Law Enforcement

As crime rises in Los Angeles, police, community take action
The LAPD has deployed hundreds of elite officers to crime hot spots, increased the number of officers walking the streets versus patrolling in cars, and created a community relationship division dedicated to building the public's trust in police officers. But Beck said his department can't solve the problem alone. "A lot of it is public will," he said. "A will of everyone in the city of Los Angeles to say, 'Enough is enough.'" Members of the community say they stepped up their own efforts when the crime numbers started going up.
KPCC

Help Badge Of Heart Feed Local Families
Venice based charity Badge of Heart aims to feed 500 families this Thanksgiving and they'd like some help with the cause. “Our goal is to give 500 frozen turkeys to selected families. These will be distributed through local schools, churches, and also dropped off by LAPD Pacific Division Officers,” says Officer Ken Lew from LAPD Pacific Division.
YoVenice.com

Man Hit By Two Cars In Hit-And-Run
A man hit by two cars in a hit-and-run is seemingly lucky to be walking away with some broken bones. The man, only identified as someone in his late 20s, was on the 2300 block of Pico Boulevard in the Pico-Union early Saturday morning when he was hit by two cars around 12:15 a.m. The LAPD told City News Service that the man seemed to be "heavily intoxicated" and suffered broken bones. There are no further details on his condition .Authorities say the two vehicles sought in the incident are a 4-door sedan and a Honda.
LAist

Family Searches for Missing 66-Year-Old Mother Last Seen in Reseda
A family was still desperately searching for a 66-year-old woman from Kenya on Saturday after she was last seen in Reseda early November. Security cameras caught Juliah Karwitha leaving for her morning walk from her son's home in the 7900 block of Reseda Boulevard around 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 1. Man Critically Injured After Group Beating in Echo Park. The Los Angeles Police Department later released surveillance video that showed Karwitha blocks away from her son's home walking south on Reseda Boulevard outside the VCA Animal Hospital about 8:30 a.m. on the same day.
NBC4

Accused Downey cop killers face justice; 16-year-old charged as adult
The alleged attackers in the killing of a Downey police officer – two teens and a 21-year-old – are scheduled for a court hearing Monday for what authorities believe was a robbery gone bad. One of the teens – a 16-year-old boy – was charged as an adult in the murder case. Authorities released the names of the two older brothers suspected in the shooting death of the Downey police officer killed during the apparent botched robbery as he sat in plain clothes in his personal vehicle in a parking lot near the police station.
MyNewsLA.com

Man Shines Warm Message Of Support To Downey PD Following Officer Killing
A Downey resident showed his support for the Downey Police Department Saturday night, following the killing of an officer during a robbery attempt earlier this week. Michael Chirco put a sign on his roof, lit up in blue lights reading "I love my DPD (Downey Police Department)." "I'm a strong believer in the city and the potential that it has, so when this happened, it was really heartbreaking," Chirco said. "There's no words to describe the pain that the community has been feeling. Chirco said the message is for all law enforcement agencies in the sky, and for 29-year-old fallen officer Ricardo Galvez.
ABC7

Off-Duty Cops Who Halted Hollywood Stabbing Shy From Praise
Two off-duty New York Police Department officers who subdued a man who had stabbed and slashed a Russian tourist in Hollywood said today they appreciate the praise coming their way, but were in the right place at the right time and did what's expected of them. Detectives Dan Mulligan and Albert Ramos were off-duty but in the area on official business when they intervened in the attack about 1:10 p.m. Wednesday at the Hollywood & Highland shopping, dining and entertainment center.
Hollywood Patch

Police Hope Public Can Help Them Track Down Missing 32-Year-Old Who Has Brain Injury
Police in San Bernardino are hoping the public can help them track down a critical missing 32-year-old man. Luis Francisco Hurtado was last seen just before noon Sunday in the 400 block of W. 20th Street. Hurtado's family says he suffers from a severe brain injury that affects his short-term memory.
CBS Los Angeles

From Ferguson to Minneapolis: Crisis of confidence plagues police in wake of deadly officer-involved shootings
One of the most critical issues facing law enforcement is playing out now in Minneapolis — what, when and how much information to make public in the aftermath of an officer-involved shooting. Authorities say 24-year-old Jamar Clark, a suspect in a domestic assault, was interfering with paramedics who were trying to treat his alleged victim early last Sunday when he scuffled with Minneapolis officers and was shot. Clark, who was unarmed, died one day later. Police have denied the accounts of some eyewitnesses who say that Clark was handcuffed before being shot once in the head.
Yahoo! News

Homelessness

Nearly 12,000 participate in LA County Homewalk, raising $1.1 million to end homelessness
Nearly 12,000 people participated in the ninth annual HomeWalk in Exposition Park today (Sunday), raising $1.1 million to help end homelessness in Los Angeles County, organizers said. The walk is organized by United Way of Greater Los Angeles as part of its efforts to “create pathways out of poverty.” “While we have made great strides and built strong partnerships across all sectors, homelessness will continue to be our focus until no one has to live without a home,” said Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Daily News

State Government

On gun control, Newsom seems to be following Bloomberg's strategic lead
As he pushes a proposed ballot initiative cobbled together from gun-control bills that died in the Legislature or on the governor's desk, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom frames the battle he hopes to wage next year as a personal one. "Since Sandy Hook, I have sat back as a father and been mesmerized by the inability of the federal government to do anything substantively on gun safety," he said in a recent telephone interview, referring to the 2012 shooting deaths of 26 children and staff at a Connecticut school.
Los Angeles Times