LASDHQ

Identity Theft, Fraud & scams.
Elder Abuse Awareness Month – Public Education Video 1024 576 SIB Staff

Elder Abuse Awareness Month – Public Education Video

Elder Abuse Awareness Month – Public Education Video

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed June 2020 as “Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month.”

The importance of acknowledging and recognizing Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse cannot be understated. Throughout the County of Los Angeles, thousands of elder and dependent adults are financially victimized by family members, caretakers, scam artists, and strangers every year. These people who are part of the Greatest Generation is among the most deserving of our protection, care and tradition of service.

In ongoing efforts to protect our Greatest Generation, The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau – Elder Fraud Detail personnel put together a short, educational video for elders, their families, friends, and neighbors to learn what to watch out for and what to do if they know someone who may be a victim of elder abuse.

Victims or informants alleging elder fraud should contact their local sheriff’s station or police agency, or adult protective services agency to report the crime.

Along with this news release is a link to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Public Education video concerning elder abuse.

OTHER PUBLIC REFERENCE MATERIAL:
The Elder Fraud Detail has compiled resources for citizens to reference on this topic:

Project Lifesaver & LA Found
https://lafound.lacounty.gov/
F.A.I.R. Pamphlet (PDF attached)
Adult Protective Services website with online reporting:
https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/adult-protective-services
Federal Trade Commission educational material:
http://www.ftc.gov/PassItOn.com
California Department of Business Oversight:
https://dbo.ca.gov/preventing-and-reporting-elder-financial-abuse/
Or http://www.dbo.ca.gov and search keyword “elder” for additional information
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/recognizing-elder-financial-abuse/
http://www.consumerfinance.gov” www.consumerfinance.gov and search keyword “Elder” for additional information

Multiagency OIS Taskforce 680 380 SIB Staff

Multiagency OIS Taskforce

Multiagency OIS Taskforce

June 25, 2020

A statement from Sheriff Alex Villanueva:

“As a progressive, I am constantly exploring new avenues to move us forward in policing. Recent events have led community based groups to highlight the issue of law enforcement agencies investigating their own shootings. I hear you. Other law enforcement leaders and I met early this week to discuss the creation of a Multiagency Officer Involved Shooting Taskforce. The main goal of this taskforce will be for Los Angeles County agencies to form a joint taskforce of investigators from multiple agencies to conduct investigations for use of force incidents which result in death. I have complete confidence in our homicide detectives, and the other detectives throughout our County, but we want to continue building trust, increasing transparency and making the process more reassuring for our communities. Moving forward, we are forming a steering group with stakeholders from across the county, which also includes the Office of the District Attorney and State Office of the Attorney General. In the coming weeks, we will access the resources needed to develop a definitive plan and make this concept a reality.

The community wants change and we will usher in that change, together.”

If you have concerns regarding the above, share your voice.  You may contact your Board of Supervisors at the below:
 County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors

Hilda L. Solis
Supervisor, First District
Phone: (213) 974-4111
[email protected]

Mark Ridley-Thomas
Supervisor, Second District
Phone: (213) 974-2222
[email protected]

Sheila Kuehl
Supervisor, Third District
Phone: (213) 974-3333
[email protected]

Janice Hahn
Supervisor, Fourth District
Phone: (213) 974-4444
[email protected]

Kathryn Barger – CHAIR
Supervisor, Fifth District
Phone: (213) 974-5555
[email protected]

Not sure who your Supervisor is?  Click Link to Find Out: http://bos.lacounty.gov/About-Us/Board-of-Supervisors

Palmdale Deputies rescuing a baby.
Palmdale Sheriff’s Station Baby Rescue 1024 571 SIB Staff

Palmdale Sheriff’s Station Baby Rescue

Palmdale Station Baby Rescue

A Palmdale Sheriff’s Station deputy took swift action at a park recently, when he encountered a desperate mother and her son, who was in physical distress.  On Sunday, May 31, 2020, security camera footage captured the intense moment when two women ran frantically across a supermarket parking lot in the 3000 block of Rancho Vista Boulevard; one of them carried a limp, 11-month-old boy and stopped to administer back blows upon him.  Moments earlier, the women were  participating in a protest at the park, when the baby got sick, stopped breathing and lost consciousness.  They ran toward deputies who were across the street, monitoring the protest, to seek assistance.

Deputy Cameron Kinsey spotted the women coming his way, ran toward them, and met them in the parking lot.  An anxious mother handed her son to the deputy, who immediately recognized something was gravely wrong.  Deputy Kinsey assessed the child, administered a mouth sweep with his finger and dislodged vomit.  Video footage shows clear relief in the posture of everyone encircling when the baby began to breathe again and regained alertness.  Paramedics arrived shortly afterward and transported the toddler to the hospital for treatment.  It was later determined the little one swallowed a coin, which lodged in his throat and blocked the airway.  It was Deputy Kinsey who opened the airway with the mouth sweep procedure and turned the coin sideways, allowing air to pass through.

“None of that other stuff matters,” said Deputy Kinsey about all the other things going on around him at the time, “Just the baby.”

A Palmdale Sheriff's Station deputy took swift action at a park recently, when he encountered a desperate mother and her…

Posted by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday, June 16, 2020
CURFEW ORDER AND PUBLIC TRUST June 3, 2020 680 380 SIB Staff

CURFEW ORDER AND PUBLIC TRUST June 3, 2020

CURFEW ORDER AND PUBLIC TRUST – June 3, 2020

The residents of Los Angeles County are unified in support of the family of George Floyd, and against criminal actions by law enforcement.  We stand together in this endeavor.  Unfortunately, small groups of individuals seeking to incite violence and looting have disrupted some of the peaceful protests with criminal behavior.  These actions forced the need for a curfew throughout Los Angeles County in order to protect life, protect property, and restore order.

Over the past 24 hours, protesters have not allowed criminal behavior to overshadow their message, and law enforcement has been able to isolate and apprehend many individuals involved in criminal behavior.

Consistent with the First Amendment Rights of all citizens, the Sheriff’s Department will be enforcing the curfew order from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM. 

While law-enforcement has fully mobilized to protect the community, trust is a two-way street.  In doing so, I am signaling my trust in the public, so we can all work together in partnership during these troubling times.

May 15 – Peace Officer’s Memorial Day 2020 592 362 SIB Staff

May 15 – Peace Officer’s Memorial Day 2020

In observance of #PeaceOfficersMemorialDay, we honor all peace officers across the United States who made the ultimate sacrifice, and laid down their lives while serving and protecting their communities. We also hold the families of those brave men and women in our hearts for the hardships they have faced after losing a loved one. We at @LASDHQ express our gratitude for the sacrifices made by these families.

collage of images: Portrait of entire M.E.T team. Image of team celebrating with Special Olympics gold medal winner. Image of MET team leading a person away from a bridge edge. MET team training with a person with Autism.
Mental Health Awareness Month 2020 – M.E.T Team 900 900 SIB Staff

Mental Health Awareness Month 2020 – M.E.T Team

A Closer Look at the LASD Mental Evaluation Team, in Recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel have been working closely with Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) staff to support the wellbeing of Los Angeles County residents.  The pandemic triggered different facets of mental health in many, like depression, fear, anxiety, frustration, and panic, and we want to let you know we are here to help.  We are here for you.

With mental illness also a crisis in our population, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) has a long-standing tradition of groundbreaking programs to approach it.  In November,1993, ours was the first law enforcement agency to collaborate with LACDMH and formed a full-time Mental Evaluation Team (MET).  Since the inception of its first five teams, the MET concept of co-response has grown into a 27-team configuration; they operate around the clock and the team is expanding every year.

Our MET teams provide crisis assessment, intervention and targeted case management services.  They diffuse potentially violent situations, prepare appropriate documentation to assist in the placement of persons with mental illness in acute inpatient psychiatric facilities, and link these individuals to outpatient mental health services or appropriate community resources.  The goal of this co-response model is to reduce the number of incidents in which force is used, reduce the number of hospitalizations and avoid unnecessary incarcerations of severely mentally ill citizens.

Despite the current circumstances, MET staff are delivering the same level of outstanding service, as in the past.  They continue to seek and innovate creative mental health programs for the betterment of the communities we serve.  In addition to responding to calls for service, they provide mental health and de-escalation training for other law enforcement agencies.  They look forward to starting an intake booking diversion program, aimed at reducing our jail population, and strengthening our mental health programs for military veterans.  MET staff work regularly with experts from the Veterans Administration and aided in creating a Veterans Mental Evaluation Team component (VMET) at the Long Beach Veterans Administration facility. 

Los Angeles County is expanding two innovative programs:  The first, to help stop those facing mental health challenges from going to jail and get them the treatment they need, instead; the second, by dispatching the Countywide Benefits Entitlement Services Team, to connect those experiencing homelessness with available services.

In 2018, the MET triage desk began helping patrol deputies in the field on a full-time basis; they held consultations and provided mental health resources to help divert patients away from incarceration when mental evaluation teams were unable to respond.  The triage desk centrally dispatches and helps expedite responses of MET units, to support patrol deputies responding to mental health crises countywide.

Another responsibility of MET is acting as lead agency of the Project Lifesaver Tracker program, which involves 82 other law enforcement agencies in the Los Angeles County area.  Project Lifesaver is a system in which a device similar to a wristwatch is worn by persons with disabilities, such as dementia and autism; the device can be tracked if the wearer leaves their residence, leading to a quicker location of the lost party.

Over the last few years, MET has grown rapidly and provided periodic updates to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ Justice Deputies, the Civilian Oversight Commission, and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry. 

If you are looking for mental health information or resources, visit the LASDMET Twitter page at @LASDMET and the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department website which provides materials and resources for you.

Visit the link:  https://dmh.lacounty.gov/covid-19-information/

Hand Texting on mobile Phone: Text to 9 1 1 is now available in L A County
Text 9 1 1 900 900 SIB Staff

Text 9 1 1

Text 9 1 1: Call If you Can. Text if you can’t

Residents of LA County, you now have a silent way to reach out for help! If you need law enforcement, the fire department or medical professionals, using your mobile phone, you now can send text messages to 9 1 1.

When you text to 9 1 1, your emergency text message will be routed to the local 9 1 1 call center who will coordinate an emergency response to your location.

If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation where you are unable to make 9 1 1 calls or dialing on your phone may put your life in danger, this service will assist you and provides a silent alternative. This service was also created to assist those who have a hearing and speech impairment.

Residents of LA County, you now have a silent way to reach out for help! If you need law enforcement, the fire…

Posted by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Friday, May 1, 2020
Woman filling out Police report on a tablet computer
File Police reports online 900 900 SIB Staff

File Police reports online

File Police reports online

In case you did not know, you can file a police report through our website.  The Sheriff’s Online Report Tracking System (SORTS) allows you to file a specific type of crime or incident report.

Once your report is reviewed and accepted, you will receive a free copy of the approved report via email for your records. All cases filed within this system will be reviewed.

If you are a victim of any of these incidents, you can file a police report using SORTS:

  • Lost or stolen cell phones valued $950 or less
  • Lost or stolen property valued $950 or less
  • Vandalism, excluding graffiti, where damage is valued under $400
  • Theft from an unlocked vehicle valued $950 or less
  • Theft from an open or unsecured area valued $950 or less
  • Supplemental Loss Form (Must already have a LASD report number)

Department policy will dictate the level of investigation needed for the incident you report to us. A Deputy Sheriff may need to follow-up by email, telephone, or in person, if the incident requires further investigation.

If you need to file a police report, click on the link below  

File a Report on line
https://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment/posts/3515126081847613
image of person on a keyboard.
Internet Safety for CHILDREN 1024 556 SIB Staff

Internet Safety for CHILDREN

Internet Safety for CHILDREN

Since the beginning of March 2020, child exploitation CyberTips reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) have increased nationwide. NCMEC reports they have experienced a 106% increase in CyberTipline reports, from 983,734 reports in March 2019 to 2,027,520 in March 2020.

Although this significant increase can be attributed in part to a few viral videos being shared and reported in March, this does bring up an opportunity to talk to your children about internet safety, and proper reporting of these crimes if seen.  

As part of Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department receives CyberTips from NCMEC and investigates them, along with the Los Angeles Police Department and our multiple local and federal law enforcement partners. If you are on the internet and see a child being exploited online, please don’t share the video out of outrage, report it to your local law enforcement agency, or NCMEC by visiting https://report.cybertip.org/. 

With recent school closures due to #COVID19, many children are using the internet from home and have recently created email accounts or social media profiles to communicate with their friends or to complete school work and education programs. If not properly supervised, this leaves children vulnerable to social engineering scams, and potentially being conned into revealing sensitive information about themselves and family, or even sharing compromising photographs of themselves.

We at the LASD are encouraging parents of children of any age to discuss internet safety with your child. Any time is the right time to make sure your children are safe. Below are some recommended tips you can follow to protect your child from becoming a victim. 

-TALK about Internet safety with children of ALL ages before they engage in online activity. Keep in mind there are several ways other than the family computer for children to access the internet, such as smartphones, tablets, and gaming systems.

-Review & approve games and apps before they are downloaded… especially applications that require access to your photos, videos, voice, and have messaging capabilities.

-Make sure privacy settings are set to the strictest level possible for online gaming systems and electronic devices. You can use parental controls or manually scan your child’s device as needed. 

-Monitor your children’s use of the internet; keep electronic devices in an open, common room of the house. Contact your Internet Service Provider to learn how to enable parental controls or use downloadable software or apps.

-Check your children’s social media profiles and see what personal information they are sharing publicly. Make sure they are not posting their age, address, phone numbers, or any other personal information.

-Explain to your children that images AKA selfies posted online will remain permanently on the internet and never share an image they don’t want the whole world to see.

-Make sure children know that anyone who asks a child to engage in sexually explicit activity online should be reported to a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult and law enforcement.

 -Remember that victims should not be afraid to tell law enforcement if they are being sexually exploited. It is not a crime for a child to send sexually explicit images to someone if they are compelled or coerced to do so.

For additional information, visit the links listed below to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website, which has published several educational tools to help educate parents and children against child predators. Go to the “Education” drop-down menu to access training videos regarding online enticement, smartphones, and social media.

CyberTips can be reported to NCMEC at: https://report.cybertip.org/

Educational Materials are available at:

https://www.kidsmartz.org

https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/home

images of volunteers gathering food at a food bank, Secondary image of volunteers on patrol in the communities they serve.
National Volunteer Week 2020 900 900 SIB Staff

National Volunteer Week 2020

National Volunteer Week 2020

In honor of National Volunteer Week, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recognizes and appreciates all our volunteers for their many hours of service. The Department and the County of Los Angeles, thank you all for your efforts and services, especially during this COVID-19 Pandemic. The LASD Volunteer motto is “Serve Others, Do Good.”

Our LASD Volunteers assist full duty deputy personnel by serving their communities during major or critical incidents as well as day to day activities. From civilian volunteers to reserve deputy sheriffs, the Reserve Forces Detail’s Volunteer Services Unit is comprised of competent and trained volunteers who wish to fulfill their dream of becoming a peace officer or be a part of the law enforcement family.

Operationally, the Volunteer Services Unit supports Reserve Deputies, Civilian Volunteers, Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT), the LASD Search & Rescue Teams, the Mounted Posse/Mounted Search & Rescue teams, and Volunteer Search Dogs.

As community members, our volunteers live in the areas they serve. They assist our communities, increase public relations, and help provide a better understanding of the Department. Truly, LASD volunteers who serve the public are, without a doubt, priceless.

These dedicated men and women donate anywhere between 80,000 to 100,000 hours of their time per quarter to ensure the people of Los Angeles County are safe. In 2019 alone, our 3,505 volunteers donated over 417,030 hours of service to the various communities the Department serves — a cost savings of approximately 9.4 million dollars to county residents.

If you would like to volunteer and be a part of our family, visit https://lasd.org/careers/reserves/ to learn more.