Wednesday. Cutbacks forced on the department during the recession have resulted in significant losses within the jails division, the crime lab and dispatch, LAPD officials explained to the City Council's Public Safety Committee.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD: Transgender person killed in 'robbery gone wrong'
A transgender person was killed Thursday in a possible "robbery gone wrong" in East Hollywood. The shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. in the 600 block of N. Kenmore Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department said. When officers arrived on scene, they found the victim lying on the sidewalk, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
CBS LA

101-year-old man killed in hit-and-run crash in Boyle Heights
101-year-old man died Wednesday morning after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Boyle Heights. The fatal accident occurred at South Lorena Street and Opal Street about 6 a.m., said Felix Padilla, a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Traffic Division. Jose Noriega was crossing South Lorena Street in a marked crosswalk when he was struck by a 1997 Chevy Astro van traveling north.
Los Angeles Times

Picking the wrong target
"Watch out," Mayor Garcetti said during a downtown news conference on Monday. "We're going to make sure that we're coming after you." Huh?!? The mayor was reacting to an Los Angeles Times story reporting that the city spent $328 million on salaries, medical bills and other expenses between 2009 and 2013 for police and firefighters on leave due to injuries. Using one of the Times' favorite tactics of generalizing, the story sought to portray an abuse epidemic of the worker's compensation system. Nothing could be further from reality.
LAPPL Blog

Stalking victims don't have to suffer in silence, LAPD official says
The statistics are alarming with one in four women expected to be stalked in her lifetimes. But Jeff Dunn, the officer in charge of the LAPD's Threat Management Unit, emphasizes that victims need not suffer in silence. Dunn, who's also using his expertise as a consultant for CBS' new suspense drama "Stalker," tells CBS2 that in his 19 years of experience, he has yet to see a case become exacerbated because law enforcement intervened in some way.
CBS LA

Man pleads no contest to fatal stabbing near Hollywood Walk of Fame
A 27-year-old mentally ill man on trial in the fatal stabbing of a woman near the Hollywood Walk of Fame pleaded no contest Tuesday to involuntary manslaughter, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. On June 18, 2013, Dustin James Kinnear was accused of stabbing Christine Calderon, 23, after demanding money from the woman.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. cops catch teens driving stolen car from Seattle
Los Angeles traffic cops caught three teens traveling in a car stolen last week from First Hill. The Los Angeles Police Department notified Seattle detectives Wednesday morning that they had detained the three teens and recovered the Ford Fusion. The Ford Fusion was taken in a Sept. 25 incident in which a group of teens pistol-whipped a man before taking off with the victim's car.
Seattle Times

LAPD searches for missing man in need of medical attention
Authorities Wednesday asked for the public's help in locating a missing 42-year-old man in need of medical attention. Jose Herrera was last seen about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 23 in the 1700 block of West Olympic Boulevard in the city of Los Angeles, according to the LAPD. Herrera is 5-foot-4 and weighs approximately 165 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black shirt, gray pants and black Vans shoes.
CBS LA

LAPD Chief Beck talks 'injury leave program,' police officer discipline, body-mounted cameras
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck joined us live to talk about the fire and police 'injury leave program,' the recent Ezell Ford and actress Daniele Watts cases involving police officer discipline and body-mounted cameras on police officers. This segment aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on Wednesday.
KTLA

FBI turns animal cruelty into top-tier felon
Young people who torture and kill animals are prone to violence against people later in life if it goes unchecked, studies have shown. A new federal category for animal cruelty crimes will help root out those pet abusers before their behavior worsens and give a boost to prosecutions, an animal welfare group says.
Associated Press

City Government

$15.37 minimum wage heads to Garcetti's desk as hotel group complains
As the Los Angeles City Council gave final approval Wednesday to a minimum wage increase for workers in large hotels, opponents of the measure reminded city officials they're not going down without a fight. The American Hotel and Lodging Assn. filed more than 20 public records requests between city officials and labor groups -- who pushed for the ordinance -- to try to figure out why the process for approving the $15.37 hourly wage was in their view rushed, said Troy Flanagan, vice president of state and local government affairs for the association.
Los Angeles Times