Bass breaks up notorious Van Nuys encampment
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass yesterday, through her Inside Safe program, housed more than 30 Angelenos in a shocking and notorious encampment in Van Nuys.
The previously entrenched encampment was the site of violence and dangerous fires in recent years and is now being safely cleared by City crews.
“The cost of leaving people to live in these dangerous conditions is just too high: people die on the street each day, businesses lose customers, children cannot safely walk to school, and accidental fires put everyone in danger,” said Bass. “We cannot accept Angelenos living on the street in dangerous conditions while permanent housing is being built. Today, Inside Safe helped more than 30 people come into safe housing from squalid tents – this is an important step forward on the road to stability.”
Bass said through Inside Safe, street homelessness has declined two years in a row. The City cannot allow people with misguided intentions that wish to keep people on the streets to halt this work, which saves lives and restores neighborhoods, she said.
Parris, Crist laud Lanaster PD becoming a certified agency
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris and Vice Mayor Marvin Crist this week announced that the Lancaster Police Department (LPD) is now a certified agency through the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).
This official certification signifies that LPD has met the rigorous training, hiring, and operational standards set forth by the state to ensure professional, ethical, and effective law enforcement. POST certification is a major milestone for the department and a testament to the City’s ongoing commitment to public safety, accountability, and community trust.
“POST certification elevates the Lancaster Police Department to a new level of service,” said Parris. “It ensures our officers are trained to the highest standards and demonstrates our dedication to building a department that reflects the best of modern policing.”
Crist also expressed his enthusiasm for this major milestone: “This is a proud moment for our City. Becoming POST certified is more than a credential—it’s a promise to our residents that Lancaster PD is here to lead with integrity, compassion, and purpose. We’re setting a new standard for public safety in the Antelope Valley.”
The Lancaster Police Department also leverages cutting-edge technology through its expanding Intelligence & Crime Center, which integrates real-time tools like ShotSpotter, and drones. ShotSpotter’s advanced AI pinpoints the exact location of gunfire within seconds and can distinguish between gunshots and other loud noises—like fireworks—ensuring accurate alerts and faster response times.
By layering these technologies, LPD gives officers real-time situational awareness before a 911 call even comes in, helping reduce false alarms and get help to those in need more quickly.
Pérez decries ICE detainment of a model constituent
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Upland) yesterday called for the release of Pasadena resident Rami Othmane by immigration authorities:
“I call for the immediate release of Rami Othmane, a constituent of my district who was taken by masked federal immigration enforcement authorities on July 13 in Pasadena. Othmane has cancer and is in the process of applying for a Permanent Resident Card. Othmane has been denied access to the medical attention he needs. His wife is a doctor who serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Huntington Hospital. After being held in downtown Los Angeles, Othmane has been moved to a detention facility in Arizona,” said Pérez..
“This President and the federal administration have no human compassion. Mr. Othmane has no criminal record and is a valuable community member. The indiscriminate and violent immigration enforcement is cruel and misguided. We are a nation of immigrants.
“The federal government should be working together to pass sensible immigration reform that would allow our good neighbors to openly contribute to our nation’s prosperity and wellbeing.”
Friedman announces fed funding for Glendale Community College
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood, Hollywood) yesterday announced that Glendale Community College is receiving a $599,739 federal investment from the National Science Foundation IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program.
The grant will help build a pioneering Virtual Reality (VR) Research Lab and curricular enhancement initiative to increase interest, participation, and success among community college students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.
“I’m excited for Glendale Community College and thankful for the National Science Foundation’s investment in one of their programs. I’ll keep fighting to bring more federal investments like this one back to GCC and California to ensure our state continues leading in science and innovation. Employers and students alike are calling for more STEM education, and this investment will help answer those calls. I’m excited to see this investment become a reality,” said Friedman..
Glendale Community College is a public community college that serves more than 16,000 students from Glendale and beyond. The nearly $600,000 award supports a multi-pronged strategy to integrate virtual reality technology across STEM curricula.
Key activities include creating a student/faculty-led VR Research Lab, developing a student-run VR consultancy, and implementing work-based learning experiences aligned with regional workforce demands.
The program also emphasizes interdisciplinary faculty training to develop immersive VR instructional content in biology, engineering, physics, and other fields.
