Los Angeles, Ca
82 arrested, 2K pounds of copper wire seized by LAPD's Heavy Metal Task Force
In a massive downtown raid, members of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Heavy Metal Task Force arrested 82 people and seized 2,000 pounds of stolen copper wire, city leaders announced Tuesday.
Formed earlier this year, the Heavy Metal Task Force, which includes members of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting, have been working to combat the sharp increase of copper wire thefts and scrap metal crimes, especially in areas like downtown L.A., Boyle Heights, El Sereno and Lincoln Heights.
“The city of Los Angeles is no longer your ATM machine,” Councilman Kevin de León said at a Tuesday press conference.
De León and Councilwoman Traci Parks worked to form the task force after many streets in their district, including the recently renovated 6th Street Bridge, went dark as a result of copper thieves.
“Wire theft is not a victimless crime,” Parks said at the presser.
According to officials, the city has spent tens of millions of dollars on repairing damage caused by these thieves, many of whom use handsaws to tear through the metal panels housing the copper wire.
-
L.A. city officials and members of LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force at a press conference on July 30, 2024. (KTLA) -
L.A. city officials and members of LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force at a press conference on July 30, 2024. (KTLA) -
Copper wire and scrap metal recovered by LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force on July 30, 2024. (Office of Kevin de Leon) -
Copper wire and scrap metal recovered by LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force on July 30, 2024. (Office of Kevin de Leon) -
Copper wire and scrap metal recovered by LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force on July 30, 2024. (KTLA) -
Copper wire and scrap metal recovered by LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force on July 30, 2024. (KTLA) -
Copper wire and scrap metal recovered by LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force on July 30, 2024. (KTLA) -
Copper wire and scrap metal recovered by LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force on July 30, 2024. (KTLA) -
Copper wire and scrap metal recovered by LAPD’s Heavy Metal Task Force on July 30, 2024. (KTLA) -
L.A.’s 6th Street Bridge seen without working streetlights due to copper theft. (KTLA) -
A cut metal grate seen after thieves stole copper wiring housed inside. (KTLA)
In January, De León said that in his district alone, some 3,700 streetlights were out.
The problem, officials say, is not simply the cost of repairs, but that leaving neighborhoods and parks in the dark is a threat to the public.
“It impacts the most vulnerable communities in the city of L.A., Black and brown neighborhoods,” he said Tuesday. “It impacts youth at parks, senior citizens, singles mothers at parks who get out of town by sundown because they’re in fear for their life when they have to walk home.”
L.A. is not alone in dealing with these types of crimes. In Pasadena, officials are working to make it harder for crooks to access these metals, which are often inside unique and historic architecture throughout the city.
The city’s streetlights are a major target for thieves.
“Some of these currents are up to 3,000 volts, which could be lethal,” Pasadena Public Works Commissioner Garrett Crawford told KTLA. “They leave a dangerous condition out in the public right of way, and we need a remedy right away.”
Pasadena is even offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of these metal thieves.
“We’ve all had enough,” Parks said. “We’re cracking down and people will, in fact, be held accountable for their conduct.”
No information about the identities of those arrested was provided.
The future of voice to text is here.
I’ve been testing a variety of tools that make taking notes, transcribing audio, and even voice typing faster and easier than ever.
If you have a smartphone, you’re already halfway there!
Google’s Pixel Recorder app is free and built into their smartphone. It’s excellent for transcribing meetings, lectures, and conversations – all in real time.
Apple’s Voice Memos App recently added transcriptions if you’re upgraded to iOS 18.
Samsung’s Voice recorder app now offers transcripts too – as long as you’re on their latest One UI 7 software. (Check Settings > About Phone > Software Information)
Got an older phone? Try Otter.AI. It works great for transcriptions across devices and you get 300 minutes a month free.
Don’t want to tie up your phone?
I’ve been testing AI-powered digital audio recorders from a startup named Plaud.
The Plaud Note is thin, records for hours, and can even clip to the back of your phone to record calls. Just make sure you know your local laws before using that feature.
The Plaud Pin can be clipped to your shirt or worn on your wrist for hands-free recording.
Both devices sync audio to a companion app that auto transcribes and summarizes.
You get five hours of transcription a month included, with options to pay for more.
Pricing for each gadget starts around $160 dollars.
Want to transcribe audio files on your computer?
My favorite Mac app is MacWhisper. You can even get it completely free – although paid versions are avaialble with more features and options.
On Windows, check out Vibe Transcribe, also free.
And for a web-based option, Whisper Web gets the job done.
Finally, if you want to type less and talk more… there’s an excellent AI voice-to-text app called Wispr Flow. It was previously Mac only but just became avaialble for Windows, too.
One you install it, you pick a hotkey. Then, instead of typing just press and hold down that key and dictate what you want to write.
Since it uses the power of AI, you can even stumble or ramble and it will clean up your words and get the punctionation right.
It’s a gamechanger for responding to emails fast! You get 2,000 words free each week with options to pay for more.
Enjoy your newfound time!
An alleged attack on a state prison officer by a 43-year-old inmate transferred from Los Angeles County is being investigated as attempted homicide, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials announced Tuesday.
The March 18 incident at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad reportedly unfolded just before 9 a.m. on what authorities describe as a “dayroom floor.”
The inmate, Anthony G. Ramirez, is believed to have pulled an improvised weapon from his waistband before attempting to attack custody staff member, according to a CDCR news release.
“Staff immediately responded, disarming Ramirez and placing him in handcuffs without incident,” the release detailed.
The 43-year-old, who was transferred to SVSP in 2008 after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder, with enhancements for the use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury or death, was placed in restrictive housing pending the investigation and possible felony prosecution by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
Both Ramirez and the custody staff member were examined by medical personnel who noted no serious injuries.
Officials said that the California Correctional Peace Officers Association was notified of the incident and prison staff were offered peer support services and employee assistance programs.
Salinas Valley State Prison, opened in 1996, houses more than 2,400 minimum, medium, maximum and high-security inmates. The facility also offers vocational programs and academic classes and employs some 1,800 people.
A toxic algal bloom leaving an increasing number of marine mammals stranded along Southern California beaches shows no signs of subsiding and “will only get worse,” officials said Monday.
“This week, we saw more stranded dolphins (both alive and deceased) than we saw during the major domoic acid (DA) bloom in 2023,” Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) Los Angeles posted on Facebook.
Recent tests showed DA-producing algae levels have increased, and officials believe that trend will continue in the coming weeks. “We anticipate that it will only get worse,” the post read.
MMCC asked the public not to approach sick dolphins or sea lions on the beach because they can become aggressive upon awakening from a seizure.
“This is a safety issue for people and their pets as much as it is for the marine mammals,” officials said.
Beachgoers were also urged not to push stranded dolphins back into the water, saying it can reduce their chances of survival.
More information about domoic-acid poisoning can be found at https://marinemammalcare.org/domoic-acid/.
The volume of sick marine mammals has also had a financial impact on the MMCC.
“Our team is working heroically to respond to every call and to rescue every animal they can. Please share this post and give now at marinemammalcare.org/donate to give these marine mammals a second chance at life!” the MMCC stated.
Anyone who encounters a sick or stranded marine mammal can alert the nearest lifeguard and call 1-800-39-WHALE to make a report.
Questions and answers about Montana’s new second-home tax
Nebraska volleyball releases 2025 schedule
Nevada County Recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month
Concerns about transparency swirl around Nashua performing arts center – The Boston Globe
Rite Aid files bankruptcy, to close 300 stores. Which NJ Rite Aid stores are closing?
-
Education1 week agoVideo: Columbia University President Is Booed at Commencement Ceremony
-
Technology1 week agoAMD’s new RX 9060 XT looks set to challenge Nvidia’s RTX 5060
-
News1 week agoRead the Full ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Report
-
Technology1 week agoAre Character AI’s chatbots protected speech? One court isn’t sure
-
Culture1 week agoHow Manga Megastar Junji Ito Makes Terrifying Series Like ‘Uzumaki’
-
News1 week ago'Golden Dome' Missile Shield To Be 1st US Weapon In Space. All About It
-
World1 week agoBelgium requests lifting of MEP immunity to investigate Huawei scandal
-
News1 week agoVideo: Trump Repeats False Claims to South African President