Law Enforcement

After New York City deaths, a surge of support for police across the United States
Rocker Jon Bon Jovi donned a New York Police Department T-shirt on stage. Well-wishers delivered home-baked cookies by the hundreds to police in Cincinnati. In Mooresville, North Carolina, police and sheriff's officers were treated by residents to a chili dinner. At a time when many in the nation's police community feel embattled, Americans in cities and towns across the country are making an effort to express support and gratitude.
Los Angeles Daily News

Suspicious Device Spurs Brief Partial Closure At LAX
Authorities say a suspicious device found at Los Angeles International Airport prompted the partial closure of a terminal. The incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon after airport officials found the device inside luggage at Terminal 4, which is part of America Airlines.
CBS2

Garcetti to Metro Staff: Stop Having Riders Arrested for Charging Their Cell Phones at Platform Outlets
It's good to be the mayor—and the Metro chair. Eric Garcetti responded today to a KPCC report claiming that three people have been arrested for charging their cells in Metro stations this year. (Surprise, that's illegal!) Metro Spokesman Paul Gonzales has argued that riders who use Metro outlets are in effect stealing electricity, to which the mayor responded, “Grow up.” We kid, we kid, but he was probably thinking as much when he released a statement saying, “This is simply common sense. I want our law enforcement resources directed toward serious crime, not cell phone charging.”
Los Angeles Magazine

Shooting on 134 Freeway prompts offramp closure in Burbank
A driver apparently committed suicide Tuesday afternoon inside their vehicle on of the Forest Lawn Drive exit of the 134 Freeway, prompting the closure of the offramp, police said. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a shots fired call at 3:19 p.m. and discovered a person inside a car on the offramp who appeared to have suffered from at least one gunshot wound, LAPD officer Drake Madison said.
89.3KPCC

Violent San Fernando sex offender cuts off GPS, now at large
Los Angeles police are warning the public of a violent registered sex offender and parolee who cut off his monitoring device on Friday and is absconding from authorities. Joseph Serapiglia, 43, of San Fernando was last seen near the intersection of Sepulveda and Roscoe boulevards in Panoroma City. He severed his court-ordered GPS monitor and fled to an unknown location, police said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Help Sought to Find Killer of 62-Year-Old Seamstress
Relatives and police Tuesday urged witnesses to come forward to solve the killing of a woman who was stabbed during a robbery on a busy sidewalk in the North University Park area. Maria Elena Rivas, 62, of Los Angeles, was attacked about 6:30 p.m. Monday at Adams Boulevard and Catalina Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
NBC4

Holiday Gift Baskets Delivered To Hundreds Of El Monte Families In Need
More than a thousand community volunteers gathered Tuesday to assemble holiday gift baskets for families in need. The annual event began at 9 a.m. at the El Monte City School District Office, 3540 Lexington Ave. “Each food basket has a turkey, as well as all the other amenities that you're gonna need for a Christmas meal,” El Monte Police Sgt. Alex Martinez said. “This is our 32nd year we've done this. It literally started out in a garage, and it's grown to 800 baskets and 7,000 toys.”
CBS2

New LAPD Officers Sworn In, Talk Keeping Peace in Community
Even before they were sworn in as police officers, graduates of the Los Angeles Police Academy were reminded just how dangerous their new line of work is. "I would like that we just take a moment to pause and reflect on the tragedy this past weekend with the murders of two New York Police Department officers," LAPD Assistant Chief Michel Moore said.
ABC7

FBI Release Photos of Suspected Serial Bank Robber
The FBI have released photographs of a suspected serial bank robber who has been linked to six heists in the past 10 days. Investigators say the man is 58-year-old Gregory Lynn Cross, who previously served time for bank robbery. The crime spree began on December 13th in Burbank, and Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs, Manhattan Beach and El Segundo have since been targeted.
NBC4

City Government

L.A. Mayor Garcetti's earthquake safety campaign faces obstacles
When Eric Garcetti took office as Los Angeles mayor 18 months ago, skeptics questioned whether he was setting civic ambitions too low by promising to improve street paving, tree trimming, sidewalk repairs and trash pickup. But with his recent rollout of a plan to invest billions of dollars in seismic safety projects, Garcetti set his sights on a legacy that would go well beyond the small-scale accomplishments of a self-described back-to-basics mayor. The vast three-decade spending program would strengthen the city's capacity to survive and recover from the sort of catastrophic earthquake that modern Los Angeles has yet to experience, most likely with a major rupture of the San Andreas fault.
Los Angeles Times