Keep Bailing

Many holidays, Halloween included, are oftentimes linked to a spike in DUI arrests. Reporting that sobriety checkpoints will be set up throughout California this weekend to ensure drivers, passengers and pedestrians remain safe while celebrating Halloween.

The Los Angeles Police Department is advising that those who are attending parties to plan a safe way hope prior to arriving and/or to designate a sober driver to get them home at the end of the night. It’s also recommended those who have had a few too many drinks call a taxi, friend, roommate, or family member or to take public transportation to get home.  It’s further suggested that if you see someone who is visibly impaired who is about to get behind the wheel, to take their keys and assist in getting them home safely.

In our experience, most people who are arrested for first time DUI are Read more »

California Gov. Jerry Brown has recently signed a number of bills into law, including one that prohibits Californians from carrying unloaded handguns without a permit.  The new law will go into effect on Jan. 1 2012, reports Southern California Public Radio station KPCC.

The second measure seeks funding for newly mandated prison realignment, which went into effect earlier this month. The mandate requires inmates convicted of “low-level” felonies be transferred from state to local prisons.  It also provides for the release of 30,000 inmates.

Clearly, this impacts the LAPD and Los Angeles jails. Many Los Angelenos, for obvious reasons, are wondering how this will effect their day-t0-day lives. In a recent interview with KPCC, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Beck broke it all down.

• On The New Open-Carry Restriction:  “Carrying guns openly in public is most certainly a recipe for disaster,” Beck told KPCC. “Los Angeles police officers would certainly detain more people with guns which is always dangerous, and I’m glad that doesn’t have to happen.”

• On Prison Realignment:   “This is very much doing something that I don’t like to do, which is building the plane while you fly it. I don’t like Read more »

Operations Valley Bureau Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese has been tapped to head the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Bureau, said Police Chief Charlie Beck.

According to an Oct. 10 report by the LA Times, Albanese will replace soon-to-be-retiring Deputy Chief David Doan.    Albanese, a 31-year veteran, will be replaced by Commander Jorge Villegas. Albanese will report to  Special Operations Assistant Chief Michel R. Moore.

Although may be considered unusual to put a commander at the head of the reigns for an area bureau, Beck cited city “financial issues” as being a driving force behind that decision.

The LAPD Detective Bureau Read more »

This past Saturday, residents were given the chance to tour the Devonshire Police Station during a five hour open house. The officers of the LAPD Devonshire Division patrol the City of Chatsworth.

Visitors learned about the different divisions within the LAPD, such as Search and Rescue, and talk with officers about what their days on the job are like. They also visited the jail and the roll-call room where officers meet before each shift.

All of the department’s “toys” were brought out, like the legends race car which kids took turns piling into. The US Marines also came with their truck-mounted guns, which were a big hit with the young visitors.

Among the visitors were Read more »

What does it take to get a DUI? Well, take your precautions this weekend and each time you drive. Additionally, the Daily News has published Sobriety (“DUI”) checkpoints for the Los Angeles Police Department for Labor Day Weekend:

Friday, September 2, 2011 Sobriety Checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

- Venice Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Wilshire Area
- Topanga Boulevard and Califa Street in Topanga Area

Saturday, September 3, 2011 – Sobriety Checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

• Venice Read more »

Actor Nick Nolte is well-known for his many starring roles, and is clearly comfortable portraying a police officer. This star has started on another rise it seems, with his performance in the UFC drama Warrior which opens in theaters September 9th.

That Oscar-worthy performance has people looking at Nolte with a fresh pair of eyes. And now, his upcoming supporting role in Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad is adding to the shine on this actor.

Nolte will be playing Bill Parker, LAPD’s new chief of police. In a time where so many officers have been tainted by corruption. Sean Penn will be playing Mickey Cohen, leader of a local criminal organization. Nolte’s character Read more »

This Sunday, August 14, the LAPD Wilshire Division will be opening its doors to the public for an “open house” event. From noon to 4 p.m., residents will get the chance to explore the police department, take part in demonstrations and family activities.

The annual event will feature food, entertainment, and a wide variety of exhibits. The West Traffic Division will host a display and question panel that covers traffic issues. A blood drive will be held by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center starting at 11:30 a.m. A new event taking place during the open house will focus on animal care and pet adoption. “We get a lot of questions during the summer on dog safety, and here’s our response,” said Davis.

Some of the highlights of the open house will be the squad cars and motorcycles, a horse from Read more »

LAPD‘s Off Road Enforcement Unit has a 50-year history in the department, patrolling the areas police cruisers cannot reach. Officers keep watch over the rural areas of the San Fernando Valley with more than 165 miles of trails and fire roads.

Currently, the unit has two sergeants and seven officers that patrol on dirt bikes a few times during the month and serving as motorcycle traffic officers the rest of the time. Sargent Gomez of the Valley Traffic Division says that the dirt bikes are “very useful, more so than horses. They can get up where horses can’t.”

The unit complements a civilian group of volunteers on horseback who Read more »

By unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council approved the construction of a new police station to replace the temporary Atwater Station. The cost for the new station is estimated at $29 million.

In the late 1980s, officers were moved into an old film processing lab on San Fernando Rd. and has since been used as the LAPD Northeast Station, serving nearly 250,000 residents in four districts. The building has been called dilapidated and contaminated, posing possible health risks.

Council President Eric Garcetti said, “It is time for us to do well for our police officers as well as the residents of northeast and to look at replacing Northeast Station.”

The funds for the new station Read more »

Over the last year, 300 police vehicles that regularly patrol the LAPD South Bureau have been equipped with video cameras. This tool is designed to make sure officers are held accountable for their actions.

While audits for the LAPD gang unit and animal cruelty task force have pointed out a variety of flaws, the surveillance camera program received high marks. The $5 million program still has a few kinks to work out, according to officials, but they hope to expand the program in the near future.

Cameras will be installed in Read more »