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<\/a>\nIntroducing Spectrum News+
Watch the latest news from across the country.<\/p>\n
Today’s Big Stories<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0Law enforcement agencies begin holiday DUI crackdown<\/a><\/p>\n Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies will join other agencies across the country Friday in stepping up patrols to search for impaired motorists as part of a national campaign to discourage drunken driving during the holiday season.<\/p>\n The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign began Friday and will continue through New Year’s Day. Sheriff’s officials said the agency will have additional deputies on patrol on the lookout for possibly impaired motorists.<\/p>\n “We want to make sure everyone gets home safely so that they can celebrate the holiday season with their families and loved ones,” sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Lennig said in a statement.<\/p>\n According to the sheriff’s department, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that 1,038 people were killed in the United States in December 2023 in alcohol-related crashes.<\/p>\n Officials also noted that prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, cannabis and other drugs can also cause impaired driving, not just alcohol.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0LA Council approves $1M for additional LAPD recruits<\/a><\/p>\n The Los Angeles City Council Friday approved a $1 million funding proposal for additional hiring of new Los Angeles Police Department recruits for January and February.<\/p>\n In a 9-6 vote, the council advanced a proposal introduced by members Katy Yaroslavsky, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, and Ysabel Jurado to allocate enough dollars to cover additional hiring for the next two months. The proposal allows LAPD to continue hiring new recruits while giving council members time to discuss a larger plan to fund more officers while addressing long-term budget concerns, as well as risks to more than 200 specialized civilian LAPD employees.<\/p>\n Council members Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Heather Hutt, John Lee, Traci Park and Imelda Padilla voted against the plan, opting to support a $4.4 million funding proposal made by Lee.<\/p>\n City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo reported the annual cost for additional officers would be closer to $24 million. The initial $4.4 million would serve as partial cost for hiring mid-year. If the department reaches 480 new recruits, the cost increases more than $6 million for hiring mid-year, and approximately $33.5 million for annual, ongoing, spending.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the council approved the $1 million funding plan on the last day before their three-week winter recess begins.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0LAFD receives Award of Excellence star in Hollywood<\/a><\/p>\n Following through on a suggestion by a 14-year-old girl, the Los Angeles Fire Department was honored with an Award of Excellence star adjacent to the Hollywood Walk of Fame Friday, recognizing the agency’s bravery and public service battling the Palisades and Sunset fires in January.<\/p>\n The star, located outside the Ovation Entertainment Complex on Hollywood Boulevard, was recommended by a Connecticut eighth-grade student, Eniola Taiwo, who wrote a letter as part of a class assignment about personal heroes. Her letter was addressed to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, suggesting that firefighters who battled the deadly January fires were worthy of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<\/p>\n Similar awards have been presented in the past, with recipients including the Los Angeles Times, Variety, the Dodgers and Los Angeles Police Department fallen officers.<\/p>\n “This recognition is not only about honoring the bravery of the Los Angeles Fire Department, but also about celebrating the vision of a young student whose words reminded us all of the importance of gratitude and civic pride,” Steve Nissen, president\/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement prior to the event.<\/p>\n
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