MIAMI, May 19 (UPI) — The Miami Police Department said is ending its long-running relationship with the A&E cable channel true-crime series “The First 48.”
Tag Archives: Police Department
Police locate missing Los Angeles girl
Los Angeles police say a 10-year-old girl who was reported missing from her home overnight has been located.
Sgt. Rudy Lopez says Nicole Ryan was apparently spotted by someone who recognized her from information that had been publicized and contacted the Police Department.
The girl with distinctive long red hair was found at midafternoon outside a Starbucks store about six miles from her home in the Northridge area of Los Angeles.
Nicole’s parents reported her missing from home before dawn Wednesday.
LA compensates 2 for truck mistakenly shot by LAPD
The city has agreed to give $40,000 to two women whose pickup was shot up by a Police Department protection detail that mistook their newspaper delivery vehicle for the truck driven by rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner during his rampage, officials announced Thursday.
The tax-free settlement covering the pickup and other property came quickly after the women’s attorney, Glen Jonas, rejected Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck’s offer of a replacement truck because the women would have had to pay taxes. The deal specified no admission of liability.
Margie Carranza and her 71-year-old mother, Emma Hernandez, were delivering papers around 5 a.m. Feb. 7 when LAPD officers guarding the suburban Torrance home of a Dorner target blasted at least 100 rounds into their Toyota pickup. Hernandez was shot in the back and Carranza had minor injuries.
Jonas said the women were still not doing well.
“Margie’s still very emotionally impacted and Emma is suffering from her injuries,” Jonas said.
Jonas, who noted he has waived all his fees, said he hoped that all other issues including personal injury can be resolved without the need to file a lawsuit or have a trial.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said the truck compensation was one of the fastest resolutions of a case he can remember in his term.
The women were expected to receive the money in two to four days.
The errant shooting in Torrance occurred just hours after Dorner shot and wounded a Los Angeles police officer in Riverside County and then ambushed two police officers in the city of Riverside, killing one and wounding the other.
Dorner was on the run in a Nissan Titan pickup after being named as the suspect in the murders of a retired LAPD captain’s daughter and her fiance. The former captain had represented Dorner at an LAPD disciplinary hearing that led to his firing. The double-murder investigation led to discovery of a manifesto posted online by Dorner that vowed to wage war on Los Angeles police.
Dorner hid out in the San Bernardino Mountains until Feb. 12, when he tried to flee but law enforcement converged on him. Dorner killed one sheriff’s deputy and wounded another in a gunbattle that ended with fire consuming the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
North Chicago police slammed for brochure some find offensive
The North Chicago Police Department is being criticized for a brochure that some say is peppered with stereotypes of African-Americans.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports the brochure, given to participants in the North Chicago Citizen Police Academy last week, features a smiling African-American man handcuffed in an orange prison jumpsuit, with another portrayed as bug-eyed and slack-jawed in a mug shot.
There is also a page with a picture of comedian Dave Chappelle appearing as Tyrone Biggums, the stumbling junkie character he created for his Comedy Central show.
Lake County NAACP president Jennifer Witherspoon said the handout reinforces “every negative stereotype blacks as a people have been fighting against.”
Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim calls the handout “incredibly disturbing.”
The brochure’s cover features Nerheim opposite Tom Cruise as a military defense attorney from the film “A Few Good Men.” The brochure also has pictures of television TV cop Barney Fife, Judge Judy and Lindsay Lohan, big-bellied white police officers and acquitted murder defendant Casey Anthony.
“Unprofessional is probably the nicest way to put it,” Nerheim said. “It was obviously done without my knowledge and consent. I definitely see how it could be offensive to people. It’s not something that should be coming out of the Police Department.”
Nerheim said he called North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham about the handout.
Rockingham said the two academy participants he talked to about the circular were split, with one saying they didn’t find it offensive, the other saying it could be taken the wrong way.
North Chicago Police Chief James Jackson is calling the handout an ill-considered attempt at humor.
“We should have caught it,” said Jackson.
However, local activist Ralph Peterson says the brochure raises “another red flag” on the North Chicago police.
“It’s more bad judgment. For officers to pass out a pamphlet like this screams a need for sensitivity and that this department is not capable of policing the black community,” he said, pointing to a police brutality case that has the department snared in a federal wrongful-death lawsuit.
Academy student Paula Carballido, of North Chicago, said an officer explained the images were taken from movies and TV and were not meant to offend. She said the course, which offers an in-depth view of law enforcement procedures, was informative and “respectful.”
LAPD chief: Review of Dorner firing under way
Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck says the review of ex-officer Christopher Dorner‘s firing is under way, but it’s too early to comment on the re-examination.
Beck told a press conference Tuesday that he doesn’t discount the effect that Dorner’s manifesto has had on the reputation of the Police Department.
Dorner, who was black, claimed he was subjected to racism and was targeted for reporting misconduct. He died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot during a mountain cabin siege that followed a spree of violence in which authorities say he killed four people and wounded three.
Beck says he hopes the $1 million reward offered during the manhunt will be paid. But he says it has to be done fairly, whether it goes to one individual or is split among several.
LAPD To Review Dorner Firing Case: Chief Charlie Beck Admits Manifesto’s Effect On Police Reputation
By The Huffington Post News Editors
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck says the review of ex-officer Christopher Dorner‘s firing is under way, but it’s too early to comment on the re-examination.
Beck told a press conference Tuesday that he doesn’t discount the effect that Dorner’s manifesto has had on the reputation of the Police Department.
Arkansas mom dies after 911 call not entered into system, son in critical condition
An Arkansas 911 operator did not enter a call into a computer system that would have notified police and fire dispatchers of a mother and son trapped inside a vehicle in a pond, authorities said Wednesday. The woman died hours later, and her 5-year-old son was in critical condition Wednesday, police said.
The Little Rock operator who handled the call from 39-year-old Jinglei Yi has been placed on paid administrative leave while authorities try to figure out what happened. The operator has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Yi called 911 about 8 a.m. Monday after her vehicle hit a patch of ice, went over a curb and ended up in the pond, Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Cassandra Davis said. A county dispatcher transferred the call to the 911 operator, who spoke with Yi briefly before hanging up and contacting an ambulance service.
An ambulance was dispatched a few minutes later to the west Little Rock pond, but police officers and firefighters weren’t dispatched until about a half-hour later — after the ambulance service called to verify that they were en route.
When the ambulance got there, the employee realized something was wrong because there were no police cars at the scene, Fox16.com reported. That’s when they radioed back to dispatch to find out what was happening.
“Right now, we don’t know where the breakdown occurred. If is was an operator error or if it was a mechanical error,” says Little Rock Police Sgt. Cassandra Davis.
Laura Martin, who directs the city police and fire departments’ communications branch, said the operator did not enter Yi’s call into a computerized dispatching system that would have alerted police and fire dispatchers. The operator also ended Yi’s call instead of using a transfer option that would have allowed her to keep Yi on the line while contacting the ambulance service, she said.
“Proper protocol would be … we have a one-button transfer switch where you get (the ambulance service) on the line and you remain on the line with them until you’re sure that they have handled the call,” Martin said.
On the 911 call, which The Associated Press obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, a county dispatcher describes Yi’s situation to the operator in Little Rock while Yi remains on the line.
Then, Yi describes her location and says there is water in her vehicle.
“The water is in my car right now,” she said.
The Little Rock operator asked Yi for her name and asked her to hang on.
“OK, ma’am, we’re going to get some help on the way for you, OK?” the operator said.
“OK. Thank you,” Yi said. Then the call appears to end.
Neither Davis nor Martin would identify the operator, who was hired in March and completed a six-month probation period in September.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Arkansas woman dies after 911 call not entered into system
An Arkansas 911 operator did not enter a call into a computer system that would have notified police and fire dispatchers of a mother and son trapped inside a vehicle in a pond, authorities said Wednesday. The woman died hours later, and her 5-year-old son was in critical condition Wednesday, police said.
The Little Rock operator who handled the call from 39-year-old Jinglei Yi has been placed on paid administrative leave while authorities try to figure out what happened. The operator has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Yi called 911 about 8 a.m. Monday after her vehicle hit a patch of ice, went over a curb and ended up in the pond, Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Cassandra Davis said. A county dispatcher transferred the call to the 911 operator, who spoke with Yi briefly before hanging up and contacting an ambulance service.
An ambulance was dispatched a few minutes later to the west Little Rock pond, but police officers and firefighters weren’t dispatched until about a half-hour later — after the ambulance service called to verify that they were en route.
It’s still not clear whether the delay played any role in Yi’s death. A doctor pronounced her dead at a local hospital at 11:45 a.m. Monday. A medical examiner is expected to determine the exact cause.
Laura Martin, who directs the city police and fire departments’ communications branch, said the operator did not enter Yi’s call into a computerized dispatching system that would have alerted police and fire dispatchers. The operator also ended Yi’s call instead of using a transfer option that would have allowed her to keep Yi on the line while contacting the ambulance service, she said.
“Proper protocol would be … we have a one-button transfer switch where you get (the ambulance service) on the line and you remain on the line with them until you’re sure that they have handled the call,” Martin said.
On the 911 call, which The Associated Press obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, a county dispatcher describes Yi’s situation to the operator in Little Rock while Yi remains on the line.
Then, Yi describes her location and says there is water in her vehicle.
“The water is in my car right now,” she said.
The Little Rock operator asked Yi for her name and asked her to hang on.
“OK, ma’am, we’re going to get some help on the way for you, OK?” the operator said.
“OK. Thank you,” Yi said. Then the call appears to end.
Neither Davis nor Martin would identify the operator, who was hired in March and completed a six-month probation period in September.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Oakland police say 4 killed in separate shootings
Oakland police are investigating four fatal shootings that took place in different parts of the city within six hours, the latest outbreak of violence in a city that saw 131 homicides last year.
Friday’s victims included a 17-year-old high school senior who died at the scene of the attack at around 8:15 p.m. Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson blamed groups “involved in ongoing feuds” for the shootings.
The first fatal shooting involved a 22-year-old Oakland man and took place at around 2:30 p.m., The Oakland Tribune reported.
The second shooting was reported at around 3 p.m. when a 30-year-old Stockton man’s body was found. It’s believed the man — identified as Larry Lovette — was shot elsewhere in the city and his body taken to the Glenview district, police said.
Then at around 4:15 p.m., a 20-year-old Oakland man was found shot in his car in the driveway of a home. Eddiebo Rodriguez died after he was taken to a hospital, police said.
The 17-year-old — identified by authorities as Ken Harbin — died in an area that’s plagued by gangs and gun violence. Neighbors said they heard dozens of gunshots Friday night.
“Shooting happens out here all the time,” said Armando Ramirez, 37, who was walking by the scene of Harbin’s shooting with two small children Saturday morning. “It’s a part of life here.”
Two other people were killed earlier this week in separate shootings in the city.
Mayor Jean Quan, Police Chief Howard Jordan and several staff members discussed Friday’s shootings in a Saturday morning conference call, Quan spokesman Sean Maher said.
“We know the greater Oakland community is looking for fast action and we are putting every resource we can into making that happen,” Maher said.
The police department has 612 officers, down from more than 800 in 2009 and far short of the 925 recommended by the city’s strategic plan, Councilwoman Libby Schaaf said.
Proposals for creating a new police academy, contracting for supplemental policing from the county sheriff and enlarging the ranks of civilian Police Department employees could all come before the council this month, she said.
“Basic public safety resources are not in place,” she said. “I know we can responsibly afford new investments in public safety.”
Violent crime in Oakland rose 23 percent in 2012, prompting the city to announce last month the hiring of former New York City police commissioner and Los Angeles police chief Bill Bratton as a consultant on how to reduce crime and combat gang violence.
Bratton will be joined by noted police strategist Bob Wasserman, head of the Boston-based Strategic Policy Partnership, who has consulted many of the nation’s biggest cities on policing.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News