Los Angeles Police Department

The Los Angeles Police Department waged an aggressive behind-the-scenes campaign to convince coroner's officials to change their finding that a SWAT officer's bullet killed a 19-month-old girl held hostage by her father three years ago, according to records reviewed by The Times. The intense lobbying effort, which involved one of the department's highest-ranking officials, led to significant friction between the LAPD and coroner's office.

The Los Angeles Police Department is one of about 40 departments in city government, but it's the largest, and it has never been shy about throwing its weight around at budget time. The LAPD routinely demands more -- more money for officers, more for recruiting, more for equipment, more for technology. Chief William J.

Amid musical performances, speeches and cheers, Koreatown residents welcomed their newest neighbor: the Los Angeles Police Department's Olympic Station A large crowd of residents sat or stood outside the front entrance at 11th Street and Vermont Avenue for the festivities. The station will be staffed with at least 293 officers, who will patrol 6.2 square miles and service about 200,000 residents, mostly Koreans and Latinos. "You have a brand-new neighbor and it's Olympic Station.

When local protests broke out this month over the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Los Angeles Police Department officials decided that officers at the scene should not immediately wear their riot helmets out of concerns the gear might escalate passions among the demonstrators. But the decision has now generated controversy after a protester hit an officer with the wood post of a protest sign during a march in Westwood.

Los Angeles police followed the alleged mastermind of a burglary ring responsible for taking more than $10 million in cash and property from the homes of executives and celebrities for more than a month before his arrest last weekend based largely on DNA evidence.

Since its arrival as a crime-fighting tool, Los Angeles police officers have aggressively used the power of DNA technology to solve countless cases. When it comes to handing over their own genetic code, however, they've been told to be a lot more reticent.

The Los Angeles Police Commission violated its own strict privacy policy -- and perhaps state law -- on Friday, releasing a confidential report on the Internet that contained the names of hundreds of officers accused of racial profiling and other misconduct.

The driver of a Bentley led police on a slow-speed chase lasting more than three hours Monday night after fleeing the scene of a reported domestic dispute involving a deadly weapon, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman said.

DNA evidence in more than 400 rapes and sexual assaults has gone untested even though detectives trying to solve the crimes have not identified any suspects, Los Angeles Police Department officials acknowledged Monday.

Re "Loyal to an ideal or just out of touch?" Feb. 21 Loyal to an ideal or just out of touch? I would say neither. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal or Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, in refusing bailout money from Washington, are designing their oratory for the next Republican primaries. Witnessing that a Democrat who voted against President Bush's invasion of Iraq won the White House, they're calculating that their move will afford the same sort of bragging rights.