Opinion: An open letter to the Los Angeles Police Department

February 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment


imageJasmyne Cannick

Christopher Dorner is dead.

Whether you agree or disagree with Dorner’s actions preceding his death or even how he died, one fact can’t be changed—he brought forth serious allegations of racism and discrimination within the Los Angeles Police Department. Dorner’s allegations have been publicly co-signed by both retired and terminated Black LAPD employees—and in private by those currently serving within the department but too afraid to cross the blue line.

Many are asking, where do we go from here, but I’m more concerned with where we don’t go from here.

To both the LAPD and the community—it can’t be business as usual.

Town hall meetings and community forums to discuss a problem that we already know exists are a waste of time and accomplish nothing. Sure—the media will cover it and there will be no shortage of people coming forward to express outrage and mistrust towards the LAPD. The LAPD in turn will sit there and take the verbal abuse because quite frankly they’re being paid to be there and it’s what they do when there’s a surge of strong public outrage directed towards their department—and when it’s all over everyone will go home.

But if it’s really a new day in the LAPD and the organization is as transparent as it tells us it is, then it’s time for the LAPD to sit down with the LAPD. That’s the discussion that needs to take place.

Dorner’s manifesto wasn’t written to call attention to police brutality. He was trying to call attention to the systemic institutional racism and discrimination that he experienced as a Black police officer when trying to report police brutality to his higher-ups. He was trying to clear his name and blow the whistle on what is happening inside the department everyday, including today, to Black police officers. Don’t get distracted.

You tell me what’s easier—investigating the firing of a dead ex-cop or addressing the issue of rampant racism in the department that was presented by the dead ex-cop.

Dorner wasn’t the first Black police officer to lose it after separating from the department and as others have said, he won’t be the last unless something changes.

Fred Nichols was a Black man who was the LAPDs chief expert on use-of-force tactics. In 1991, Nichols was suddenly reassigned in an apparent retaliatory move by the department for testifying before the County Grand Jury in the Rodney King case and for later sharply warning the Christopher Commission about the department’s routine misunderstanding of excessive force. He was taken from a very prominent position within the department to what he considered a “less prestigious position.”

According to the L.A. Times, the department denied that the reassignment was retaliatory, describing the move as part of an overall redesign of the training program. The incident marked the third time that the department’s high command has been accused of punishing supervisors who spoke out against the LAPD in closed sessions before the Christopher Commission.

Nichols, in an interview with the The Times, said he’d suffered severe stress-related problems, including anxiety, insomnia and vomiting, since he was advised that he was being removed.

“I can’t work. I can’t sleep,” he said. “There’s not one minute that I don’t think about it. Sixteen years of working in specialized units, doing my tasks, and now, because I’m honest and fair, they do this to me.

“What career do I have left? It’s gone. If you make waves in this department, it becomes close to impossible to ever promote again.”

Fred Nichols checked into a hotel that following May and shot himself.

Retired in-good-standing sergeant Cheryl Dorsey recently came forward and explained how when she was going through her own Board of Rights hearing that involved the same charge as Dorner—giving false and misleading statements to an Internal Affairs investigator —she seriously contemplated just jumping off the third floor of the Bradbury Building.

Married to another LAPD officer at the time, Dorsey says that she was a victim of domestic violence and after details of incidents at her home found their way into the department, she was charged with six counts of unnecessarily causing the response of an outside agency for the six calls she made to the sheriff’s department from her home in Altadena. The charge of giving false and misleading statements was tacked on when questioned by Internal Affairs.

She believes that having come forward since Dorner and finally speaking out that she’ll face some sort of retaliation from the department.

Fired LAPD police officer Brian Bentley said that he had a manifesto too—not a list of those to kill, but those who had wronged him during his 10 years with the department. He was fired for writing the book One Time: The Story of a South Central Los Angeles Police Officer, a book that documented his experience with racism, discrimination, and police brutality inside of the LAPD.

And there’s another Black officer who has a lot to say but tells me that he’s too worried about his family to come forward.

So you see, this time it isn’t about us per se—it’s about the Black men and women who have suffered over the years the type of racism and discrimination as described by Dorner and echoed by many of his colleagues in the days since.

The community’s job is to push forward and stand with those Black police officers willing to come forward and give credence to Dorner’s claims. It’s very easy to discredit someone who’s never worn the LAPD uniform, but it’s not so easy when it’s one of your own, and that’s the discussion that needs to take place publicly. It’s the first real step towards ending police brutality on the streets and in the department.

I want to see the relationship between Blacks and the LAPD improve and I believe that it has. But I also believe that we just took a huge step backwards with Dorner and no amount of community meetings with civil rights leaders and the LAPD posing for cameras is going to fix that.

It can’t be more the same.

Christopher Dorner was a game changer.

Chosen as one of Essence Magazine’s 25 Women Shaping the World, Jasmyne A. Cannick writes about the intersection of race, politics, and pop culture. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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Residents Line Up for Annual Turkey Giveaway

November 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment


A line of people began forming as early as 8 a.m. on Monday, for a chance to receive a free Thanksgiving meal outside of Jackson Limousines’ fleet yard in South Los Angeles.

E.J. Jackson, founder and president of Jackson Limousine Service, was initially worried because donations were significantly low, but said corporate and local donations picked up before Tuesday’s giveaway.

“Walk by faith not by sight…I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t have any doubts, but I knew God would provide,” said Jackson, who has been giving away turkey dinners for the past 30 years.

Volunteers were lined up along a table bagging fresh produce such as broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers and celery. The plastic bags were then placed into a cardboard box with other Thanksgiving items like a box of cornbread mix and stuffing. image

The frozen turkeys were still safely packed away.

“This helps me get in the holiday spirit by helping the less fortunate,” said South L.A. resident, T.J. Falls. “I have two jobs…I don’t mind volunteering because when you’re doing it from the heart you don’t get tired.”

Eve McCraw and Resee Coney were the first in line for Tuesday’s giveaway, arriving at the entrance at 8 a.m.

The two said it has been difficult to find help in South Los Angeles during the holiday season because many places have been cutting back on food donations.

“It’s a blessing,” said Coney.

McCraw said she has been receiving Thanksgiving dinners from Jackson since 2009 and every year, she has seen the crowd grow.

Over the last four years, a growing number of those waiting in line have been from cities outside of South L.A. like San Bernardino and Ontario, according to Fatty Jackson, organizer and nephew of E.J. Jackson.

Fatty continued that he has also seen the line start earlier each year with residents lining up one and even two days before the giveaway.

“It’s been more of a mixed crowd – all nationalities over the last four years. There’s more young mothers, single mothers and senior citizens,” said Fatty.

Jackson’s nephew has been volunteering for the past 17 years and helps ensure the donation process runs smoothly.

He said each year they have been able to speed up the process and prevent any confusion, especially with the help of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s.

While donations have dropped over the last two years, he believes they will still be able to serve about 4,000 people.

He feels the reason the turkey giveaway is able to continue is because of his uncle’s passion for giving back to the community.

“Sometimes people don’t want to give because they don’t know where the money is going to, but with my uncle, you can see where it’s going,” said Jackson.

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Judge in West Adams cleans graffiti every night for safety

March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Listen to the audio story from Annenberg Radio News:

image“Wait a second, there was an urban legend that there was a judge that was painting out graffiti,” Totten said.

Judge Robert Totten’s not a stranger to someone calling him an urban legend. Every night, he walks the streets of West Adams with his three big great danes and cleans off the graffiti in his neighborhood.

Totten isn’t hired to do this. He does it purely to make it look better and safer for his family and neighbors. He summed up his beliefs by quoting former LAPD Police Chief Bill Bratton.

“It’s a broken window. If you allow the broken windows to remain, and the graffiti to remain up, then it attracts more,” Totten said.

He doesn’t need much. Only a couple of wash cloths, paint thinner and spray paint. If the graffiti is on a gray or white surface, he’ll just spray paint over it. Otherwise, he’ll scrub until it’s gone.

“So this will just take me two seconds and he’s gone,” Totten said.

Totten says the graffiti is gang related and he has caught people in the act.

“I remember stepping over and saying come on guys enough’s enough, and they go, white boy you’re next,” Totten said.

These types of vandals doing the graffiti end up in his courtroom. During the day, he is a commissioner for juvenile, ruling on cases like murder, robbery and vandalism.

One tagger I spoke with that wishes to not be identified says that him tagging an area illustrates his loyalty to his gang, their brotherhood and their territory.

There are some nights when Totten will clean an area, and the next day, there’s graffiti again. But, that doesn’t bother him. He just goes back and cleans it off again.

“I get satisfaction knowing they’re not getting anything out of it, except putting themselves at risk,” Totten said.

Totten has tried to bring the issue to police, but says police have to weigh what’s more important at the time: catching taggers or solving robberies and murders?

In 1990, LAPD created PACE, Police Assisted Community Enhancement Program. The program is designed to battle graffiti through different city agencies. When graffiti is seen, LAPD fills out a form and forwards it to the proper city agency to alleviate the problem. LAPD was unavailable for comment.

Totten hopes giving back to his community will slowly remove all the bad tensions in the area.

“Positive energy’s going to win out,” Totten said.

Until authorities can do more, Totten says he doesn’t mind people thinking he’s an urban legend.

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South LA town hall focuses on excessive force in Sheriff’s Department

March 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment


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Audience listens to ACLU attorney Peter Eliasberg, who detailed accounts of use of excessive force in L.A. county jails.

About 40 people showed up at a South LA town hall meeting on Thursday night to discuss the use of excessive force within Los Angeles Sheriff Department. The purpose of the event, held at the Imperial Church of Christ and organized by the Citizen Advisory Board (CAB), was also to introduce the community to a new task force made up of the department’s top brass currently dedicated to addressing the issue.

The first speaker of the evening, civil rights attorney Bradley C. Gaged, who described several cases of excessive force and abuse by law enforcement, questioned the efficacy of the unit.

“I don’t see how a task force can be of any use, because top management already knows about it,” said Gaged, referring to complaints against officers for excessive force. “The code of silence among officers is still strong…. There needs to be a strengthening of whistleblower laws.”

He also pointed out that among his biggest concerns was the fact that the majority of the cases of excessive force by law enforcement have involved African Americans victims.

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Assistant Sheriff Cecil W. Rhambo, Jr. addresses the crowd as CAB chair, Dr. Sandra Moore, listens.

Attorney Michael Gennaco, from the Office of Independent Review, was quick to acknowledge that there have been many problems in the handling of inmates by Sheriff’s deputies and that conditions in the jails have been deplorable. But he said that thanks to external advocates such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), many needed reforms have been implemented, such as reducing the number of inmates per cell from six to four and seeking to improve access to medical care within a facility.

Gennaco also said that every year, the Sheriff’s department fires half a dozen deputies for use of excessive force in jails.

That may not be enough, if you listen to the account of ACLU attorney Peter Eliasberg, who worked on a 2011 report detailing abuses in L.A. County jails. “Civilian eyewitnesses told us they weren’t afraid of the inmates, but of the deputies.”

Assistant Sheriff Cecil W. Rhambo, Jr. defended his department saying: “We don’t supervise perfect people. We’re aware there are problems out there, but we’ve implemented a lot of measures to improve [our department], including town halls like this one.

Nine people from the Sheriff’s department were in attendance, including a cameraman, who recorded the meeting.

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Cynthia Salomon wants to know how long it takes for an independent review process to be completed.

The audience was given the opportunity to ask questions after the speakers finished their presentations. Among the concerns: race as a factor in the use of excessive force by law enforcement.

“If I ever had a problem, I’d be scared to call for help,” says Cynthia Salomon, an African American special education teacher’s assistant. Salomon went to the town hall to get some answers about the process of independent review of cases in which excessive force was used. She says both her children were arrested in March of 2011 during a street altercation, after which two LAPD detectives fired 17 shots, injuring her 21 year-old daughter in the leg. Both are currently in jail. “I’m worried for her. She has a lump on her breast and needs medical attention, but she still hasn’t been seen by a doctor.”

Salomon’s concern over access to medical care in jails was just one of many from the crowd – and an issue which the CAB is monitoring. Dr. Sandra Moore, Chair of CAB, a faith-based community advocate group, will soon be releasing its report of the Women’s Facility in Lynwood and make recommendations on how to effectively change the current prison culture that contributes to deputy misconduct, abuses and negligence.

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The LA Riots twenty years on

March 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment


By Dr. Mary Hill-Wagner

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Najee Ali and Corliss Bennett-McBride

Whether it’s called a riot, a rebellion, or civil unrest, the tragic chapter in Los Angeles history that sparked days of violent protest 20 years ago invites intense discussion today.

Earlier this month, Los Angeles residents met at the University of Southern California to hash out some of the issues highlighted during the incident.

By now, the statistics are well known: the incident some call the Los Angeles Riots resulted in more than 50 deaths, 3,600 fires, 1,100 destroyed buildings, 2,000 damaged businesses and property damages totaling $1 billion, of which 50 percent was incurred by Korean Americans.

The panel discussion at USC was sponsored by El Centro Chicano, the Asian Pacific American Student Services and the Center for Black Student and Cultural Affairs.

According to a release advertising the event, “Three names that conjure a static image of Black-Korean violence in the American consciousness” are “Civil Unrest,” “The LA Riots,” and “Sa-I-Gu.” The event was advertised as an evening of reflection and dialogue with those who were actually there – store owners, police, and community activists.

Among the questions the panel wanted to address: what was the root cause that led to L.A. exploding? Will the embers of racial and economic injustice ignite again? Also, what are some of the positive changes that have come out of the event that was sparked by the acquittal of officers in a police brutality case?

In the beating case, African American motorist Rodney King was the victim of police brutality. The entire incident was caught on videotape on March 3, 1991 by bystander, George Holliday.

The footage showed white LAPD officers repeatedly striking King with their batons while other officers stood by watching.

Four white LAPD officers were later tried in a state court for the beating. Three were acquitted. The jury failed to reach a verdict for the fourth. The announcement of the acquittals sparked city-wide violence and fires in April 1992. A later federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison and the other two officers acquitted.

Now a Beverly Hills Police Officer, Rachel Shannon was a young cadet coming out of the Los Angeles Police Department when the city was engulfed in violence two decades ago. She said a good thing that has come out of the incident is that citizens are more aware of their rights when confronted with police officers who may be treating them unfairly.

“There are cell phones and cameras everywhere now. And people know they can use them,” she said. “Excessive force [by officers] has gone down because everyone is taping.”

During the incident in 1992, Shannon said the entire contingent of 8,000 LAPD officers was kept at a bus depot in South Los Angeles for several hours and told not to go out into the streets because the community wasn’t safe for police.

Shannon added that another positive thing to come out of the riots was the ouster of then-Police Chief Daryl Gates, who had ordered officers not to confront violent protesters for several hours. Gates resigned from his post as chief on June 28, 1992.

“Some of these [USC] students have no clue about what things have changed,” said Corliss P. Bennett-McBride, director of the Center for Black and Cultural Student Affairs. “There have been some good things that came out of the riot, like the gang truce. And there were rebuilding efforts [for businesses],” she said.

At the event, community activist Najee Ali offered a sincere apology to Korean Americans for his hand in encouraging violent protests against business owners.

“We thought of Korean-Americans as our enemies,” he said. “If we had had more of a dialogue with our Korean brothers and sisters, this incident wouldn’t have happened.”

The panel also included USC Law Professor Jody Armour and Civil Rights Attorney Do Kim, who graduated from Harvard College in 1993 with a joint concentration in Afro-American Studies & Sociology.

“This whole thing was part of [Hurricane] Katrina and the crack plague because it’s part of the pattern of officials not helping the black community,” Armour said. “When you have concentrated disadvantaged [people] and inequality and alienation and hopelessness, you have a powder keg…Maybe the stage is set again.”

Kim said the events of 1992 go beyond race relations.

“Something like this can happen any time, because of economic disparity,” he said.

The conversation about the events of two decades ago continues at the Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism on April 19, 2012 at 7 p.m. in the Annenberg Auditorium. Journalists will address the questions: Riot? Rebellion? Or Civil Unrest? What is the Media Message?

Email Dr. Mary Hill-Wagner for details at [email protected]

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South LA neighborhood moves to action against prostitution

February 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment


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Tanya Stone protests the deterioration of her neighborhood. She fights for her children that are exposed to prostitution everyday.

Tanya Stone first noticed prostitution in her neighborhood about a year ago when she left for work at 6 a.m.

“We got kids to send to school… we don’t want to see that,” said Stone, 48, who lives near Western Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard.

Carrying a sign reading “End Slavery Now,” Stone was one of a small group of people protesting outside FAME Renaissance on Tuesday night, while more than 60 community residents and stakeholders gathered inside to discuss new initiatives against prostitution along Western Boulevard.

Organized by the LAPD and the Neighborhood Watch Against Prostitution, the meeting marked a tonal shift from informing neighborhood residents about the progress law enforcement and city officials are making against prostitution to offering ways the community can take action and get involved.

“Now, they’re coming on and saying, ‘What can we do?’” said LAPD Sgt. McGuyre, who heads the Southwest station’s vice unit, which handles prostitution-related crimes.

In 2011, LAPD Southwest made 300 prostitution-related arrests, a 39 percent increase from the previous year. About 40 percent of the total arrests were near 29th Street and Western Avenue.

We are “taking our community back as our community. We’re here to talk about how you can assist us,” said Tracy Hauter, LAPD senior lead officer for the Adams neighborhood. Hauter emphasized that the public comments portion of the meeting was not a “griping” session, but a time for those affected to make important suggestions.

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LAPD Captain Melissa Zak, CD 8 North Area Representative Cathy Davis, City Attorney Sharee Sanders, and LAPD Senior Lead Officer Tracy Haute answer community questions at the meeting on Tuesday night at FAME Renaissance.

D’Lita Miller, 37, hoped to see the community take a more preventative instead of punitive approach. At 15 years old, Miller became a prostitute to support herself. About a decade ago, she left the trade. She now works as a family support and outreach coordinator for Saving Innocence, a non-profit that rescues underage victims of sex trafficking.

“Let’s not approach them as enemies. Let’s approach them as people that need help,” Miller said.

The last major community meeting on prostitution was held in June 2011, but some residents complained they haven’t seen much happen since then.

Cathy Davis, North Area field deputy for Councilman Bernard Parks, said their offices have worked on increasing lighting and trimming trees, but that severe budget limitations have reduced staff and resources.

The city budget allows for 300 trees for each council district, which equates to about 50 trees for the North Area neighborhood.

In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Parks’ office prioritized tree trimming on Hobart Boulevard between 29th Street and 30th Street based on community complaints. However, Davis could not give an exact date when the tree trimming would take place and offered only a June 30th deadline.

Parks’ office is also working on creating billboards to raise awareness of the problem. Chief of staff Bernard Parks Jr., invited the community to voice their ideas on the content of the advertisement.

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A protestor organizes against prostitution outside FAME Renaissance.

Other suggestions discussed were creating a website showcasing photos of johns, writing letters to johns if they’ve been spotted in a high-prostitution area, and putting up surveillance cameras and signs against prostitution.

Andrea Canty, education representative of the North Area Neighborhood Development Council however, stressed the need for less talk and more concrete results. NANDC covers the area between the 10 Freeway and Martin Luther King Boulevard from the 110 Freeway to Arlington Avenue.

“I wanted to see a plan of action [from the last meeting]… I wanted to see some tangibles,” said Canty, who hoped to use Tuesday’s meeting to recruit community members to join action committees.

Canty created the publicity and communication, tree trimming, surveillance, city services, church outreach and john letter writing committees to turn words into action.

“I have more confidence in the neighborhood,” Canty said. “We can make it happen because we are the ones who live here.”

David Chiu, who lives near Adams Boulevard and Western Avenue, felt encouraged by the meeting.

“It sounds like there’s an actual plan,” Chiu said.

LAPD and the Neighborhood Watch Against Prostitution plan to hold monthly meetings on the third Tuesday night. The next meeting is March 20 at 6:30pm at FAME Renaissance 1968 W. Adams Blvd.

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Parents protest as Miramonte Elementary reopens

February 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment


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Parents meet at the end of the day to coordinate organizing efforts.

Miramonte Elementary reopened on Thursday morning after a two-day closure, following Superintendent John Deasy’s decision to replace the entire 128-member staff in the wake of a sex abuse scandal involving two teachers accused of molesting children at the school.

LAUSD officials and police officers were on site at Miramonte Elementary to ensure a smooth transition, as hordes of news crews descended on the school to catch a glimpse of the new teachers and students returning to class.

There were protests throughout the day, with some parents opposing the teacher removals. Many refused to bring the children to school – attendance was only 68 percent.

“This was such a radical change,” complains Eutalia Espinoza, mother of a nine-year old attending Miramonte. “How can they make innocent teachers pay for the dirty ones?”

“We don’t agree with what they did. The children were used to the teachers and so were we,” says Karina Alferez. “With all these new people, it’s as if our children are going to a new school.”

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LAUSD officials and police officers were at the school all day.

Cynthia Contreras, whose sister Nicole attends first grade at Miramonte, thinks the school district was wrong to “take out all the teachers. Not all the teachers were bad…. They should have interviewed the teachers during the two days and done background checks again and then put them back in school.”

Contreras, a fluent English speaker who has been assigned the family task of attending parent meetings and dealing with school issues, says her little sister is distraught over losing her teacher.

“Miss Fong was very nice. I miss her,” says six-year old Nicole. That sense of loss was echoed by several other students who were listening to her reminisce about her teacher.

During the past two days, LAUSD rehired 80 laid-off teachers and brought back retired Principal Dolores Palacio to oversee the school. In all, Miramonte will have 169 new staff members, including 45 site counselors.

The estimated cost for the replacement staff, scheduled to remain at the school until June 30, is $5.7 million.

“What we did is unprecedented,” says Tom Waldman, LAUSD Director of Communications and Media Relations. “This district mobilized fast to make it happen.” Waldman emphasized the teacher relocation was to assist the Sheriff’s investigation without disrupting classes. “We couldn’t stop the school year.”

The Miramonte teachers have been temporarily relocated to the recently built August Hawkins High School, which has not yet opened for business. Those teachers have been given the week off.

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Parents say media crews have disrupted their school.

According to Waldman, they are scheduled to report next week to the new school for about six and a half hours a day, where they will receive professional development training. Being in another school, he says, will make them accessible for interviews by sheriff’s deputies conducting the criminal investigation of teachers Mark Berndt and Martin Springer, who were arrested last week, charged with multiple counts of committing lewd acts against children at Miramonte.

“We will also conduct an independent inquiry… about policy issues, the process of screening teachers and how teachers should be vigilant of sex abuse signs,” states Waldman.

United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the union that represents the teachers, today accused the school district of doing a “cheap media stunt” by replacing the entire staff and is threatening to sue if the relocated teachers aren’t allowed to return to Miramonte after the investigation is over.

School officials organized three meetings to talk to parents throughout the day – one in the morning, another at 2:30 pm and the last one at 5:30 pm.

The main concern of parents who attended the 2:30 pm meeting was the safety of their children and whether this week’s interruption will affect their academic performance.

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Edward Ozuna is demanding to see his daughter’s teacher credentials and background check.

Edward Ozuna didn’t bring his two daughters to school on Thursday. He says they were afraid of the new teachers and asked him to go to the school to find out what they were like. Ozuna took a third day off from work as a plant manager at a national architecture firm to check out the new teachers and attend the meetings.

“I feel better because we got some answers. I spoke with the teachers, the principal and the staff. I wanted to make sure my kids are safe.” He says he told Principal Palacio he wanted to see the credentials of his daughter’s new teachers and that she promised to have them ready for him tomorrow. Ozuna promised to return on Friday to see those credentials and bring his daughters to class.

“I don’t want them to miss any more days of school. But it’s going to be hard for them. They miss their old teacher. Mr. Vergara was great. The good teachers don’t deserve this… to be taken away like criminals.”

Ozuna had nothing but good things to say about his daughter’s teachers and of school principal Martín Sandoval.

“I’m upset the principal left. He was so good. In just two years since he came to the school, he improved academics. He motivated the kids. We want him back.”

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A parent wears a t-shirt with the names of the teachers they want back in the school.

The sex abuse scandal at their school has mobilized Miramonte parents. They are now more vocal. They are demanding stricter background checks of teachers and that the school be more efficient in notifying them of any irregularities.

A group of parent volunteers gathered late in the afternoon to discuss how they would organize in the coming days.

“I want to make sure I know what’s going on,” says Yolanda Rivera, who has a five and an eight year-old at the school. “I want to make sure something like this never happens to us again.”

Authorities on Thursday discovered another 200 photographs, believed to be taken by Berndt. Some of the children in the new photos have been previously identified, but investigators say there may be other victims.

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Reward offered for information in homicide case

February 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment


imagePolice are looking for three suspects in the stabbing death of 75-year-old Min Yin late last year. The Los Angeles City Council is offering a reward of $50,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for his death.

Yin was assaulted Sept. 2, 2011 at men’s and boy’s clothing shop Joy & Louis Corp at 1320 E. 18th St. near South Central Avenue just south of the 10 Freeway.

Two men entered the shop as a third was exiting, and police say, one of the men stabbed Yin.

Yin, who lived in Arcadia but worked at Joy & Louis, was transported to LAC-USC Medical Center, where he died from his injuries on Dec. 26, 2011.

All three of the men who were in the store are suspects. The man who was seen on video exiting the store is described as a Latino, about 40 years old, six feet tall, weighing about 180 pounds.

imageThe second suspect is thought to be in his 20s, with a tattoo on the left side of his neck, short dark hair and is heavy set at 5 foot, 4 inches.

The third suspect is in his early 30s, is between 5 foot, 5 inches and 5 foot, 8 inches and weighs about 200 pounds. Both are Latino.

Police have released sketches of two of the suspects. Police consider all three armed and extremely dangerous.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Arroyo at 213-486-6840. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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LAPD seeks community’s help to identify Grim Sleeper pictures

November 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment


The mood was somber at the Bethel AME Church in South Los Angeles on Wednesday evening.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and councilmember of district 8 Bernard Parks hosted a community meeting to inform the public of the latest developments on the “Grim Sleeper” serial killer case. Lonnie Franklin Jr., the alleged “Grim Sleeper,” was arrested last year and is accused of murdering 10 South Los Angeles men and women between 1985 and 2007. He also stands accused of one attempted murder charge.

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Chief Beck provided information on six new women that they believe Franklin also murdered. One more attempted murder victim has also been identified. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was beaten and left for dead. She is one of only two of the Grim Sleeper’s victims who has lived to identify him. Chief Beck calculated that there are 18 cases against Franklin – 16 murders and two attempted murders. Even though LAPD has evidence that Franklin could have murdered these six missing women, they will not add additional charges so that the case can go to court more quickly. The six South LA women’s photos are featured below.

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Photo courtesy of LAPD

On Wednesday evening, the LAPD also launched new fliers online with pictures found in Franklin’s residence. The photographs were found after lengthy searches through Franklin’s computer, memory cards, and photographs. There was a total of 180 photographs that were previously identified but, in an unprecedented move, the pictures were shared with the community to help identify the women. Detective Dennis Kilcoyne said, “Much to our happiness, 99 percent of them were alive and well. Most of them didn’t want to become public.” He continued, “They proved to us who they were and that they had done some stupid things way back when in their lives when they crossed paths with Mr. Franklin. They didn’t want to revisit it publicly.”

Still, 48 of the 180 photographs that have yet to be identified.

Chief Beck stated, “Those photos mean something… there are victims’ faces in those photos. We need to identify as many more as we can.” Detective Kilcoyne told the community, “We’re coming to you for help.” The detectives are concerned for the women’s well-being and are ensure of whether they’re still alive.

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Photo courtesy of LAPD

The posters can be found at the LAPD website.

Chief Beck said that he is doubtful that Franklin will ever identify these women himself.

But that doesn’t mean that the detectives are giving up hope in identifying the women themselves. They have partnered with Hawthorne, Gardena, Inglewood, the sheriff’s department, and the Department of Justice to help solve missing persons files and cold cases that may be tied to Franklin’s 26-year criminal spree. Detective Kilcoyne stated that investigators “were trying things that had never been tried before investigating cases in this country.” One effort in particular that Kilcoyne called “unorthodox” was the use of “familial DNA” to use a “backwards family tree” linking Franklin’s son to him and ultimately leading to Franklin’s arrest in July 2010.

Even though detectives are trying “unorthodox” procedures to solve possible Grim Sleeper cases, some more obvious methods to seek help may have been ignored. A member of the Southern California Cease Fire Committee, a group of gang intervention workers and business right advocates, asked whether women in prison had been asked to identify the photographs. Chief Beck looked surprised and said no, saying, “I don’t know why my guys couldn’t think of that earlier.”

In addition, another woman asked whether the photos were shared on Facebook. Chief Beck also replied that this had not be done yet.

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Informational posters were on display at the meeting

CD8 member, and former LAPD Chief of Police, Bernard Parks spoke to the community and called the Grim Sleeper’s murder spree “a horror in our community.” Parks led a number of unprecedented movements to help catch the Grim Sleeper and identify his victims. He consistently publicized a $500,000 reward for information leading to the Grim Sleeper’s capture and partnered with Clear Channel in creating billboards with information about the murders. In 2001, Parks succeeded in establishing the nation’s first Cold Case Unit, which proved invaluable in leading to Franklin’s arrest in July 2010. Parks vowed that he would continue to work with the LAPD and Chief Beck in identifying the 48 photographs that were publicized that night.

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Chief Beck commended the community for helping investigators take 180 previously unidentified photographs found in Franklin’s residence and whittling the number to now 48 unidentified photos. Chief Beck said, “This community and this police department never gave up on those victims. Never. And we never will.”

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Despite their best efforts, Chief Beck said, “We may never how many men and women Lonnie Franklin killed. But we’re going to do our best to find out.” Looking at the victims’ families sitting on one side of the church, Beck continued, “We can never get closure. We can never right completely the wrong that has been done not only to these families but to this community.”

LaVerne Peters, mother of Janecia Peters, one of Franklin’s victims found murdered on January 1, 2007, wondered if her daughter had been the last of Franklin’s victims. Chief Beck replied that they didn’t think there were any more victims after Peters but said, “We cannot shut the door to possibilities until July of 2010 when we had him in custody.” Franklin returned to Los Angeles on May 7, 1976 after serving in the Army and being stationed in Europe. Investigators are also not discounting the possibility that Franklin committed crimes while overseas. Chief Beck said May 1976 is what they consider the starting point of investigating Jane Does, cold cases, and missing persons’ files that may be linked to Franklin. Their timeline ends in July 2010, when Franklin was finally arrested.

Diane McQueen, the aunt of Janecia Peters, said, “I’ve been in this neighborhood for 12 years. This man has been around me all these years while he was killing these girls.” McQueen expressed her disbelief about possibly coming face to face with her niece’s killer during her everyday life. “I could have seen him in stores and markets. He looks like everyday people. You never know who you’re facing.”

Filed Under: Community, Featured Tagged With: , , ,

Police seek help finding South LA hit-and-run suspect

October 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment


imageLAPD Central Traffic Division detectives are trying to find the person responsible for the hit-and-run that seriously injured 24 year-old Susana Prieto on the early morning of Sunday, Oct. 16.

They’ve released a photo of a Dwight Stephens, a person of interest they’re trying to question in connection with the accident and are asking for the public’s help in trying to locate him.

Prieto was driving her 2002 Ford Mustang southbound on McKinley Avenue when her car was struck by a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe that was traveling westbound on 54th Street. The driver of the Tahoe left the scene of the collision without providing identification or helping the victim of the accident. The investigating is on-going.

Police are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Detective M. Kaden at (213) 972-1837, Detective J. Mapson at (213) 972-1825, or Central Traffic Division Watch Commander at (213) 972-1853. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: , , ,
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