Hate Crimes Rise 15 Percent In LA With Uptick In LGBT Victims
The city of Los Angeles experienced a 15 percent increase in hate crimes in 2016, along with a significant spike in attacks against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, according to data analyzed by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.  Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League union, said police officers are “greatly concerned” about the 69.5 percent spike in violent crime citywide since 2013. “Every crime victim, regardless of motivation, deserves our protection and justice,” Lally said in a written statement. “That's why it's critical we get more police officers in our neighborhoods who can help reduce crime and keep our residents safe.”
Los Angeles Daily News

Teen Dead, 2 Wounded After Gunman Opens Fire Near South LA Schools
One teen was killed in and two other teens were hurt in a shooting in South Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon just after school let out. The shooting occurred at about 3:45 p.m. on Vermont Avenue and 60th Street, near both Augustus Hawkins High School and John Muir Middle School. Los Angeles police report there was a large group of teens standing at the intersection when a male suspect wearing a hoodie got out of a car, approached a group of teens, pulled out a gun and opened fire, wounding three of them. The shooter then escaped. All three teens were rushed to a nearby hospital, where one of them was pronounced dead. The second victim is in critical condition and the third suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.  There is a possibility the shooting was gang-related, police said.
CBS 2

LAPD Officer Injured After 2 Vehicle Collision in Beverly Grove
A Los Angeles police offer was transported in unknown condition on Tuesday after a car crash involving another vehicle in Beverly Grove. Authorities were called to the scene at Crescent Heights Boulevard and Willoughby Avenue around 5:24 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Video from Sky5 showed a police cruiser next to a black SUV vehicle surrounded by debris. The two vehicle collision involved a possible entrapment, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
KTLA 5

San Fernando Valley Residents Fight Crime Spike With Social Media
A recent spike in burglaries in the San Fernando Valley is one of the reasons hundreds of people came out for a town hall meeting hosted by Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Bloomenfield.  Jared Goetz, a resident in the San Fernando Valley stated that  since his neighbors started a private Facebook page about five months ago, a partnership with local police officers has yielded results.  "Our partnership with our police department is so strong that officers on their day off are monitoring the page responding realtime giving homeowners comfort that help is on the way," Goetz said.  
NBC Video

Former Attorney Charged On Suspicion Of Threatening People With Replica Rifle In Hollywood Apartment
A former attorney has been charged with threatening people with a replica rifle from his Hollywood apartment, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office officials said Tuesday. Steven Gregory Kaplan, also known as Sebastian Kane, pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of criminal threats and one felony count of vandalism over $400. The incident occurred March 31 when Kaplan allegedly threatened to kill another tenant ho was in the pool area of the apartment in the 1500 block of North Vine Street, officials said. Kaplan later allegedly pointed what appeared to be a rifle and threatened to kill pedestrians below his apartment. The weapon was later determined to be a pellet rifle.  During a six-hour standoff with police, he smashed the windows of his apartment, officials said. He was eventually taken into custody the next day by the Los Angeles Police Department, officials said.
KTLA 5

At Police Commission Hearing, LAPD And Critics Agree: Policing Alone Isn't The Answer To Homelessness
The crowd that filled the chambers inside City Hall was quiet as one of L.A.'s police commissioners spoke, explaining her personal connection to one of the most pressing issues facing Los Angeles. Shane Murphy Goldsmith said her younger brother had experienced homelessness throughout his life. She thought of him, she added, during a ride-along with some of the police officers assigned to the L.A. Police Department's homeless outreach efforts. 
Los Angeles Times

Detectives Seeking Public's Help In Identifying Assault With A Deadly Weapon Suspect
On Wednesday, March 29, 2017, at 6:00 p.m., a woman entered the business and removed an employee's cell phone, phone case, and credit card. The suspect, a female Black, 5'9", 170 lbs, wearing glasses, approximately 35-45 years-old, then went to a Target retail store and attempted to buy a computer with the stolen credit card but the transaction was denied.  During this time, the victim tracked her phone and found the suspect outside of the Target store, standing next to a Newer Black Honda Accord with paper plates and tinted windows.  When the suspect recognized the victim, she immediately entered her vehicle and drove towards the victim.  To avoid being struck by the driver, the victim jumped onto the hood of the suspect's vehicle. As the victim lay on the hood, the suspect drove at a high rate of speed for two blocks in an attempt to throw the victim off. When the victim fell off the vehicle, she suffered minor injuries. The suspect drove away from the area in an unknown direction.
FOX 11

Couple Pounds Of Coke On An LAX Jet? Detroit Murder Suspect Nabbed As Part Of Smuggling Try
A Pasadena man wanted in Detroit for attempted murder is facing federal charges connected to the arrest at Los Angeles International Airport of a woman suspected of trying to smuggle at least 2.2 pounds of cocaine onto a jetliner, prosecutors said Tuesday. Kevin “Wood” Blair, 45, was taken into federal custody Monday and ordered held without bond following a hearing in Los Angeles federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A second man — Delano “Bop Bop” Leflore, 37, of Detroit — was also charged in the complaint and is being sought by federal authorities. The criminal complaint charges Blair and Leflore with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and cocaine, a charge which carries a potential penalty of life in federal prison. Prosecutors allege the defendants were key operatives in a drug trafficking organization that shipped cocaine and heroin from Los Angeles to Detroit.
MyNewsLA.com

Councilman To Call For Rewards To Target ‘Knock-Knock' Burglary Crews
Councilman Mitch Englander is hoping a monetary reward will generate tips to help police catch the crews responsible for the spate of “knock-knock” burglaries that have gripped neighborhoods throughout the city. Residents have been hit hard with residential burglaries in the past three months, according to Englander. The councilman said he believes the reward can prompt people to turn in the culprits. He is planning to introduce a motion Wednesday aimed at helping the Los Angeles Police Department combat these types of burglaries. In the Devonshire area alone, burglaries are up 35 percent, with most of the increase coming from knock-knock style burglaries, according to LAPD Capt. Kathleen Burns. “It's had a huge impact on the San Fernando Valley,” Burns said of the knock-knock burglaries, which have hit many homes in the area, including those belonging to celebrities.
Los Angeles Daily News

Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens reopens after federal raid
The Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens reopened early Wednesday, hours after federal agents raided the facility and seized thousands of financial records as part of a money-laundering investigation, law enforcement officials told The Times. The raid was led by members of the Los Angeles High Intensity Financial Crime Area Task Force — a group that includes investigators from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the California Department of Justice's bureau of gambling control and the U.S. attorney's office.
Los Angeles Times

Federal, State Agencies Raid Bell Gardens Casino In Money Laundering Case
After months of planning they gathered today under the cover of morning darkness. By 7 a.m. they moved in. FOX 11 was right there with them as dozens of federal agents, search warrant in hand, swarmed the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens. The agents all part of the Los Angeles High Intensity Financial Crime Area Task Force, which includes ICE's Homeland Security, the IRS, the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Gambling Control and the US Attorney's office. The agents working first to evacuate the casino which we were told was full of gamblers who had to cash out first. Then came the employees. All of them order to leave except for a few managers. And while the federal warrant was filed under seal - it's contents kept private - sources close to the case tell us the investigation centers around possible money laundering and organized crime.
FOX 11

Massachusetts Police Union Launches New Tool To Help Officers In Crisis 
Massachusetts Coalition of Police President Scott Hovsepian announced Friday that the police union would be providing a new tool to help officers in crisis. The union, which represents close to 4,300 officers, will launch an anonymous online screening tool from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to police. According to a press release, the self-check quiz will help connect distressed officers to peer support officers and mental health services before a crisis emerges. “If this can save one life, it is money, time, and energy well spent. You can't put a price on a life,” Hovsepian said. “I want police officers nationwide to know that there are tools like the self-check quiz that can help them through the hard times.” Following Hovespian's announcement, officers underwent a four-hour training session regarding mental health, alcohol and drug abuse, and how to prevent suicide among their ranks. 
PoliceOne