Law Enforcement

Violent Crime Rises in L.A.; Officials Announce Plans to Tackle Problem
The Los Angeles Police Department released crime statistics Monday showing that violent crime rose last year for the first time since 2003. Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was disappointed to report the increase on his watch, but emphasized that the city's level of violence remained at historically low levels.
Los Angeles Times , Los Angeles Daily News

Garcetti, Beck Announce Plan to Tackle Violent Crime Rise in L.A
The Los Angeles Police Department released crime statistics Monday showing that violent crime rose last year for the first time since 2003.Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was disappointed to report the increase on his watch, but emphasized that the city's level of violence remained at historically low levels. “I'm the mayor of the city and public safety is my number one priority, so to see anything go up, obviously is not direction I ever want to see,” Garcetti said. “Violent crime is up — we own that. Just as in other years when it's down, we own that too.”
KTLA5

LA Police Commission To Discuss Body Cameras At 2 Community Meetings
The Los Angeles Police Commission will discuss rules for officers using body-worn cameras at meetings in South Los Angeles and Canoga Park this week. Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced plans to equip all Los Angeles police officers with body cameras by 2016 to document interactions with the public. The city has already purchased about 800 body cameras for officers at the Newton, Mission and Central divisions.
CBS Los Angeles

L.A. County Sheriff's Deputies Implicated in Towing Thefts, Bribes
Three Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were relieved of duty last week for allegedly accepting bribes from drivers and stealing items from towed vehicles in the Lynwood area, the Sheriff's Department announced Monday. In addition to the three deputies, a parking control officer was relieved of duty. They will continue to be paid until the department's internal investigation is complete. A department spokeswoman declined to name the employees, saying the case remains a personnel matter unless criminal charges are filed.
Los Angeles Times

Mayor Garcetti, LAPD Address Terror Threat Concerns
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck held a press conference Monday morning discussing what how the city is handling terrorist threats. Only days after the terrorist attack at a Paris newspaper left 17 dead, ISIS renewed its threat against several countries. In a tweet, the group called for strikes to soldiers, police, security and intelligence members in the U.S., France, Australia and Canada. At the press conference, Garcetti said Los Angeles was as well-prepared as other large city in the world and can deploy any needed resources to make the city's residents feel safe. Beck echoed Garcetti's statement, but added that bad things can still happen in the city.
ABC7

$100K Reward Offered For Arrest Of ‘Teardrop Rapist' Connected To 35 Sexual Assaults Since 1996
The city of Los Angeles and the Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $100,000 reward Monday for information leading to the arrest of a suspect wanted in several sexual assault cases over a nearly 20-year period. The suspect, dubbed the “Teardrop Rapist”, has been linked to 35 sexual assaults in South LA and bordering areas since February 1996. The last known crime took place in 2012.
CBS Los Angeles

Martin Luther King Jr.

USC joins LAPD for Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast
USC joined the Los Angeles Police Department to mark the ongoing legacy of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King. The law enforcement community came together Saturday for the sixth annual Los Angeles Police Department Martin Luther King Breakfast at Town & Gown on the USC University Park Campus.
USC.edu

State Government

AP Source: California Attorney General Kamala Harris To Run For US Senate
California Attorney General Kamala Harris — the first woman and the first minority to hold that office — will seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer, an adviser with knowledge of her plans said Monday.
CBS Los Angeles

Public Safety

LAFD Divided Into 4 Bureaus In Effort To Improve Response Times
The Los Angeles Fire Department will operate out of four bureaus in and around the city as part of an effort to increase accountability and improve response times. The division is being billed one of the most significant changes in the LAFD's 128-year history, according to KNX 1070's Claudia Peschiutta.
CBS Los Angeles