Law Enforcement

Fanchon Blake dies at 93; lawsuit broke LAPD's glass ceiling for women
In 1971, after nearly two decades with the Los Angeles Police Department, Fanchon Blake openly objected to policies that prevented her and other women from rising above the rank of sergeant. Blake, 93, whose class-action lawsuit targeting the LAPD resulted in one of the most sweeping changes in the department's history, died Tuesday at a group home in Bend, Ore.
Los Angeles Times

Veteran LAPD Officer Wouldn't Let Amputation Keep Him From Getting Back On Patrol
Less than a year ago, LAPD Officer Marcial Cruz agonized he'd never be on patrol again. Doctors had removed a tumor on the bottom of his left foot. When it turned out to be cancer they were forced to amputate. Cruz fought through the pain, determined to not let his disability prevent him from returning to duty, which he said would not be behind a desk.
CBS Los Angeles

LAPD Seeks Public's Help In Locating 2 Missing Juveniles
The LAPD and the families of two juveniles who went missing Saturday are reaching out to the public for help in locating them. Ashley Montes, 12, and Timothy Jacob Reed, 14, were last seen on Saturday near Mark Twain Middle School in the Venice area of Los Angeles at around 4 p.m.
CBS Los Angeles , Los Angeles Daily News

Woman With Developmental Disability Missing From San Fernando Valley
A 33-year-old woman with a developmental disability went missing Saturday from the North Hills section of the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police said Sunday. Yesenia Rodriguez, who has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, was last seen about 2 p.m. Saturday in the 9600 block of Gothic Avenue, according to an LAPD news statement.
MyFOXla.com

Suspects sought in robberies targeting women in Panorama City
A man and a woman are suspected of a series of street robberies targeting lone women in the Panorama City area, police said Saturday. The suspects, both Hispanic and between 25 and 27 years old, were seen in a Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by the man, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
mynewsLA.com

Police Investigate 5-Car Crash In Van Nuys As Possible Street Racing
One person was in very critical condition after a multi-vehicle crash in Van Nuys Sunday that may have been the result of street racing. The crash occurred at 7:15 p.m. in the 16000 block of Sherman Way, officials said.
CBS Los Angeles

Report: Asset seizures raked in $43 million for eight Los Angeles County police departments
Eight Los Angeles County police departments made more than $43 million between 2006 and 2013 through a federal civil asset seizure program that allows police to take property sometimes without charging or convicting anyone, according to a report. The departments in the cities with a combined population of roughly 444,000 — Baldwin Park, La Verne, Beverly Hills, South Gate, Vernon, Pomona, Irwindale and Gardena — collected more than the Los Angeles Police Department, despite serving a population that's eight times smaller, according to the Drug Policy Alliance, a drug decriminalization advocacy group.
Los Angeles Daily News

City Government

In District 4 L.A. council race, 'experience' is interpreted 2 ways
The head-to-head runoff between Los Angeles City Council candidates Carolyn Ramsay and David Ryu poses a stark choice between a political heir apparent taking a familiar route to the council — a long-time aide replacing her boss — and an unexpected contender who has pitched himself as the antidote to the status quo. "This election is clear," Ryu told a crowd at a recent Laurel Canyon forum. "It's insider versus outsider. Status quo versus change."
Los Angeles Times

L.A. lawmakers question police ticketing of pedestrians in crosswalks
Two Los Angeles City Council members want more information about where and why pedestrians are ticketed for stepping into a crosswalk after the signal light's red hand is flashing, saying there are questions about whether the rules truly make people safer. The Times recently reported that police have cited four times as many pedestrians for that offense in the division that includes downtown than elsewhere in the city.
Los Angeles Times