LAPD officers pulled the plug on patrol car recorders

Written by

LAPD officers tampered with recording devices inside of patrol cars to avoid being monitored while on duty. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck learned of the tampering last summer – but the problem did not come to the attention of the L.A. Police Commission until months later. The L.A. Times says Beck chose not to investigate who was responsible but instead issued warnings against further attempts to sabotage the recording system. Dozens of the devices were disabled – including those in about half of the 80 cars at the Southeast Division, which covers Watts and surrounding neighborhoods. The devices were sabotaged by removing an antenna that enables them to record officers even when they hundreds of yards away from their patrol car.

LA Police Commissioner Robert Saltzman discussed the news with KCRW’s Eric Roy.

wilshiredivisionAn LAPD officer is recovering after being shot seven times by a gunman who walked into a Mid-City police station and opened fire. The gunman was also shot and is hospitalized with critical injuries. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says the suspect used a semi-automatic handgun, hitting the officer three times in his protective vest and four times in his extremities. The shooter has not been identified and officials say they don’t know his motive. This is the second time officers have been targeted at the Wilshire Station in two years. Last June, a gunman ambushed two officers as they drove into the station. The officers exchanged gunfire with that person, but he escaped and was never caught.

skidrowThe city of L.A. is considering a nearly $4 million cleanup of Skid Row that would give the homeless more access to bathrooms and storage. The plan from city Chief Administrative Officer Miguel Santana would have to be approved by the city council. It would increase 24-hour bathroom access at shelters; add more bins at an existing storage facility; and set aside an area where the homeless can check shopping carts for the day. Santana says almost 3,500 homeless people live in the area, and that there’s been a big increase in need.

Today’s Election Day in more than a dozen cities in L.A. County. In Long Beach, voters are choosing a new mayor. The candidates include Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, and city council members Robert Garcia and Gerrie Schipske. A large field means today’s top two finishers will probably meet in a runoff on June 3rd. Other cities holding elections today include Arcadia, Culver City, El Segundo, La Puente, Lancaster, Lawndale, Malibu, Santa Clarita, Sierra Madre, Vernon, Walnut, and Whittier.

seafoodMislabeling seafood in California would become a crime under a bill introduced in the state Legislature. The bill follows a study by the environmental organization Oceana that found 84 percent of sushi in southern California was mislabeled. Pacoima Democrat Alex Padilla authored the bill. He says seafood fraud in stores and restaurants can lead people to eat unhealthy and dangerous fish or shellfish. The legislation would impose a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail for labeling scofflaws.

academymuseumA respected curator with the Smithsonian Institution is nearing a deal to head The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ planned $300 million movie museum, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Kerry Brougher is interim director and chief curator of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum of Contemporary Art. The Academy museum will be housed in the old May Company building at Fairfax and Wilshire, which is now part of LACMA. Plans call for nearly 300,000 square feet of exhibits, theaters and event space. It’s slated to open in 2017.