Law Enforcement

City Officials Dedicate Van Nuys Intersection In Memory Of Fallen LAPD Motor Officer
An intersection was dedicated Thursday to a Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer who was fatally struck by an SUV. Councilmember Paul Krekorian unveiled memorial signs around 11:30 a.m. at “Officer Chris Cortijo Memorial Square,” which will be permanently located at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and Arminta Street.
CBS Los Angeles , Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck: South Carolina police shooting ‘is a criminal act'
Police Chief Charlie Beck said today video footage of a South Carolina police officer's fatal shooting of a black man clearly showed a “criminal act,” and said he also would have arrested the officer. “Based on what I have seen, based on the video ... it is a criminal act,” Beck said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Police seek public's help in identifying Venice burglars
Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire Division Tuesday released video footage of suspects responsible for the early morning burglary of a business. On March 6 about 4:30 a.m., at least seven suspects broke into the business in the 5100 block of Venice Boulevard.
Westsidetoday.com

LAPD Searches For Newborn After Bloodied Woman Tells Bystander She Just Gave Birth
A woman found bleeding profusely on an L.A. street said she had just given birth. She was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors confirmed it. But the baby was nowhere to be found. That's when detectives began to scour the area for any sign of the newborn, sifting through dumpsters and searching alleyways.
CBS Los Angeles

Councilman Price Issues $50,000 Reward in Hit and Run of 86 year old woman
Councilman Curren D. Price Jr. announced Thursday April 2 his introduction of a motion securing a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for hitting an 86 year old woman in North University Park earlier this month. Barbara Summerfield was crossing the street, at Adams Boulevard and Figueroa on the morning of March 16 when she was struck by a silver colored Infinity SUV. Summerfield remains in critical condition after suffering multiple injuries from the strike including two broken legs, cracked ribs, a quadruple pelvis fracture, and head injuries. Councilman Price joined LAPD Traffic Division officials as well as members of the Summerfield family, to announce the reward and urge residents to come forward with any information in the case.
Los Angeles Sentinel

LA Has Closed Over 500 Pot Shops Since July '13: City Atty
Los Angeles law enforcement has closed hundreds of shops illegally selling medical marijuana in under two years, according to City Attorney Mike Feuer. Feuer announced Thursday that that the city has closed 503 shops since July 2013, nearly half of them in the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Bureau.
NBC Los Angeles

Police Under Surveillance: Learning To Work Under Watchful Eye Of Camera Phones
Police officers are increasingly under the microscope. Almost literally. Now that the nightly news regularly features incidents where officers are being criticized for excessive force, even responsible members of the force are finding that having a camera thrust in their face is now just part of the job. A white police officer was charged with murder this week in South Carolina after fatally shooting an unarmed black man running away from him.
International Business Times

Software Aiding Police Sketch Artists
Suspect sketches are frequently released from police departments as a way to inform the public about what a suspect might look like, but a new kind of sketch has a lot of people wondering how they were created. "Operator generated images" by computer software are being used by more and more law enforcement agencies across the country and forensic experts believe they are not the best choice but might be the only choice.
NBC Los Angeles

Immigration

California may shield immigrants charged with drug crimes from deportation
When Jesús Cordero was arrested for Ecstasy possession, his lawyer offered what seemed like an obvious solution: Plead guilty and undergo drug counseling. Once Cordero completed the course, the charges would be dismissed. It's a popular option for Californians charged with minor drug crimes who seek to avoid jail time and clear their records. But for immigrants such as Cordero, who was then living in the United States illegally, such a plea can trigger their deportation. Now, in a state that has both liberalized immigration laws and eased punishments for drug crimes, legislators will soon consider a measure that could shield immigrants from such consequences.
Los Angeles Times