Law Enforcement

Marion Hellenkamp, LAPD's first female African-American lieutenant, dies at 83
The death of the first female African-American lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department was announced Monday. Marion Hellenkamp died March 14 in Los Angeles at the age of 83, according to the LAPD. The cause of death was not released. “We lost a truly remarkable public servant and champion of equal rights for all, and an example that barriers can be broken,” Chief Charlie Beck said. “Marion was a true pioneer in LAPD's history. As a female in a male-dominated occupation, she displayed tremendous fortitude in overcoming both gender and racial discrimination to forge an exemplary law enforcement career."
Los Angeles Daily News

Young Father Killed in Car-to-Car Shooting in Playa Vista
A young father died after being hit in the chest in a car-to-car shooting in Playa Vista. Tomas Luna Gomez, 21, who leaves behind a daughter, was shot at Centinela Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard after 8 p.m. Monday, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said.
NBC Los Angeles

Valley gang sweep nets 10 arrests in wake of Van Nuys slaying
A large multi-agency law enforcement task force fanned out across Van Nuys late last week looking for suspects in the killing of a 21-year-old man, authorities said Monday. The 75-member task force checked 33 residences and arrested 10 people, according to the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Gang Unit.
Los Angeles Daily News

Man in critical condition after being shot in back in Westlake area
A man was hospitalized in critical condition after he was shot in the back and hand this morning in the Westlake area of Los Angeles, police said. The shooting was reported after witnesses heard shots at 1:52 a.m. at Second and Vendome streets, said Los Angeles police Lt. Craig Heredia.
Los Angeles Daily News

LASD Settles Lawsuit To Make Jails More Accessible for Disabled
After a seven-year legal battle, a landmark settlement will make Los Angeles County jails more accessible for inmates with disabilities. The American Civil Liberties Union and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department settled a lawsuit Monday to make jails compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ABC 7

Firefighters' union claims of RF dangers jeopardizes LA-RICS public-safety LTE project
Complaints from a firefighters union that radio-frequency (RF) emissions from LTE sites being installed at several Los Angeles-area fire stations are a health hazard could derail the regional public-safety LTE system, according to an official with the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS), which is building the network.
UrgentComms.com

Man, 18, Charged With Murdering Stepfather's Girlfriend In Case Of Mistaken Identity
An 18-year-old man was charged Monday with murdering his stepfather's girlfriend after mistaking her for a woman he thought had been in a fight with his mother, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
CBS Los Angeles

How elections affect police shootings
The Albuquerque Journal has posted an interesting analysis of five years of police shootings, between 2010 and 2014. One thing the paper found is that 39 percent of the shootings over the past five years were by officers who were hired between 2007 and 2009, a period “when APD changed its recruiting and hiring practices in an effort to bolster the ranks.”
The Washington Post

15 State Legislatures Considering Bills to Limit Public Access to Police Video
State legislators around the country are pushing to make it much harder for the public to obtain police officer body camera videos, undermining their promise as a tool people can use to hold law enforcement accountable. Lawmakers in at least 15 states have introduced bills to exempt video recordings of police encounters with citizens from state public records laws, or to limit what can be made public.
Police Magazine