Crime
Rapper’s death is part of recent spike in shootings
WAVE NEWSPAPERS — The death of rapper Nipsey Hussle came during a week that saw a spike in shootings that prompted three City Council members to introduce a motion at the April 2 City Council meeting asking the police department and the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development to report on the recent surge and the department’s strategy on responding to the increase.
LOS ANGELES —The death of rapper Nipsey Hussle came during a week that saw a spike in shootings that prompted three City Council members to introduce a motion at the April 2 City Council meeting asking the police department and the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development to report on the recent surge and the department’s strategy on responding to the increase.
Hussle was shot in the head and upper body March 31 outside a clothing store he owns in the 3400 block of West Slauson Avenue in the Hyde Park area. Two other men also were injured in the shooting.
Although homicides are down in the city over the first three months of the year compared to 2018, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said Hustle’s death came during a week where 26 people were shot in the city and 10 were killed.
At a news conference at LAPD headquarters April 2, Moore said the surge in violence began several weeks ago and was particularly impacting African-American men.
“Nipsey Hussle represents the enormity of the lives that we have lost,” said Moore, who had been scheduled to meet with Hussle and others on April 1 to discuss ways to reduce gang violence.
Moore recalled getting a message March 31 that three people had been shot in South Los Angeles, and then realizing Hussle was among the victims.
“And then I saw the name Nipsey Hussle, and I looked at that again, and I looked at it again, and it was like, I could not believe it,” Moore said. “It just drove the added violence even that much more severe. So I am devastated with that because this is a voice that was trying to help and was investing in his community.”
Crime dropped in Los Angeles in every major category in the city in 2018, according to the LAPD. Homicides were down 8.2 percent, violent crime was down 4.5 percent and property crime was down 1.8 percent. Homicides totaled 259, down from 282 in 2017.
“There has been a disturbing uptick in gang-related shootings in South L.A. and the Harbor Area. It is imperative that the city look into what can be done to address this surge, especially before the summer begins, which is traditionally the time of year that experiences the highest incidence of shootings and gang-related activity,” the City Council motion says.
The motion was introduced by Joe Buscaino, who represents the Harbor Area, Monica Rodriguez, chair of the Public Safety Committee, and Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents parts of South Los Angeles, including Hyde Park.
This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
California Black Media
Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support
Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.
By California Black Media
Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.
Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.
Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.
“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.
Ramos said the need to act is urgent.
“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.
Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.
According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.
In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.
“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.
“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.
AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.
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