Law Enforcement

LAPD prepares for grand jury decision in Ferguson, Mo., shooting
Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday that his department is gearing up for demonstrations when a Missouri grand jury announces whether to indict a police officer in the controversial shooting of a black teenager. Police departments nationwide are bracing for the grand jury's decision - expected by the end of the month - in the killing of Michael Brown by a white police officer.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD study focused on small part of discipline system
The officers were blunt in their assessment of the Los Angeles Police Department's disciplinary system: It was unfair and needed to be fixed. "It's all about who you know," wrote one of more than 500 officers and civilian employees who participated in a written survey conducted by the LAPD. "It seems that people with more time on [the job] get more of a break," wrote another.
Los Angeles Times

LAPPL statement on release of report on the LAPD disciplinary system
In response to the release of the report, Perspectives on the Disciplinary System of the LAPD , by the Special Assistant for Constitutional Policing, Tyler Izen, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League issued the following statement: "The report's recommendations for fixing the disciplinary system of the LAPD are consistent with the LAPPL's long-held goal of ensuring fairness in all proceedings, but it missed the mark. Unfortunately, by narrowly focusing the report on the roles of gender, ethnicity and rank in determining discipline, the report missed the opportunity to address the root cause of officer dissatisfaction with the system, favoritism and the unfairness that it generates."
LAPPL News Release

2nd man charged in shooting that left Army veteran, 21, dead
Army veteran Francisco Garcia was leaving a party earlier this month in Sylmar when a dispute erupted, and the 21-year-old was shot and killed. One alleged gang member has been charged in his death, and Monday a second man was charged. Jerry Raymond Carmona, 26, pleaded not guilty Monday to murder, attempted murder and firearm charges in connection with the shooting death of Garcia, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD searching for hit-and-run driver who left pedestrian in 'extreme critical condition'
A 54-year-old Los Angeles man was in "extreme critical condition" after being struck by a hit-and-run driver just southeast of downtown L.A., police said Tuesday. The collision occurred about 10:30 p.m. Monday on Central Avenue just south of 23rd Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities were looking for a black, four-door older model Honda Accord that did not stop and sped away from the crash. There was no description of the driver.
KTLA

LAPD seeks public's help to locate missing man, 25
The Los Angeles Police Department Tuesday asked for the public's help in locating a missing 25-year-old man. Wesley Von Tracy was last seen around 6 a.m. on Sept. 12 in the 4000 block of West Washington Boulevard. Tracy, who was described as a Caucasian man with brown hair and brown eyes, is suffering from depression, according to the LAPD.
CBS LA

Police departments are buying body cams, and officers don't have to tell You when they're recording
In Celina, Texas, dash-cam footage taken from the hood of a police cruiser seems to show an arrest gone horribly wrong. The officer orders the suspect to "put your hands behind your back," then suddenly seems to tackle him and wrestle him to the ground face down. The officer's reaction escalates for no obvious reason, at least from the dash cam perspective. The footage taken from the tiny body camera the officer was wearing that day tells an entirely different story.
ABC News

Cyber Security

L.A. Auto Show: Hackers now targeting cars and driver data
Back in the day, car thieves used muscle and crowbars to wreak havoc on cars. Now, the worst threat could come from keyboards and clicks. Automakers have launched an effort to improve coordination among themselves to combat hackers who are moving from computers and smartphones to increasingly tech-laden cars.
Los Angeles Times

Proposition 47 Consequences

Prop. 47 could leave counties scrambling for drug treatment funds
The passage of Proposition 47 could leave San Francisco and other counties scrambling to make up the state money they used to receive for successfully treating rather than imprisoning low-level drug and property crime offenders, law enforcement officials say. It sets aside up to $250 million to help local agencies treat drug offenders. But with the initiative's passage, counties have no guarantee they'll receive money, or if they do, how much they'll get.
San Francisco Chronicle

Passage of Prop 47 could increase L.A. City Attorney's workload, LAPD says
The recent passage of Proposition 47, which downgrades many theft and drug-possession crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, could shift a workload of as much as 40,000 cases from the county District Attorney's office to city attorneys, Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday. The police department implemented the voter-approved change immediately after the Nov. 4 election, the impact of which “has yet to be told,” Beck told the Police Commission.
City News Service

Courts

9th Circuit says sex offender Internet rules violate free speech
A federal appeals panel decided Tuesday that a California law that requires registered sex offenders to tell authorities their Internet user names, email addresses and other identifying information violates constitutional protections of free speech.
Los Angeles Times

Unions

Rusty Hicks to replace Durazo as new County Labor Federation leader
Leaders of hundreds of labor union locals voted Monday to name Rusty Hicks to replace Maria Elena Durazo as the leader of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. The unanimous vote by delegates elevates Hicks from his post as the organization's top political organizer to the office of executive secretary treasurer of the umbrella entity that represents 600,000 workers.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Poor management blamed for DWP customer billing problems
Poor management and an unprepared work force hampered the rollout of a new billing system by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, a new report says, resulting in thousands of incorrect billings and customer telephone hold times of up to two hours.
Los Angeles Times