Law Enforcement

San Jose police mourn fellow officer gunned down in the line of duty
San Jose police are grieving over the loss of a fellow officer who was gunned down Tuesday while responding to a call. The death of Officer Michael Johnson, a 14-year veteran, was taking a toll on other officers, who considered him a brother, they said Wednesday. “Officer Johnson was tragically struck down in the prime of his life while protecting and serving the residents of San Jose,” the San Jose Police Officers' Assn. said in a statement.
Los Angeles Times

How will the LAPD combat increased crime in L.A.?
Los Angeles Police are struggling to combat an increase in crime across the city this year, including a sharp spike in the number of people shot, it was reported. Officials said that shootings recorded by police are up 31 percent, amounting to 54 additional victims this year, the Los Angeles Times reported. Overall, the LAPD reports a 27 percent spike in violent crime and a 12 percent rise in property crime through March 21 compared to the same period last year, according to the newspaper.
mynewsLA.com

LA's proposed emergency communications system goes beyond 911
A new emergency communication system placed on hold by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday goes far beyond radio calls from dispatchers. The $190 million project would build a dedicated broadband network for police and fire departments to send data within and among agencies, including live video.
KPCC

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Employees Honored For Heroic Actions
Dozens of Sheriff's Department employees and a U.S. Forest Service firefighter were honored Wednesday for heroic actions that saved the lives of others. Sheriff Jim McDonnell and representatives from state Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Norwalk, were among those presiding over the 2015 Lifesaving Awards Ceremony.
CBS Los Angeles

Long Beach infant Eliza De La Cruz kidnapping, murder suspect tried to fool boyfriend in pregnancy scam
Long Beach police say a woman conspired to kidnap two babies — 3-week-old Eliza De La Cruz from Long Beach found dead in January and a 4-month-old baby boy from El Segundo — in a scam to fool her boyfriend into believing she had giving birth to the couple's twins.
Los Angeles Daily News

Alleged Vallejo Kidnap Victim Found Safe in Huntington Beach
A woman who was reportedly kidnapped for ransom in Vallejo has apparently turned up in her hometown of Huntington Beach. The father of Denise Huskins told ABC News that she called him from their home in Huntington Beach Wednesday morning, saying she was OK. Huntington Beach police notified Vallejo police that the woman was located at an undisclosed location.
ABC 7

Car belonging to missing Valentine's Day date found
Orange County investigators are analyzing a car located Wednesday that belonged to a woman who vanished after a night out on Valentine's Day. Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies said they located a white Honda Civic belonging to Erica Alonso around 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Glenwood Park neighborhood of Aliso Viejo -- a leafy, master-planned community. "I'm shaking," the woman's father said Wednesday. "I'm really just hoping that ... she's not dead."
Los Angeles Times

Burglar Strikes Twice in Quiet Socal Neighborhood on Same Night
Residents were on high alert after back-to-back burglaries Tuesday night in their quiet, gated Southern California neighborhood. Ken Cheng said he was only out of the house for about an hour when someone ransacked the master bedroom of his home at 9 p.m. in the 2800 block of Ashberry Court in Fullerton.
NBC Los Angeles

Body Cam Footage Shows Police Sergeant Rescuing Child From Fire
A Georgia police officer's body camera showed his heroic rescue of a 3-year-old boy in a burning house. Told by the home's occupant that her young grandchild was inside the house on March 16, Sgt. Joe Hudson, a 14-year veteran of the Griffin Police Department, ran into the house and started to search for the child.
ABC News

City Government

Stage set in runoff election for 4th District L.A. City Council race
The Los Angeles City Council signed off Wednesday on the final results of the March 3 primary election, setting the stage for a runoff race in the 4th District to succeed termed-out Councilman Tom LaBonge. Longtime LaBonge chief of staff Carolyn Ramsay and health center director David Ryu, the top two vote-getters, will face off on May 19 to represent suburban communities in the San Fernando Valley, as well as neighborhoods surrounding Griffith Park, the Miracle Mile and Hollywood.
mynewsLA.com

Los Angeles mayor backs quake retrofit tax measure
Saying a big earthquake is inevitable, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is supporting a state measure that would offer incentives for people to make their buildings safer during a temblor. City News Service says Garcetti has backed a measure that would offer a 30 percent tax credit on seismic improvements over five years.
San Jose Mercury News