Los Angeles Criminal Attorney Blog

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Los Angeles Country Metropolitan Transportation Authority have joined forces to bring the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign to Los Angeles, according to USA.net. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of terrorism.

The campaign was originally implemented in New York City, and has been funded by a $13 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The program encourages the public and key transportation employees to see and report any signs of terrorism or crime to the property authorities.

The campaign hopes to encourage citizens to tell the authorities if they see any suspicious items, particularly while traveling, or have any information they would like to share. Recently, an al-Qaeda group from Yemen sent an unknown number of packages that contained printer cartridges with a deadly explosive that was concealed as ink. As a result, U.S. authorities have grounded all cargo from Yemen and Somalia. They also banned toner and ink cartridges of over 16 ounces in domestic or international flights.

With their campaign, authorities are hoping to prevent terrorist attacks such as the attempt with printer cartridges, especially during the busy holiday travel season. The campaign has already been featured in New York and D.C. airports, public transit, radio stations, and more.

With all the extra scrutiny being given to travelers, it is becoming more common to be accused of a crime for carrying forbidden items while traveling. If you are accused of a crime in Los Angeles this busy travel season, call the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf at 866-390-7373.

Los Angeles law enforcement officials will soon have some new tools to fight crime, according to The San Gabriel Valley Tribune. A new program is going to give the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department access to live cameras, floor plans, and a database inside police cars patrol Industry, California, a suburb of L.A. The program is the result of cooperation between the Industry Chamber of Commerce and law enforcement officials.

The program is going to begin in January, after the Chamber of Commerce invites businesses in Industry to participate. By February, all 55 patrol cars will be equipped with the new computer system.

Officers who access the database will be able to use Google Maps to locate the front door of each participating business. They will then be able to click on that business to bring up the relevant information, including camera feeds. Officers will not record or monitor the cameras, but will access them only when an alarm has been triggered or if there’s a call about that location. Checks are in place to prevent an abuse of the system.

Businesses in Industry will be offered incentives to participate, including $500 rebates to purchase extra equipment that’s necessary to connect the cameras to the database. There are 2,500 businesses in Industry, and it is unclear how many businesses will choose to participate in the program.

If you have been charged with a crime in Los Angeles, you should obtain high-quality legal representation as quickly as possible. The Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf are experienced at representing defendants accused of a variety of California crimes. Contact them today for a free consultation at 866-390-7373.

Tragically, a five-year-old boy was gunned down in an alleged gang attack while getting ready to go trick-or-treating, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The young boy was posing in a Spiderman costume in his backyard in Los Angeles. The attack is suspected of being misdirected gunfire between the Crips and the Bloods, two notorious rival Los Angeles gangs. The young boy was hit in the head with a stray bullet and died immediately. Although the boy’s house is in the middle of an area notorious for gangs, no one in his family is connected to a gang.

Along with the shooting of the young boy, his uncle was hit in the wrist and his grandfather was hit in the leg. The young boy was the 32nd person killed within a 12 square mile radius that is one of the most dangerous areas in Los Angeles. Typically, children are not targeted by gangs, although children are sometimes hit by stray bullets.

In prior years, a killing such as this one would have resulted in many more revenge killings. Now, however, gang interventionists are paid by the city to work the streets in order to stop retaliations. Residents in the area immediately provided details about the killing to police, who arrested two alleged members of the Kitchen Crips gang.

Individuals involved in a gang are often viewed as guilty until proven innocent. If you have been charged with a violent crime in relation to alleged gang activity, contact our experienced Los Angeles murder defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. For a free consultation, call us at 866-390-7373.

Surprisingly, across the United States gang membership has been rising, although violent crimes have fallen substantially, according to federal numbers reported in USA Today.

As of 2009, there were about one million gang members, as compared with 2005, in which there were only 800,000. At the same time, violent crime has fallen to the lowest levels since 1973. In 2008, there were 19.3 instances of violent crime per 1,000 people, and in 2009 that number went down to 17.1 per 1,000 people.

Experts on gang violence are puzzled as to why the growth in gangs has not produced a corresponding growth in violent crimes. One potential reason is that many gang leaders are now serving longer prison sentences, which has led to the gangs becoming disorganized and less violent.

In Los Angeles, gang membership is up from 43,000 in 2008 to 45,000 in 2009. In Los Angeles, there has been an eight percent decline in violent murders since 2009, and a 24 percent decline since 2008. A Los Angeles police detective says the decline is due to a combination of techniques, which includes the use of former gang members who respond to shootings in order to calm down the victim’s friends and family. This program is designed to help prevent retaliatory shootings. The LAPD has also greatly increased its use of restraining orders.

If you have been charged with a violent crime in Los Angeles, you will need the best legal representation possible in order to successfully navigate the California criminal justice system. Contact the California criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf today at 866-390-7373.