Affordable housing to transform formerly restricted South LA site
Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías arrested on domestic violence charges
Pg 31
Pg 15
VISIT ARCADIAWEEKLY.COM
Thursday, September 07-September 13, 2023
Local. Relevant. Trusted.
LA OKs plan to track filing of gun violence restraining orders
VOL. 27,
U.S. sues SoCal Edison alleging liability for 2020 Bobcat Fire By City News Service
T
By City News Service
he U.S. government Friday sued Southern California Edison, alleging in federal court that the Bobcat Fire -- one of the largest wildfires ever in Los Angeles County -- was caused by the failure of Socal Edison and its tree maintenance contractor to properly maintain trees that came into contact with power lines and caused the 2020 blaze. The complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that the Socal Edison and Utility Tree Service were negligent and therefore liable for damages sustained by the government during the fire that burned more than 114,000 acres, nearly 100,000 of which were in the Angeles National Forest. SoCal Edison spokesman Reggie Kumar said that while it would not be appropriate to discuss pending litigation, the company's "thoughts remain with the people who were affected by the Bobcat Fire, who lost homes, vehicles and were evacuated. We are reviewing the U.S. Department of Justice's legal action." According to the complaint, the U.S. Forest Service sustained fire suppression costs in excess of $56 million, and it incurred property and natural resource damages of more than $65 million. "Forest Service investigators determined that the Bobcat Fire ignited due to a tree in contact with power lines (conductors) owned and operated by SCE and maintained by SCE and UTS," the lawsuit states. "The contact resulted in See Bobcat Fire Page 32
LA County officials speak during a gun violence restraining order press conference. | Photo courtesy of LA County Department of Public
T
he Los Angeles City Council Tuesday approved recommendations intended to promote and track the filing of gun violence restraining orders against people who pose a danger to themselves or others. The council voted 14-0 to support recommendations in a report from the Los Angeles Police Department, with Councilwoman Heather Hutt absent for the vote. LAPD Detective Marie Sadanaga, a gun violence restraining order coordinator, filed the report, which
recommends the creation of a database that can be used by the LAPD and the City Attorney's Office to track gun violence emergency protective orders and temporary firearms restraining orders. It also recommends partnering with the L.A. County Office of Violence Prevention to increase awareness in the community about GVROs. According to the report, the database will serve to ensure proper follow-up on mandated hearings, within a 21-day time frame, to consider a long- term GVRO that would limit an individ-
ual from accessing firearms for up to five years. The report also notes that GVRO denials and inquiries should be tracked. Other recommendations include raising GVRO awareness and enforcement in partnership with courts, communities and law enforcement. The LAPD previously established an internal database to track GVROs obtained by officers, but the City Attorney's Office is unable to access it. The report was initiated by a motion introduced by Councilman Tim McOsker in
NO. 137
February seeking to identify the "necessary resources" to promote and track the use of California Red Flag laws to file GVROs. "California's Red Flag law allows employers, coworkers, teachers and family to seek a court order to remove firearms from a person they perceive as potentially dangerous," McOsker's motion read. "Through removing firearms, even temporarily, from the possession of a person who is considered a threat to others, red flag laws are a tool to prevent gun violence."
Bobcat Fire. | Photo by girlenginerd (CC BY 2.0)