Law Enforcement

Video Surfaces Of Pastor Of Prominent L.A. Church Purportedly Comparing Police To KKK
The senior pastor of a prominent Los Angeles church is at the center of a growing controversy after he purportedly compared police officers to the Ku Klux Klan in a recent sermon. Pastor J. Edgar Boyd of the First AME Church delivered the sermon in mid-January with special zeal, trying to rouse his congregation to get involved in issues like police violence.
CBS Los Angeles

CHP Could be Next Force to Wear Body Cameras
The Los Angeles Police Department may be ahead of the pack when it comes to outfitting its officers with body worn cameras, but lots of other law enforcement agencies are close behind. Among them, the California Highway Patrol, whose 8,000 officers may someday soon be outfitted with body cameras. The department has not yet purchased cameras but is "actively researching" them, according to spokesman Officer John Harris. The department is working toward launching a pilot program in the "near future." Like the LAPD, the highway patrol has not adopted a policy for their use, Harris said.
KCET

A fight over access to video from LAPD body cameras is shaping up
Ever since grainy images of Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney King were broadcast nearly 25 years ago, video recordings have come to be viewed by many as the ultimate evidence in cases of disputed police actions.The Los Angeles Police Department is about to take this concept to a new level by outfitting every officer with a body camera that will record their interactions with the public. Officials say the 7,000 cameras will help bring clarity to controversial encounters, guard against officer misconduct and clear cops accused of wrongdoing.
Los Angeles Times

Police union President Patrick Lynch gets hostile reception during Bronx precinct visit
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch found himself in an unfortunate photo op at a Bronx precinct Tuesday — snapped standing under a poster calling for his ouster, police sources said.
NY Daily News

Suspicious package near Jefferson Park Metro station causes delays
The discovery of “suspicious packages” near a Metro Expo Line station in the Jefferson Park area on Wednesday prompted authorities to close a section of tracks, disrupting rail service for about two hours.The items were discovered in the of Crenshaw Boulevard between Jefferson Boulevard and Rodeo Road late this morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Buses were brought in to ferry rail passengers around the area while an investigation was conducted.
mynewsLA.com

Covina Valley Teachers Charged With Providing Alcohol to Students During Camping Trip: DA
Two Covina Valley Unified School District teachers were charged Wednesday with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after allegedly providing alcohol to underage students during a camping trip. Melody Suzanne Lippert, 38, and Michelle Louise Ghirelli, 30, faced a maximum of one year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor charge, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
KTLA5

Santa Clarita School Staff Member Investigated After Several Minors Report Inappropriate Conduct: LAPD
Police recently began investigating a Santa Clarita school staff member after several minors reported inappropriate conduct that allegedly took place in Tujunga, according to a Los Angeles Police Department news release.The person being investigated was only described as a staff member at Albert Einstein Academy, in the Tuesday news release.
KTLA 5

Family Steps Up Search For LA Man Who Went Missing In 2011
The family of a man missing for more than four years is asking for the public's help.Tarik Diontre Owens was last seen around 7 p.m. Jan. 29, 2011, in the 1800 block of Buckingham Road in Los Angeles. At the time of his disappearance, the man's family said, he was suffering from a mental illness. Owens has two daughters, ages 13 and 11.
CBS Los Angeles

Protests

After councilman cancels gunman's wake, protest turns into rally for Costa Mesa police
Tuesday's Costa Mesa Police and Fire Appreciation Rally had been intended to be a protest of a councilman's decision to host a wake for a gunman killed in a December shootout with local police. So, when Councilman Gary Monahan canceled the Jan. 28 wake for Julius Pinson and the rally morphed into a celebration of the city's Police and Fire departments, organizers said they hoped the event would be a less politicized show of support for first responders.
OC Register

City Government

Why We'll Miss Tom Labonge, L.A. City Council's Last Yokel
Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge says the same thing to all he meets: "Where'd you go to high school?" He follows this up, without fail, with some remark about the school's football team. LaBonge has always had the curious ability to make the second-largest city in America seem like a small town.This summer, when a new crop of City Council members takes office, will be the first time in nearly 40 years that Hollywood-area Councilman LaBonge won't be working at one desk or another in Los Angeles City Hall. In that time, he's won over our hearts if not our minds as a boisterous oddball, a manic, folksy L.A. booster.
Los Angeles Weekly

L.A. Councilman Bernard Parks Reflects On 50 Years Of Public Service
Los Angeles Councilman Bernard Parks this week is marking 50 years of public service, 38 of which were with the LAPD. Parks, 71, recently spoke with CBS2's Pat Harvey and reflected on his career, which for him began at 21.
CBS Los Angeles

Rep. Janice Hahn mulls run for L.A. County Board of Supervisors
Rep. Janice Hahn, D-San Pedro, is considering a run for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, citing increasing frustration with political stagnation in Washington, D.C., an adviser said Wednesday.“In recent months, Rep. Hahn has received a tremendous outpouring of support and words of encouragement to run for L.A. County supervisor from leaders across L.A. County,” Hahn's political adviser/consultant Dave Jacobson said. “She plans to make public her 2016 intentions some time in the near future.”
mynewsLA.com