- Newsmaker: City Council Stops No-Response Policy on Alarms
More than 90% of burglar alarms turn out to be false, so last week, the LA Police Commission decided to save time and money by telling officers not to respond without a witness or video evidence that something-s actually wrong. Today, by a vote of 12-to-1, the City Council delayed the policy change. Mariel Garza, who covers City Hall for the Daily News, says the Council acted after getting an earful from lobbyists and concerned residents. - Reporter's Notebook: Writers on America Protest War Propaganda
In the aftermath of September 11, the State Department asked 15 American poets, novelists and nonfiction authors to write about the American experience for a pamphlet to be distributed overseas. Now, some contributors fear their work is being misinterpreted. While poet Robert Creeley has no regrets about his participation, he appreciates writers- concerns for appearing to support the government-s war effort.
Councilwoman Calls for Downtown Feeding Clean-Up
Santa Monica has slapped limits on handing out food to the poor and passed a law against lying down in doorways. Now, with downtown Los Angeles having become a -destination point- for thousands of homeless people, City Councilwoman Jan Perry wants to do the same thing. While Perry says it-s time to take action by limiting the service of free food and enforcing the bans against camping on city streets, others contend that would make it illegal for thousands of hungry people to eat or find places to sleep. We hear from Councilwoman Perry, about her proposals for helping the homeless, and from Jeff Dietrich of the Catholic Workers Community, which feeds the homeless on the streets of skid row.