Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — William Briggs is stepping down from the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners after four years on the five-member body that guides policy for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Briggs said the June 18 meeting would be his last. He did not give a reason, and no replacement has been announced yet by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who appoints members to the commission.
Briggs, a trial lawyer and civil litigator, was appointed to the commission in 2020 by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti. He served as president of the commission in 2021, and during his term the board changed the LAPD’s policy on pretextual stops and implemented the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement peer intervention program.
“I also want to personally thank Mr. Briggs for his welcoming of myself and the commissioners who have been appointed by Mayor (Karen) Bass to join the board,” Board President Erroll Southers said during the June 17 commission meeting. “He was for most of us, the first commissioner that we met. He welcomed us, helped us to become acclimated and made sure that we were supported as we transitioned onto this board.”
Briggs noted the importance of holding listening sessions to hear from LAPD command staff and various city stakeholders. His time on the board led to some “eye-opening” experiences, he added.
Gardena police
seize fireworks
GARDENA — A specialized operation cracking down on the possession and sale of illegal fireworks led Gardena police to make the largest single seizure of illicit explosives in recent California history, police said June 26 as they urged residents to report any suspected illegal pyrotechnic activity.
Police seized more than 75 tons of illegal fireworks, more than doubling the previous record of 32 tons seized in a South Los Angeles warehouse in 2021.
Special investigations unit personnel responded to a commercial warehouse in the 17000 block of Vermont Avenue, near 170th Street, June 17 when they discovered the fireworks which have an estimated street value of approximately $7 million to $10 million, Gardena Police Department Lt. David Brock said.
Removing the materials required numerous trucks and forklifts.
Three suspects were arrested and booked on suspicion of possession of explosives and other various weapons violation offenses. All three were subsequently released on their own recognizance, according to jail records.
Vacant building
damaged by fire
HOLLYWOOD — A fire damaged a vacant building in Hollywood June 25 and left a woman with a burn injury.
Firefighters sent to the 6900 block of West Sunset Boulevard at 6:33 a.m. extinguished the flames in the two-story building in 29 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Paramedics treated a woman, in her 30s, for a burn injury, and took her to a hospital in unknown condition.
The building was the site of previous fires, and building and safety officials were notified to determine if it would have to be demolished, the fire department reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Early Fourth of July
celebration planned
NORWALK — The city will host an Independence Day celebration from 4 to 9 p.m. July 2 on the Civic Center Lawn, 12700 Norwalk Blvd. Admission is free.
There will be live music, food trucks, a kids play zone, entertainment at 6 p.m. by Bruno and the Hooligans Tribute band and fireworks at 9 p.m.
For more information, call 562-929-5566 or visit www.norwalk.org/fun.
Compton bus crash
leaves five injured
COMPTON — A collision involving a bus and another vehicle June 24 left four occupants of the vehicle critically hurt and the bus driver with minor injuries, authorities said.
Paramedics were sent to Rosecrans Avenue and San Pedro Street about 10:25 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
According to a statement the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, “a vehicle collided with an eastbound bus at Rosecrans Avenue at San Pedro Street in West Ranch Dominguez. The bus operator was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. There were no reported passenger injuries on the bus.”
The fire department said five people in all were treated at the scene and taken to hospitals — four of them in critical condition.
The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation.
Paramount to expand
community center
PARAMOUNT — The Paramount Park Community Center, 14400 Paramount Blvd., will be expanded to provide senior citizen services.
The city has contracted with Studio One-Eleven of Long Beach for construction design of the proposed 4,300-square-foot addition at a cost of $829,205. Construction is expected to start in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and be completed in nine months to a year.
Funding will come from a grant of $7.4 million by the California Department of Parks and Recreation from the 2018 Parks Bond Act known as Proposition 68.
Man robbed at
Culver City ATM
CULVER CITY — A victim was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects at an ATM June 20.
Officers responded to the robbery report at about 1:20 a.m. in the 5600 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, according to the Culver City Police Department.
Police said the victim was returning to his vehicle after making a cash withdrawal from the ATM when two suspects approached him and demanded the cash and other personal property, including his cell phone.
The suspects fled the scene a short time later after the victim refused to get into his vehicle and drive to a different location to get more money for the suspects and turn over his cell phone, police said.
A total of $120 was stolen from the victim, according to police.
Investigators described the suspects only as two males in their late teens to early 20s.
Anyone with information regarding the robbery is asked to contact the watch commander at 310-253-6202.
Bellflower to host
paintball filming
BELLFLOWER — The Wounded Warriors will be in town July 5 to film a paintball competition at Hollywood Sports Park, 9030 Somerset Blvd., and the city has waived the usual film permit fee of $525.
The 22-acre city-owned former golf course is now occupied by the sports park, which offers paintball competition on weekends.
All participants will be members of Wounded Warrior Project, or active fundraisers and entities that work with the Wounded Warrior Project. Some 35 participants are expected.
“We will live stream and interview our guests and those participating in the paintball event between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.,” said Jonathan Staley, a live streaming and gaming specialist with the organization.
He said the film will be used to promote the organization and share thoughts with those in it.
