Law enforcement on surging police resignations and retirements, how crime and anti-police rhetoric are a factor
National Police Association Spokesperson Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, LAPD Detective Jamie McBride and former Chicago police officer Anthony Napolitano discuss what is behind the growing exodus of police officers across the U.S.
Fox News

LAPD Gets Emergency Funding For Overtime
A rise in crime and a lack in staffing has led to a surge in overtime for officers with the Los Angeles Police Department. Right now the LAPD is about 800 officers short. But during a news conference held Thursday by Chief Michel Moore, it was announced that three divisions are getting extra funds thanks to Council member Paul Koretz, who is in a contested race for LA City Controller. The $250,000 from discretionary funds will help pay for overtime in three divisions - $50,000 to Pacific, $100,000 to Wilshire, and $100,000 to West LA. That's about 250 extra 10-hour shifts, officials said. The money will be used to increase police presence including foot patrols, engagement, and education. It will not be used to hire more police officers.  FOX 11

LAPD Arrest Suspect Who Sexually Assaulted Woman Inside Of Her Echo Park Apartment
Police have arrested the man accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside her Echo Park apartment earlier in October. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the attack happened on Oct. 9 at around 8:00 p.m. when a woman returned to her apartment after taking her dog out for a walk. The victim said she was approached by an unknown man who commented on her dog. Then, the man pushed through her door as she entered her apartment before shoving her to the floor. He proceeded to sexually assault her as she screamed for help. The suspect then slapped her face twice before covering her mouth. "The suspect then groped the victim's genital area again, until the victim was able to separate herself from the suspect by kicking him off her," police said. The woman attempted to crawl to the door of her apartment, again screaming for help before the suspect left the apartment. Several Good Samaritans living nearby apparently followed the man as he left the complex but stopped after he allegedly presented a knife. CBS 2

Man Accused In Hancock Park Stabbing Murder Of UCLA Student Found OK To Stand Trial
A judge in Los Angeles has decided the man charged with murdering a UCLA student in a furniture store in Hancock Park is mentally fit to stand trial. Brianna Kupfer, 24, was stabbed to death Jan. 13 as she worked alone inside the Croft House store on La Brea Boulevard. Authorities have said they believe she was attacked at random. "She had strength and character and care and love," Kupfer's father Todd told NBCLA earlier this year. The accused killer, Shawn Laval Smith, 32, has been jailed since January, charged with a single count of murder, and on Monday Smith was found competent to stand trial, according to the LA County District Attorney's Office. Smith was arrested in Pasadena about a week after the killing after LAPD detectives publicized security video images and asked for the public's help in locating him. A pretrial hearing was set for next week. Last month the prosecutor who had been working on the case was suddenly reassigned within the LA County District Attorney's Office. John McKinney said he thought the move was retaliatory and feared it would negatively impact the prosecution. NBC 4

Driver Killed, Passenger Injured When Car Slams Into Tree In Hancock Park
One person died and another was critically injured when a car crashed into several parked cars and a tree in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles late Thursday night. The crash occurred around 11:30 p.m. in the 100 block of South Rossmore Avenue. Authorities say a white Mitsubishi sedan with two men inside was traveling southbound between Beverly Boulevard and 3rd Street when the driver lost control. The sedan sideswiped multiple parked vehicles and then ran into a tree, ejecting the passenger and trapping the driver, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles Fire Department said both victims were in their 30s. Investigators say speed was likely a factor in the crash. KTLA 5

'One Pill Can Kill': California Fentanyl Expert Emphasis Current Crisis
“One pill can kill,” said Glen Walsh, president of the California Narcotics Officers Association, who spoke at an American Legion Ronald Reagan community-offered presentation on October 20. The day before, authorities has seized thousands of suspected fentanyl pills hidden in candy boxes at LAX. The pills were hidden in SweetTARTS, Skittles and Whoopers candy boxes. About 12,000 pills were seized by sheriff's detectives and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents. Dealers have recently been disguising fentanyl in candy wrappers and manufacturing them in rainbow colors. “Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in those under 30,” Walsh said, and noted that overdose deaths increased by 15 percent in 2021, with more than 107,600 dying last year. How is it happening? “Marijuana is laced with fentanyl. Every drug is laced with fentanyl,” Walsh said. “Common everyday street drugs are laced with fentanyl.” Walsh warns, “If you think you are purchasing certain medication from the internet, you could be playing Russian Roulette.” Westside Current

LAPD Station To Be Renamed In Honor Of First Female Deputy Chief
The Los Angeles Police Department Friday will announce the renaming of the Northeast Area Community Police Station in honor of Margaret “Peggy” York, the department's first female deputy chief. LAPD Chief Michel Moore called the renaming of the station in Glassell Park “a true testament to her steadfast tenacity and spirit.” “Her legacy will continue to inspire the present-day women and men of the Los Angeles Police Department and future generations,” said Moore, who will be joined at the announcement by Mayor Eric Garcetti, retired Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, who was married to York from 1981 until her death, and other dignitaries. York worked as a radio telephone operator with the LAPD from 1965-68, when she entered the Police Academy, becoming a policewoman on April 22, 1968, when women were only allowed to work certain assignments. “She joined policing at a time when women were faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles,” Moore said following York's death on Oct. 17, 2021, at age 80. “As a pioneer, she demonstrated true grit and utilized her talents to ascend to the highest ranks within the department. MyNewsLA

After Fentanyl Found Packaged In Candy Boxes, Officials Say Check Your Kids' Trick Or Treat Haul
Officials say there's no need to cancel Halloween this year, even as fentanyl pills were found packaged in candy boxes at LAX earlier this month, but they advise parents to inspect their children's candy after trick or treating. “We don't expect anything to be in the candies, but you still need to be extremely diligent. Supervise,” Cary Quashen from Action Drug Rehab told KTLA. Kareen Wynter reports for the KTLA 5 News at 3 on Oct. 27, 2022. KTLA 5

United Kingdom Man Arrested In Connection With Beverly Hills Shooting
A 20-year-old from the United Kingdom suspected in a shooting in Beverly Hills was arrested Thursday. Max Alexander Whitehead was located in Santa Ana Thursday morning and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department. BHPD officers were called just after 10:45 p.m. on Aug. 15 to the 100 block of North Cañon Drive, near Wilshire Boulevard, on reports of the shooting and found the victim suffering from at least one non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries. Whitehead is being held on $1.08 million bail at the BHPD jail and is scheduled to appear at the Airport Courthouse on Friday. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call the BHPD at 310-285-2125. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org . MyNewsLA

Paul Pelosi, Husband Of Nancy Pelosi, Attacked With A Hammer At Couple's San Francisco Home
Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was “violently” attacked in the couple's San Francisco home early Friday morning, according to a statement from the speaker's office. Drew Hammill, a spokesman for the Democratic speaker's office, said in the statement that an assailant broke into the couple's home and “violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi.” A law enforcement source told The Times that Paul Pelosi, 82, was attacked with a hammer and sustained numerous upper-body blows. The San Francisco Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to the 2600 block of Broadway for a home break-in at around 2:30 a.m. Friday. The Police Department did not name Pelosi as the person inside the home or the victim of an attack. “During the incident an 82 y/o male was attacked,” Sgt. Adam Lobsinger said. “The suspect was taken into custody. The victim was transported to a local hospital. SFPD Chief Scott will address the media at police HQ.” Pelosi was taken to a hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery, Hammill said.Los Angeles Times

California Police Officer Killed In Accidental Shooting: 'A Tragic Loss'
A police officer in Southern California was killed in an accidental shooting on Thursday afternoon, according to authorities. Colton Police Department announced the death of Officer Lorenzo Morgan on Thursday evening. Additional details surrounding his death have not been released as of early Friday morning. The fallen officer began his law enforcement career at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Academy, beginning in April 2019 and graduating in September 2019. Morgan completed his field training at the Colton Police Department in May, months before his death. Colton police honored the fallen officer in a Facebook post late Thursday evening. "Officer L. Morgan was a beloved father, friend, colleague, and a caring officer who loved working for the Colton Community," the department wrote. FOX News

LA County Reports Almost 1,200 New COVID Infections
Nearly 1,200 new COVID-19 infections were reported in Los Angeles County, with the public health director noting a slight rise in the weekly case rate after months of steady declines in the latest data. While Barbara Ferrer told reporters the modest increase was not an immediate cause for alarm, she said officials will be closely monitoring the numbers because “they do suggest that locally there is no longer a consistent decline.” She also said it again raises concerns about the possibility of another winter surge in infections. But she said the widespread availability of vaccines should help prevent widespread severe illness. Complicating matters, however, is the onset of the flu season, which Ferrer said has already begun in the county — the earliest start in the past five years. The county has also been seeing higher-than-normal levels of the respiratory illness known as RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. MyNewsLA

Kevin de León Recall Effort Launched Amid City Hall Racism Scandal
A notice of intent to recall embattled Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León was filed Thursday, the City Clerk's Office confirmed. The notice of intent was signed by five residents of the 14th District, including Pauline Adkins, who made two prior recall attempts against de León. Pete Brown, de León's communications director, said Adkins had also previously filed, but later dropped, a third intent to recall. "After three failed attempts, yet another recall that distorts his record will not distract the councilmember or his office from continuing to serve the people of Council District 14," Brown said in a statement to City News Service. "He will keep moving forward important projects and issues that threaten the communities and the lives of his constituents." Adkins did not immediately return a phone call or text message late Thursday afternoon, but a website announcing the recall campaign lists her as the main contact. FOX 11

LA Council Set To Wrap Up Week Of Raucous Meetings As Krekorian Vows To Carry On
The Los Angeles City Council is set to reconvene Friday to wrap up a week of raucous meetings, which have been impacted by protesters vowing to return to City Hall demanding the council not meet until Councilmen Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo resign. De Leon and Cedillo have defied fierce and widespread calls to resign for taking part in a leaked 2021 conversation that involved racist comments and attempts to manipulate redistricting, though a notice of intent to recall de León was filed with the city clerk's office on Thursday. On Wednesday, after clearing the chamber because protesters refused Council President Paul Krekorian's request to quiet down, the council voted 12-0 to censure de Leon, Cedillo and former Councilwoman Nury Martinez — the first time the council has censured its own members since at least 1911. MyNewsLA