Let their be light

Hey LAAG's not all bad news. LAAG likes city improvements. Not sure about the cost. Give the figures below (we assume total cost to city) is $2,750.00 per pole. No detail provided as to whether the lights will also be improved in terms of brighter, whiter and more energy conscious in the Press Telegram article. Hopefully SCE will shed some light on this. Actually its quite funny as LAAG learned this week from an SCE employee on the job that SCE was not responsible for light pole maintenance. LAAG was informed that a private entity called "City Light and Power" bought all the poles. Sure enough we see a 1997(!!) press release from their website. Seems at odds with the Press Telegram story also below.

http://www.clpinc.com/press/1197.htm
Innovative agreement to make streets brighter
City of Lakewood, California, November 1997

The Lakewood City Council has approved an innovative agreement to turn over operation of the city-owned street lighting system to a private company. Lakewood has two street lighting systems -- about 75% of the city is lighted by a city-owned system, the remainder is owned by the Edison Company.

Under the agreement, City Light and Power will upgrade the city's aging street lighting circuits, increase nighttime illumination by raising the wattage on street lamps, and maintain the improved system for twenty-five years. The cost savings from reduced energy consumption will fund the cost of improving the street lighting system.

Operation of the system will cost no more than the city's current operating budget for street lighting, with the added bonus for Lakewood residents that the city's fault-prone and antiquated street lighting system will be fully modernized. City Light and Power will be responsible for street light maintenance and will offer "same-day service" to replace burned out street lights. CLP will also dispatch repairs for the Edison-owned lighting system. Residents, no matter where they live in Lakewood, will have a single number to call to get street light repairs.

The CLP agreement, say city officials, fits with Lakewood's tradition of turning to private enterprise to provide lower-cost municipal services. The improvements CLP will build into their upgrade of the street lighting system would have cost Lakewood $7-$8 million.

Edison to update Lakewood lighting
By Karen Robes, Staff writer
Article Launched: 10/16/2007 09:53:14 PM PDT

LAKEWOOD - Starting next week, Southern California Edison plans to shed some new light on the city.

The power company will begin on Monday a $2.2 million, three-month effort to replace 800 deteriorating steel street light poles throughout town with new 30-foot concrete poles featuring cobra-head light fixtures and flat glass lenses.

Work will begin in the northwestern portion of Lakewood, an area bordered by Ashworth and South streets and Palo Verde and Hayter avenues, said Ben Harvey of Edison.

The work should not affect traffic flow, since most of the poles being replaced are in residential areas, Harvey said.

The work in Lakewood is part of Edison's 20-year plan, worth more than $200 million, to replace 90,000 aging poles within its service territory.

Since beginning the program in 1998, Edison has replaced 10,000 steel poles with longer-lasting concrete ones. Concrete polls have a life span of 80 to 100 years, depending on climate and other weather factors.

Money for the work is derived from Edison's infrastructure replacement program, Harvey said.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

sand buildup problems on the SGR trail

Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:38:51 -0700
To: "Diego Cadena, Dep. Dir." <DCadena@dpw.lacounty.gov>, "Afshari, Shari, Div Head" <SAfshari@dpw.lacounty.gov>, "Paul Maselbas, Principal Eng" <PMaselbas@dpw.lacounty.gov>, "El-Rabaa, Maged, Program Dev." <MElrabaa@dpw.lacounty.gov>, "Alma Fuentes, Bicycle Coord." <AFuentes@dpw.lacounty.gov>, "Connie Sziebl, Field Rep for Knabe" <CSziebl@lacbos.org>
From: Lakewood Accountability Action Group | LAAG <updates@LAAG.us>
Subject: sand buildup problems on the SGR trail


I have been pointing out (to the county) sand buildup problems on the trail for years. Usually the place where it collects is under bridges and 300 feet either side of the bridges or tunnel in approaches. (Where the path dips down close to the sand) This is just due to poor design for runoff and lack of simple maintenance. Better design however would result in lower maintenance costs. As a result right after each rain, no matter how slight all these section have to be swept. 1/4 inch of fine sand is treacherous for especially road bikes (or any bike really) and can easily lead to a loss of control at almost any speed, even going straight let alone turning. Also the pavement near these bridge sections is poor. That is also a problem. Sand is white and blends in with the concrete color. Also it may be hiding other dangers or road surface problems underneath.

We had rain last on 9/21/07-9/22/07. No sand was swept as of 10/11/07. And now this weekend more rain. So sweeping has to be redone at the problem areas

I think the problem on the trail maint. has a number of causes: (1) the people that do the work are not very conscientious and/or (2) there is either no inspection of their finished work or contractors are county employees are saying the work is done and its not (If thats the case taxpayer dollars are being wasted) (3) the people that think the work was done don't ride road bikes over it so they really don't understand the safety problem to begin with as they just ride in cars or trucks with huge tires; (4) there may be poor direction given (poor communication) or workers just dont understand what the issue is and why it needs to be cleaned up properly or what is "proper". Likely it is all of the foregoing.

I was also puzzled numerous times on the carson/wardlow section where some holes and cracks would get patched but not ones nearly identical right nearby. Made no sense at all. I would love to ask the workers what they were thinking but never get to see them at the site

There are section of the trial that are quite clean but then they never really get dirty. You need to focus on the problems sections.

Re: enforcement of "no parking" in the Thursday sweeping area

At 12:37 PM 10/13/2007, Todd Rogers wrote:

This is part of the previously announced warning period.......which ends later this month. When that happens, the tickets will have fines associated with them.

These types of dramatic changes to people's lives need to be gradually implemented. Otherwise the push back will be overwhelming and counterproductive. Anyone who has spent any time in public service/administration understands this. The City of LA sure doesn't have anything on Lakewood.

"previously announced warning period"? No mention of that here < http://www.lakewoodcity.org/thenews/cleansweep.asp> nor on the letter mailed out nor on the door hanger cards.

What will the fine be? Second offense increase? Third offense?

Look we are not touting city of LA. Heaven knows they have their problems, starting with LAPD. However as much "bad" press as LA gets (see fox news link in prior email) on their "Draconian" parking enforcement they push right on ahead writing tickets and booting and towing cars. I have seen tickets for cars in parking garages with no front licence and tinted windows. Parking tickets! Now thats revenue generation and making people toe the line. Does LA worry about pushback? No. It sure beats pushback from LASD's "Operation Any Booking". Of course there will be push back. No one wants to comply with laws. You know that working for LASD. But like I have said many times before. Lakewood has created this scofflaw haven and these residents thinking that as property owners they can do what ever they want due to the fact that for years there has been no enforcement of parking and zoning laws (especially aesthetics related) except by complaint, which of course makes the complainer the bad guy and not the city, which quite frankly is wrong. It is also an effective way to limit enforcement. The City should take the heat for law/zoning enforcement. Not the residents. I am not blaming you for the fear of "push back" nor for the current situation due to years of lack of enforcement. But people are going to need to start taking their medicine. I suspect that is why voters voted in a law and order guy like you. And remember warning do nothing for the most part as you have already spend thousand on public education on this. The only way to change behavior like this is fine people. That is what most governments do. They are all grownups and most have had speeding or parking tickets before.

enforcement of “no parking” in the Thursday sweeping area

Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 08:47:59 -0700
To: "Doug Butler Parking Control Sup" <DButler@lakewoodcity.org>, "Natasha Martin, lead parking control officer" <NMartin@lakewoodcity.org>
From: Lakewood Accountability Action Group | LAAG <updates@LAAG.us>
Subject: enforcement of "no parking" in the Thursday sweeping area
Cc: "Paolo Beltran, St. Sweeping" <pbeltran@lakewoodcity.org>, "Diane Perkin, Dir. Admin. Ser." <dperkin@lakewoodcity.org>, "Todd Rogers, City Council" <TSRR@msn.com>, <TRodgers@lakewoodcity.org>, "Joe Esquivel, City Council" <bayoujo@aol.com>, <JEsquive@lakewoodcity.org>, "Larry Van Nostran, city council" <oldeacon@aol.com>, <LVanNost@lakewoodcity.org>, "Steve Croft, city council" <stacro@aol.com>, <SCroft@lakewoodcity.org>, "Diane DuBois, City Council" <DDuBois@lakewoodcity.org>,

The following statement on your website is not correct. (see below) I have seen cars ticketed twice in Oct. in the "new" "test area" but the parking "ticket" (looks like a genuine ticket printed off a eticket handheld machine) which is still on the car says "warning" with "$0.00" for fines. The car was for sale and not in front of a residence which I understand is also illegal, but there was no fine for that either. Since when do cities bother writing parking tickets with no fines? Does "enforcement" of parking laws mean issuing warnings? I have never seen such a city. City of LA would laugh you people out of the room. LA is Rhino booting cars and towing them. < http://www.lacity-parking.org/laopm/boot.htm> < http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=999480B97CA941E52D58DE04B09BCE6F?contentId=4383422&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1 > Spending money to hire meter maids to write no fine tickets and then tout "enforcement" crackdowns. This is like Alice in Wonderland. The city needs to change its motto from "times change values dont " to "parking laws change tickets dont"

http://www.lakewoodcity.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1018
The Lakewood City Council has approved the first phase of a citywide "no parking" plan that will begin in the Thursday street sweeping area of northern Lakewood. The enforcement of "no parking" in the Thursday sweeping area will begin in October, following a thorough public education effort.

2,002 die in police custody in 3 years

This article below is an interesting companion story to an earlier one we did here. Note the next to last paragraph in the article below.


2,002 die in police custody in 3 years
By Hope Yen, Associated Press
Article Launched: 10/11/2007 08:37:02 PM PDT

WASHINGTON - More than 2,000 criminal suspects died in police custody over a three-year period, half of them killed by officers as they scuffled or attempted to flee, the government said Thursday.

The study by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics is the first nationwide compilation of the reasons behind arrest- related deaths in the wake of high-profile police assaults or killings involving Abner Louima and Amadou Diallo in New York in the late 1990s.

The review found 55 percent of the 2,002 arrest-related deaths from 2003 through 2005 were due to homicide by state and local law enforcement officers. Alcohol and drug intoxication caused 13 percent of the deaths, followed by suicides at 12 percent, accidental injury at 7 percent and illness or natural causes, 6 percent. The causes of the deaths for the remaining 7 percent were unknown.

The highly populated states of California, Texas and Florida led the pack for both police killings and overall arrest-related deaths. Georgia, Maryland and Montana were not included in the study because they did not submit data.

Most of those who died in custody were men (96 percent) between the ages of 18 and 44 (77 percent). Approximately 44 percent were white; 32 percent black; 20 percent Hispanic; and 4 percent were of other or multiple races.

"Keep in mind we have 2,000 deaths out of almost 40 million arrests over three years, so that tells you by their nature they are very unusual cases," said Christopher J. Mumola, who wrote the study.

"Still, they do need to be looked at to determine whether police training can be better or practices can be better," he said.

State laws and police department policy typically let officers use deadly force to defend themselves or others from the threat of death or serious injury. Deadly force also is allowed to prevent the escape of a suspect in a violent felony who poses an immediate threat to others.

The Justice Department study released Thursday suggests that most of the police killings would be considered justified, although it does not make that final determination. About 80 percent of the cases involved criminal suspects who reportedly brandished a weapon "to threaten or assault" the arresting officers.

Another 17 percent involved suspects who allegedly grabbed, hit or fought with police. More than one-third of the police killings, or about 36 percent, involved a suspect who tried to flee or otherwise escape arrest.

The report was compiled at the request of Congress in 2000 after the 1997 struggle between New York police and Louima, a black security guard who left the precinct house bleeding after officers jammed a broken broomstick into his mouth and rectum. A few years later, two police shootings of unarmed black men followed, including Diallo, who was shot 41 times after he reached into his pocket for a wallet.

Since then, following police sensitivity training, New York has seen a few killings involving suspects and officers, including last year's shooting of Sean Bell, an unarmed black bridegroom-to-be whom police say they believed was reaching for a gun.

Other findings:

Among law enforcement, 380 officers were killed in the line of duty over the three-year period and 174,760 were reportedly assaulted, according to FBI data. Most of the deaths were accidental (221), while 159 were homicides.

Blacks were disproportionately represented in arrest-related deaths due to alcohol or drug intoxication (41 percent vs. 33 percent for whites); accidental injury (42 percent vs. 37 percent for whites); and unknown causes (46 percent vs. 39 percent for whites)

On the Net

Bureau of Justice Statistics: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

Where does Baca get his material?

Since when are "quotas" an innovative "new" form of policing? Been there done that. Management 101 Baca. Nothing in the Sheriff's department is innovative from what we have seen. Their crime stats were wrong for 2006 and it takes months for them to be posted even with the wrong data. Then they are next to unusable as there is no easy way to compare crimes, cities or date ranges. Just look at their stats page compared to other large departments like LAPD. LAAG asked for 2006 stats in spring 2007. No response. Ever. At all. Their computer systems are antiquated which is why their crime data and their response and cost data are so inaccurate. It is a big and an old department and not as nimble as smaller departments yet other departments of the same size are more "innovative". Just compare the websites of www.lasd.org with www.lapdonline.org. The difference might be attributed to the fact that LASD promotes from within (regardless of the Sheriff being elected), whereas LAPD gets chiefs through extensive job searches from the entire country. That is where they got "Broadway" Bill Bratton (we call him Broadway as he has never met a camera he did not like). The problem with sheriff elections is that there are never any real opponents. Most know once they run against the incumbent and loose their career is over.

When LAAG thinks of the LASD "innovative" is not a term that comes to mind. Lethargic, bloated, slow, bureaucratic, overpriced, inefficient, lazy, unorganized. Those are the terms that come to mind.

If LASD wants to be innovate here are some ideas to start with:

1. When people email or call LASD about an issue, respond, in the same manner, promptly, that you will look into the issue (or wont and why) and then follow up with the result (or no result). In the private sector we call it customer service. You should try it.

2. Get going on crime stats as you hold these up a some sort of a Holy Grail as to your usefulness. Look here for real ideas on innovation.

3. The Lakewood PAVE (Partnership, Accountability, Visibility, and Enforcement) Program is a beat program where deputies who work in the City of Lakewood are made accountable for specific geographical areas. In addition to their regular duties, deputies are assigned to individual beats to better serve Lakewood neighborhoods. PAVE Deputies are responsible for interacting with residents, overseeing schools and parks in their respective areas and knowing the specific concerns and issues in their beat.

LAAG requested all the contact info for the PAVE deputies to post here as it was not posted anywhere on the LASD site. The "A" in PAVE means accountability. Without ways to contact these deputies we cant hold them accountable.

4. How about a Sheriff blotter like LAAG asked for months ago? (see related story)

Baca quotes from Jack Kennedy below and in a way seems to try to compare himself to the late President. To borrow a phrase from Senator Bentsen in the 1988 debates with Dan Quale: "Sheriff, you're no Jack Kennedy"..(for details read here)

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/web/la-oew-baca9oct09,1,6454891.story
Blowback
Criticism is the cost of police innovation The arrest-contest incident in Lakewood is not an indication of poor county policing, says Sheriff Lee Baca. By Lee Baca

October 9, 2007

The recent criticism of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reminded me of a statement President Kennedy made in 1961 regarding his reform-minded approach to Latin America, which at the time was causing consternation among many of the old guard in government: "My experience in government is that when things are noncontroversial, beautifully coordinated and all the rest, it may be that there is not much going on," he said. "We are attempting to do something about Latin America, and there is bound to be ferment. If the ferment produces a useful result, it will be worthwhile." Soon after this statement, Kennedy and his administration averted a global nuclear disaster that has come to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Obviously the recent criticism of the Sheriff's Department is not by any stretch of the imagination on the level of U.S. foreign policy in the early 1960s. However, Kennedy was trying something new, and it was causing controversy.

Since I have been elected sheriff, I also have been trying something new, and it too has caused some controversy. I want every department member, regardless of their standing, to be leaders in this department so that they can act independently of the bureaucracy to do their jobs right.

In fact, when I address a room full of deputies or professional staff, I always start by saying: "I see a room full of leaders." Furthermore, I always ask department members: "What new thing am I willing to do to make a difference?"

Most recently, a leader in the Lakewood station undertook an informal arrest competition among deputies. This idea was to boost morale and increase productivity among the deputies. It was a well-intentioned, ill-conceived idea.

When you try new things, there will be mistakes. We will not hide from them. We will be accountable. When I learned of the contests, I stopped them. I also was criticized for not being aware of the informal contests sooner. The station's captain knew about the contest and allowed it to go forward. But the key to growing as a leader is making decisions without constant interference from your superiors.

Again, I applaud the initiative but not the result. Law enforcement is not about contests, it is about quality.

I am called by some a "public safety reformer." Perhaps there's some truth to that, but that does not mean I ignore best practices of law enforcement. My deputies know what is right and what is wrong. They will stay well within the legal and moral boundaries while applying common sense and fairness in all they do.

So how are we doing with this leadership approach to public safety?

Crime is down in Los Angeles County, with homicides and rapes down by 13.02% and 13.36%, respectively. Homicides in Compton alone are down by nearly 50% over the spike in 2005.

We are on the verge of opening a gang emergency operations center that for the first time in the history of this great county will bring together all resources under one roof to combat the scourge of gangs. We have recently opened a new state-of-the-art regional crime lab.

Our Office of Independent Review is considered the model of law enforcement oversight nationwide, with one of our OIR attorneys recently selected to run the oversight of Chicago's police department.

Our Los Angeles Sheriff's Department University has graduated scores of sheriff's department personnel with bachelor's and master's degrees, with the full support of this department. I have long held that the better the education, the better the department.

And finally, by the end of this year, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will have recruited more than 2,600 new deputy sheriffs.

When you try new ideas, pave new roads, pioneer new innovations, there is "bound to be ferment. If the ferment produces a useful result, it will be worthwhile."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is producing a public safety result much more than worthwhile. It is one that is essential to keep us safe and secure well into the 21st Century.

Lee Baca is sheriff of Los Angeles County.


Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

Sheriff Crime Blotter

LAAG asked the city and LASD for a up to date "Sheriff Blotter" which is done in many cities. It can also be combined with a daily updated crime map like this

The Sheriff and the City's response to LAAG's request below? complete silence. No response. Nice.

Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 23:52:44 -0700
To: "Todd Rogers, City Council" , , "Joe Esquivel, City Council" , , "Larry Van Nostran, city council" , , "Steve Croft, city council" , , "Diane DuBois, City Council" , "Howard Chambers, City Mgr" , "Sandi Ruyle, Deputy City Mgr" ,
From: "www.LAAG.us | Lakewood Accountability Action Group"
Subject: good question
Cc: "Capt. Dave L. Fender" , "Lt. Terry W. Benjestorf" , "Dep. Scott Scally" , "LBReport.com" , "LBReport.com" , karen.robes@presstelegram.com, "The Bellflower Bulletin" , "Carla Collado" , "Pose, Elizabeth" ,

Why dont we have a log/blotter like those below in Lakewood? LAAG would be glad to post/host it if we could get the feed. If we already do where/when is it posted on the internet and who edits it.? Maybe some of the 23 million being spent on the Substation could be spent on disseminating some information which costs nothing really..just a little time...and I think the Sheriff's have enough time to do it if other departments do.

LAPD does not have a blotter (it appears) but they have weekly crime maps which is almost better. LASD has nether. LAPD also has weekly crime stats.

http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/2007_crime_summary.pdf

Lots of examples here..some better than others..some third party..some direct from the dept

http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/wpdweb/WalthamPDWeb/PoliceBlotter/policeblotter.htm

http://www.ci.brisbane.ca.us/html/cityDept/police/policeBlotter.asp

http://www.arcataeye.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&tid=2&topic=7

http://www.carmelpinecone.com/070622-8.html

http://cityofdavis.org/police/log/

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/lagunaniguel/article_1746216.php
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sheriff's log
By LOIS EVEZICH
STAFF WRITER

Monday, June 25

Avila Road/Moulton Parkway, disturbance, 1:18 p.m. Juveniles were throwing debris onto the street.

Alicia Parkway, 27200 block, petty theft, 4:24 p.m. Two female juveniles were seen taking items from Mervyn's. They were taken into custody and released to their parents.

Golden lantern/Crown Valley Parkway, suspicious person in vehicle with arrest, 6:06 p.m. A man at the Shell Station had shortness of breath. Deputies called paramedics then took the 27-year-old male subject into custody. He's being held on $20,000 bail.

Port Street, disturbance, 7:31 p.m. Someone reported juveniles throwing rocks at vehicles.

Paseo de la Valle, suspicious persons, 7:29 p.m. A man came home and found his front door open. He also saw four men hiding in the bushes around the driveway next door. He called deputies because he thought there might be items missing from his home.

Sunday, June 24

Yosemite Road/Big Bend Drive, suspicious vehicle, 10:19 a.m. A silver Honda Prelude looked like its windows had been shot out.

Cascades Drive neighborhood, vandalism report, 10:35 a.m. A woman said duct tape was placed in front of her residence and it caused damage to her vehicle.

Crown Valley Parkway, 28200 block, grand theft report, 11 a.m. The manager at Ralphs suspected a former employee of theft.

Cape Drive, 26000 block suspicious person in vehicle, 5:43 p.m. A caller said a couple at Rock's Bar were acting suspiciously and letting other people buy them drinks, etc. When a male patron left the bar the woman, wearing a strapless dress, followed them out. The bartender was watching. The male part of the couple stayed in the bar. He was described as wearing a tan shirt, shorts and hiking shoes, and was missing teeth.

Saturday, June 23

Marina Hills Drive/Niguel Road, disturbance, 3:22 a.m. An unknown subject was throwing eggs at vehicles.

Avenida de la Plata, 27200 block, burglary report, 5:30 a.m. Someone took items from a residence.

Alicia Parkway, 27200 block, petty theft with arrest, 12:14 p.m. A woman with a baby was picked up for taking things at Mervyn's. While in the office she was semi-cooperative, so she was taken into custody, cited and released.

Aloma Avenue, 28800 block, battery, 1:54 p.m. A woman said her husband was hit in the face by a softball thrown from Niguel Hills Middle School. He didn't need medical aid, but went out to find who threw the ball.

Augusta Drive, 31000 block, burglary report, 3:52 p.m. Someone took items from a vehicle.

Alicia/Crown Valley parkways, traffic stop with arrest, 4:07 p.m. A 29-year-old male subject was taken into custody at a traffic stop, made bail and was released.

Alicia Parkway/Pacific Island Drive, suspicious person in vehicle with arrest, 4:44 p.m. A male subject, 24, was arrested when someone reported he had kicked in the door of the gym in the complex. He is held on narcotics violations for $50,000.

Jarrett Circle, 29700 block, assisting an outside agency, 7:15 p.m. Paramedics were called when a male subject, 94, was not breathing. They did CPR on him and took him to Mission Hospital.

Friday, June 22

Camino Capistrano, vandalism report, 9:54 a.m. Someone at Crown Valley Business Park reported damage to a cell phone.

Beacon Hill Way/Sentry Hill, fireworks violation, 1:59 p.m. Male juveniles were shooting off rockets.

Crown Valley Parkway/ Niguel Road, traffic accident, unknown injuries, 4:44 p.m. Someone on a bicycle was hit by a truck and complained of pain as well as abrasions on his or her arms and legs.

Niguel Road, 29700 block, unknown trouble, 6:44 p.m. A deputy asked for back up for a house search. A juvenile was uncooperative about letting him the house. A search was made and deputies took the boy to Juvenile Hall.

Niguel Ranch Road/Marina Hills Drive, disturbance, 11:09 p.m. Deputies picked up five juveniles who were suspected of throwing things from the Camden Court complex. They were hiding on the greenbelt between Marina Hills Drive and Hidden Hills Park. A deputy threw a flare to see them and they were taken into custody.

Mirandela Lane, 30500 block, citizen assist, 11:28 p.m. A woman reported sticky stuff was thrown onto her vehicle.

Thursday, June 21

Briones Drive, vandalism report, 12:47 a.m. Someone inflicted damage to a vehicle.

Crown Valley Parkway/Hillhurst Drive, traffic accident, 1:30 a.m. Two vehicles collided and one rolled over and may have hit a pole. A witness said one of the drivers tried to run away.

Crested Butte Circle, vandalism report, 7:55 a.m. Someone damaged property.

Pacific Island Drive, 30200 Pacific Island Drive, 8:39 a.m. Someone damaged a white Toyota 4Runner.

Crown Valley Parkway/Niguel Road, welfare check, 8:56 a.m. Someone reported an elderly woman driving in the parking lot with sparks coming from her tires. Deputies arrived and found the woman had a flat tire.

Hidden Hills Road, 24800 block, burglary report, 12:15 p.m.

Rancho Grande, 28400 block, burglary report, 12:20 p.m.

Highlands Avenue/Niguel Road, assisting an outside agency, 3:27 p.m. Three Sheriff's vehicles were asked to block off streets due to a brush fire.

Golden Lantern/Camino del Avion, pedestrian check with arrest, 4:04 p.m. A male subject was taken into custody, cited and released.

La Paz Road/Crown Valley Parkway, traffic accident, 5:51 p.m. Three vehicles collided at an intersection. One subject complained of pain.

Crown Ridge, family dispute with arrest, 10:14 p.m. The child of a couple reported that his mother and father were fighting. He called deputies who arrested a 56-year-old female subject. She was cited and released.

Wednesday, June 20

Camino del Avion/Peak Drive, welfare check, 8:19 a.m. Two men picked up an elderly man who was disoriented and had fallen down, but didn't know where to take him. Deputies took him to San Rafael in Dana Point.

Camino Los Padres, 25500 block, medical aid, 9:49 a.m. A woman lost control in an office and was throwing things around. The caller tried to keep her calm until deputies arrived. Turned out the woman was recently arrested and was being evicted from her apartment. Deputies took her to Mission Hospital.

Niguel Road/Beacon Hill Way, traffic stop with arrest, 3:30 p.m. Deputies arrested a male subject, 31, at a traffic stop. He was cited and released.

Pacific Park Drive, 24500 block, vandalism report, 6:21 p.m. Someone inflicted damage on property at the Aliso Laguna Villa.

Tuesday, June 19

Seafare, vandalism report, 9:58 a.m. Someone damaged a vehicle.

Niguel Heights Boulevard/Avila Road, stolen vehicle located, 1:16 p.m. Deputies found a black Saturn inside a storage unit that had been reported stolen. They held it for fingerprints.

Rancho del Sol, 28500 block, resisting arrest, 2:59 p.m. Deputies took a woman into custody at Patsy's Bar after her friend said she had threatened to overdose on pills.

Greenfield/Rancho Niguel Road, disturbance, 3:56 p.m. An irate customer at Café Car Wash blocked the entrance with a vehicle.

The Laguna Niguel Sheriff's Blotter was compiled by Lois Evezich from Internet reports posted by the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Contact the writer: levezich@ocregister.com or 949-454-7323
Listen to stories like this and more: Audio news & Podcasts


Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™
>

The "Regulators" and the "Vikings"

Is this the same "professional organization" that Baca touts he is the head of and has managed so well? Reference this editorial by Sheriff Baca.

Deputy's lawsuit alleges Sheriff's Department racism
The Regulators say they are an elite cadre. Their critics compare them to the Mexican Mafia.
By Stuart Pfeifer
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 5, 2007

They call themselves the Regulators.

They wear tattoos of a skull-faced man holding a shotgun, fire screaming from its barrels. They refuse to testify against their buddies. They've been accused of extorting and intimidating those outside their ranks.

No, they're not members of a street gang. They're Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies at the Century station in Lynwood. And their "club" is part of a culture that's dogged the nation's largest sheriff's department for years.

A decade after the county paid $9 million to resolve a series of brutality lawsuits involving a different group of Lynwood deputies known as the Vikings, the Regulators are the focus of litigation alleging racism in the department and involving accusations that a group of deputies is behaving like a gang.

This time the lawsuit was filed by a deputy, Angel Jaimes, a Regulators member who alleges that black administrators in the department unfairly stalled his career by referring to him and other Latino deputies as the Mexican Mafia, a notorious prison gang.

Jaimes, a beefy 43-year-old who joined the department in 1989, said the Regulators are nothing more than a close-knit group of deputies, not exclusively Latinos, who support one another and promote aggressive, ethical policing that keeps communities safe. Only deputies who work hard and follow policy are encouraged to join, Jaimes said.

"It's like the all-stars of a baseball team. You get the best," he said.

Jaimes would not disclose how many deputies belong to the group, but he says he was the 63rd to join when he signed up years ago. They don't all still work at the Century station, which is staffed by more than 100 deputies.

Allegations of misconduct by Regulators have simmered for more than four years. Anonymous letters, purportedly drafted by deputies not in the group, have accused members of extorting money from other deputies, acting like gang members and heavily influencing shift scheduling and administration at the Century station. But no allegations have been proved, Sheriff's Department officials say.

Concern about the Regulators is reminiscent of one of the department's darkest chapters: allegations in the early 1990s that Lynwood station deputies -- many of them members of a group dubbed the Vikings -- brutalized minorities, falsely arrested suspects and engaged in wrongful shootings.

A federal judge referred to the Vikings as a "neo-Nazi white supremacist gang," and the county agreed as part of a 1996 settlement to spend $1.5 million retraining deputies to prevent such abuses and $7.5 million to compensate victims of alleged abuses by Lynwood deputies.

Since then, Sheriff Lee Baca has tried unsuccessfully to discourage deputies from forming cliques. But the club culture is deeply rooted in the department, and clubs exist at virtually every station, officials say. Even one of Baca's top managers, Assistant Sheriff Paul Tanaka, got a Vikings tattoo while assigned to the Lynwood station in the 1980s. Tanaka has said that the tattoos are harmless and that he didn't know of any inappropriate behavior by deputies who had them.

Baca declined to comment for this report, citing concerns about interfering with the pending lawsuit. But his office issued a statement that said he opposes "any clique, organization or club that does not embrace the core values of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department."

In 2003, the first of two anonymous letters was sent to Sheriff's Department executives about the Regulators. The letter referred to the group as the Mexican Mafia and accused Jaimes and another member of "strong-arming" deputies to contribute money for deputies in need.

"They don't ask for a contribution, rather they demand and enforce the payment of a set price," according to the letter, which was signed by "a concerned deputy." A second letter, mailed in 2004, said, "Something has to be done immediately, maybe a cleaning of the station to get rid of the gang mentality of the Mexican Mafia."

Members of the Regulators acknowledge that they raise money for deputies in need, including some who have been suspended without pay for violating department policy. But they deny ever pressuring fellow deputies to contribute.

Jaimes' lawsuit, which seeks to overturn his 2004 transfer from the Century station, has led to allegations of racial tension within the department and has shed new light on the culture of groups like the Regulators.

One of Jaimes' potential witnesses is Lt. Terri Williams , who has testified previously that two black Sheriff's Department executives told her they were concerned that Century station "was run by Mexicans and they were going to change that."

But many of the group's activities and members remain cloaked in secrecy. Deputy James Grubb, a longtime member of the Regulators, refused under questioning from Los Angeles County attorneys to confirm whether some deputies were members of the group.

"You want me to talk to you about somebody else that may not want their business known. I can't do that for you," Grubb said while under oath in a deposition for Jaimes' lawsuit. "It's not up to me to bring somebody else out."

Grubb would not answer many questions from Christy L. O'Donnell, a lawyer representing the county in the lawsuit:

"Are you the leader of the Regulators?"

"There's no such thing as the leader," Grubb replied.

"How do decisions get made, then, by the Regulators?"

"I won't discuss that. It's not something that's public knowledge," Grubb said.

"You do understand, though, that when you refuse to answer questions . . . it has the negative inference of the code of silence?"

"As does a lot of things in general life," Grubb said.

Grubb confirmed that deceased Deputy Jerry Ortiz, slain by a gang member in 2005, was once a member of the Regulators. Grubb said he drove Ortiz to a Huntington Beach tattoo shop to get his Regulators tattoo in 2000 or 2001.

Ortiz's killer, Jose Luis Orozco, was sentenced to death in May. In a recent interview, defense attorney Stan Perlo said he was unaware of Ortiz's membership in the Regulators. Had he known about it, he might have presented it as evidence during the penalty phase of the trial, which focused largely on Ortiz's character and Orozco's history of gang membership.

Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Lowell Anger, who prosecuted the case, also said he didn't know Ortiz was once a Regulators member.

Perlo said the Sheriff's Department should have told prosecutors about Ortiz's membership in the Regulators. He said it could become an issue in his client's appeal.

Baca said he did not consider the issue relevant.

"The murderer was convicted of his cowardly act of gunning down a deputy sheriff in cold blood. Justice was most assuredly served," Baca said.

Michael Gennaco, chief attorney for the sheriff's Office of Independent Review, which monitors internal affairs investigations, said he was concerned that groups like the Regulators hurt morale and divide deputies.

He said that the name itself, the Regulators, is a cause for concern. In jail culture, regulators are inmates who control other inmates' behavior.

In 1994, rapper Warren G's hit single "Regulate," began: "Regulators we regulate any stealing of his property and we damn good too. But you can't be any geek off the street. Gotta be handy with the steel, if you know what I mean."

"The name and connotation and symbol they have selected can cause sinister perceptions, even if in reality nothing sinister is going on," Gennaco said.

Jaimes said Regulators' members have done nothing inappropriate. No deputy has ever been disciplined for activity related to the group, he said. Rather, he said, department administrators wronged him by referring to the group as the Mexican Mafia, a gang implicated in murders, drug dealing and extortion.

"Everybody in the Sheriff's Department knows the name Mexican Mafia, because we work the jails," he said. "You're talking to a Mexican Mafia expert. I testified against the Mexican Mafia. So having them call me this hurts me."

Sheriff's Sgt. Arthur Scott, one of Jaimes' former supervisors, testified at a deposition in the lawsuit that he once saw Latino deputies gathered in a room at the Century station and said, "This looks like a meeting of the Mexican Mafia." Scott said he made the statement "in a joking fashion."

It was a confrontation with Scott that ultimately led Jaimes to sue the department that has employed him for 18 years. Jaimes said he confronted Scott at a briefing and used profanity while criticizing the sergeant's management style and for failing to apologize for using the Mexican Mafia term.

As a result of that incident, Jaimes was suspended for 25 days and transferred out of the Century station. His lawsuit against the department seeks to overturn the discipline and the transfer. A hearing on the county's efforts to have the lawsuit dismissed is scheduled for Monday.

stuart.pfeifer@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-deputies22sep22,1,3251609.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Deputy is allowed to pursue his bias suit The member of the Regulators claims he was transferred from a station because he is Latino.
By Stuart Pfeifer
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 22, 2007

A sheriff's deputy can move forward with a lawsuit that alleges the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department unfairly transferred him out of its Century station because he is Latino, a judge ruled Friday.

Deputy Angel Jaimes alleges that African American supervising officers transferred him in 2004 to rid the Century station of experienced Latinos who were admired by other deputies.

The lawsuit has brought attention to a group of deputies in the Century station -- Jaimes among them -- who got matching tattoos and called themselves the Regulators. A series of anonymous letters, purportedly written by fellow deputies, claimed that Jaimes and other Regulators intimidated those who were not part of their clique, extorted money from them and had undue influence over the running of the Century station.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Terry A. Green ruled that the case can proceed to trial, despite sheriff's officials' claims that the transfer was related to defamatory statements the deputy made to a supervisor, not to ethnicity.

Green said he based the decision in part on a lieutenant's testimony that Cmdr. Willie Miller and division Chief Ronnie Williams told her the Century station was "was run by Mexicans and they were going to change that."

Jaimes has alleged in the lawsuit that supervisors, including Sgt. Arthur Scott, openly referred to him and other Latino deputies at the Century station as the Mexican Mafia, the name of a prison gang linked to violent crimes throughout the country.

Jaimes confronted Scott in a meeting at the Lynwood station and used profanity while criticizing the sergeant's management style and for failing to apologize for using the Mexican Mafia term. The department later suspended Jaimes for 25 days for those comments and transferred him from Century to the department's Transit Services Bureau.

Jaimes' lawsuit seeks to overturn the transfer and suspension and seeks monetary damages. Green said allegations that the department was motivated to transfer Latino deputies out of the Century station was enough to allow the case to go to trial.

stuart.pfeifer@latimes.com

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™r>

Public Safety Committee is reviewing a "arrest competition" organized by LASD

Lakewood, California - Council Recap
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Issue 103 Council Recap
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 103

In other actions, the city council Announced that the Public Safety Committee is reviewing a highly publicized "arrest competition" organized by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's lieutenant. The competition was terminated by Sheriff Lee Baca after its first day as a "well-intentioned but poorly conceived" activity.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™

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Crime stats take 6 months to come out and are still questionable

What is most interesting about all this was that LAAG pressed LASD for crime statistics shortly after they were "unofficially" leaked to the city no doubt as fodder in support of the $20 million in funds just expended [blown] on a new Lakewood Sheriff's substation. Of course the statistics were never provided to LAAG. We had to wait for the 2006 stats to get posted in April 2007. click here to read related article

After the article below came out then Fender of course comes out with the following:

Lakewood, California - Topping the News

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Issue 101 - Council Recap

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 101

Statistics verified

Responding to a local news media report, Captain Dave Fender of

the Lakewood Sheriff's Station reported to council members that

serious crimes in Lakewood (called Part I crimes in FBI reports)

were down about 16 percent in 2006 while "violent crimes" (a

component of the serious crimes in FBI reports) was up 10

percent. Putting the numbers in perspective, Fender said

"violent crimes" exceeded previous year's total by 36 crime

incidents, while the category of serious crime was down overall

by more than 500 incidents.

All the 2005-2006 numbers from the FBI site (As of Oct 2007):

City Lakewood Population 81192

Violent crime 2006 407
Violent Crime 2005 371
% Change up 9.70

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 2006 4
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 2005 0
% Change up 400.00

Forcible rape 2006 11
Forcible rape 2005 13
% Change - 15.38

Robbery 2006 220
Robbery 2005 193
% Change up 13.99

Aggravated assault 2006 172
Aggravated assault 2005 165
% Change up 4.24

Property crime 2006 2255
Property crime 2005 2788
% Change - 19.12

Burglary 2006 394
Burglary 2005 418
% Change - 5.74

Larcenytheft 2006 1427
Larceny/theft 2005 1880
% Change - 24.10

Motor vehicle theft 2006 434
Motor vehicle theft 2005 490
% Change - 11.43

Arson 2006 11
Arson 2005 16
% Change - 31.25


FBI, local crime stats don't always match
Lakewood, L.B. both reported better numbers.
By Tracy Manzer, Staff writer
Article Launched: 09/24/2007 10:41:49 PM PDT

Conflicting results were found in comparisons of local and federal crime statistics for two cities - Lakewood and Long Beach - with the release of a federal crime report on Monday.

According to the FBI's 2006 Crimes in the United States report, violent crimes have increased by more than 9 percent in Lakewood - due in part to a 400-percent jump in murders, with zero reported in 2005, compared with 4 in 2006.

Long Beach saw an increase of less than 1 percent, according to the FBI.

But those numbers do not match crime statistics released by both cities earlier this year.

Lakewood listed an impressive 16-percent plummet in violent crimes and Long Beach boasted a 4-percent drop, and its fourth consecutive year of decrease in violent crimes for 2006, at the beginning of the year.

The federal crime report is put together each year with information provided by regional, state and local law enforcement agencies, said Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

Minor differences can occur with changes to data released earlier in the year by local agencies, Eimiller said.

Some data may be corrected, some statistics require updates and typos are possible, she said. Long Beach Deputy Police Chief J.J. Craig said crimes listed in the federal report under violent crimes - murder and manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault - make up only a portion of all Part I crimes.

Not all Part I crimes are violent crimes, but all violent crimes are in the Part I category, he explained.

"It's almost a sub-category," Craig added, noting at least eight other crime classifications that fall within the entire Part I crimes category and could be included in the local statistics released last March.

Lakewood spokesman Donald Waldie said Monday that the violent crimes statistics released by then-Mayor Larry Van Nostran at the state of the city address in January came straight from the Lakewood Sheriff's Station.

Van Nostran referred to the crimes as serious in the address. Waldie said the term is one the city prefers to violent crimes, but the classification remains the same.

Sheriff's authorities in charge of tracking statistics for Lakewood could not be reached for comment.

Perhaps more puzzling was the exact match for property crime statistics between the two cities and the federal report; Long Beach saw a 5-percent decrease and Lakewood a sizable 19-percent dive.

According to the federal crime report, violent crimes were up 1.9 percent nationwide, while property crimes across the country fell by nearly the same margin, dropping to their lowest level since 1987.

While the rate of violent crimes - calculated at roughly 473.5 per 100,000 inhabitants - rose for the second straight year, it is the third lowest total in the past two decades, according to the report.

Some local cities - like Artesia, Bellflower and Paramount - bucked the national increase while cities such as Avalon, Carson and Downey followed the trend to varying degrees.

Most of the local jurisdictions released their crime statistics in January and attributed positive gains to better community policing and community involvement.

Craig noted Monday that many of the decreases that occurred in Long Beach in 2006 have continued into this year, including further reductions in aggravated assaults - a category within violent crimes that covers a range of violations including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery.

Tracy Manzer can be reached at tracy.manzer@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1261.

On the Net: Crime Statistics.


Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™