Law Enforcement

White House honors sheriff's deputy for off-duty heroism
A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who saved a boy from drowning will be among the recipients of a Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Wednesday at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. hosted by Vice President Joe Biden and and attended by Attorney General Eric Holder. On April 27, 2013, Deputy Jenna Underwood-Nunez — who was five months pregnant — was off duty and at a campground with her family when she “observed a boy struggling in the lake about 100 yards from shore,” a White House statement said.
mynewsLA.com

LAPD blames gangs for jump in murders
Fox-affiliated news crew was attacked in Hayward early Wednesday, the latest in a string of robberies targeting media in the Bay Area, authorities said.The KTVU-Channel 2 crew was wrapping up filming for a Powerball segment at a convenience store in Hayward when the attack occurred, said Sgt. Tasha Decosta of the Hayward Police DepartmentSo far, 29 people have been murdered in Los Angeles in 2015, up from 23 at this time last year. That's a 26 percent increase and Los Angeles Police Department Officials said they aren't taking it lightly. "To have a spike so high this early is a little unusual for us," said 77th Street Division Captain Cory Palka, whose patrol area has had five murders so far this year, compared to two this time in 2014.
83.9 KPCC

L.A. to offer rewards for information in hit-and-run crashes
In a push to solve and prevent more hit-and-run traffic collisions, Los Angeles city officials said Tuesday that they will launch an alert system to share information about drivers who flee the scenes of crashes. Publicizing the make, model, color and license plate number of a car linked to a hit-and-run could encourage a neighbor, friend or even a cabdriver in the area to call 911, traffic officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday.
Los Angeles Times

Expert: Police May Have To Get Used To Apps Like Waze With Cop-Trackers
Law enforcement groups have been saying that a police tracking feature on the traffic app Waze puts officers in danger – but an expert said demanding that Google do away with the feature is unrealistic. As CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, Waze allows anyone with the app to share traffic information, including where officers are. As Waze user Adam Hoggatt showed in an online driving demonstration, icons showing a cartoon police officer with a mustache pop up all over the maps.
CBS New York

Arleta pursuit suspect is dead, little dog is captured by Animal Control
A man wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon led police on a chase in a utility truck in the Arleta area today but was found dead inside the vehicle after he ran over a spike strip and came to a stop on a residential street. The motorist stopped on Terra Bella Street south of the 5 Freeway shortly before noon. About 45 minutes later, officers approached the vehicle and found the man — who was believed to be armed — dead inside. A small white-and-tan dog that had been on the man's lap during the chase ran from the truck, but remained in the general area, and it was eventually captured by city Animal Control officers.
Los Angeles Daily News , KTLA 5

Suspect In Wild LAPD Chase, Carjacking Charged
A 29-year-old man who was shot by police in Montebello after leading officers on a wild pursuit Monday has been charged with one count of carjacking, three counts of attempted carjacking and one count of fleeing a pursuing police officer's vehicle while driving recklessly, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.The pursuit began around 5:40 p.m. in Boyle Heights Monday after officers attempted to talk to the suspect. Aaron Lorta drove away quickly, which led officers to believe the gray Toyota Camry he was traveling in may have been stolen. A chase then ensued.
ABC 7

Newsletter Essential California: Homicides up in L.A., Sriracha's trademark problem, leadership changes at USC
Los Angeles is beginning 2015 with an increase in homicides, and that has police officials concerned. L.A. had 29 homicides as of Tuesday, compared with 21 for the same period in 2014. The LAPD is redeploying police to problem areas, saying the uptick in violence is tied mostly to more gang issues. L.A.'s decade-plus decline in violent crime ended in 2014 with a small increase. Officials hope it's not the beginning of something worse.
The Los Angeles Times

Caught on video: Glendale mail thief sought by police
Police today released security images of a man being sought for stealing mail from a Glendale apartment building.The crime occurred about 6 p.m. Jan. 23 in the 200 block of North Kenwood Street, said Glendale police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot
Los Angeles Daily News

City Government

Police support for Harris: A warning sign to Villaraigosa
Inany other campaign, a labor union backing a Democrat for U.S. Senate would be routine. But the first to line up publicly behind state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris turns out to be the Los Angeles Police Protective League. During her first four years as attorney general, Harris worked hard to win the unions' support for her reelection -- and most of them indeed endorsed her. Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said he was especially moved that Harris had traveled far and wide to attend the funerals of slain officers.“ She's amazing with that,” Lally said. If many other law enforcement unions follow the league's lead in backing Harris for Senate, it would bolster her law-and-order credentials. That could prove particularly useful in a race against Villaraigosa, who often boasted of expanding the Police Department's ranks by hundreds of officers when he was mayor.
The Los Angeles Times

Farmer says LAUSD is being ‘used' by United Farm Workers union
The owner of a Central Valley farming company said today he was not surprised the Los Angeles Unified School District board adopted a resolution calling for a review of the firm's labor practices before approving any contracts with the company, saying the board was “used” by a farm-workers union.
Los Angeles Daily News

Ports to stop unloading cargo for four days amid labor dispute
Shipping companies said they will stop unloading ships at West Coast ports for four of the next five days because they don't want to pay overtime to workers they allege have deliberately slowed operations.The Pacific Maritime Assn., which represents shipping lines and terminal operators, said ship unloading will stop on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, when dockworkers are entitled to overtime pay.
The Los Angeles Times

Mayor hopes new tax cuts will encourage business in Los Angeles
Mayor Eric Garcetti signed into law Wednesday a series of tax cuts for businesses that pay the highest amounts to the city, as one business group announced its official endorsement of his plan to raise the minimum wage in Los Angeles to $13.25 by 2017.
mynewsLA.com , Los Angeles Daily News