Police Vehicles

A Los Angeles jury awarded $6.9 million to a Compton woman who suffered brain damage as a result of getting struck by a speeding police vehicle, attorneys said Tuesday. The jury delivered the unanimous verdict last week in the case of Sandra Griffin, 45, whose car was broadsided in 2006 on Imperial Highway in South L.A. by a police vehicle traveling 51 mph in a 35-mph zone without lights or sirens on.

The Supreme Court justices, hearing arguments on high-speed police chases, signaled Monday that they were likely to shield officers from being sued for ramming a fleeing car and forcing it off the road. Most of the justices said a speeding car posed an extraordinary danger to other motorists and might justify the use of force to stop the fleeing suspect. The case has drawn wide attention because of continuing controversy over high-speed police pursuits, in California and elsewhere.

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 109,664 high-performance Crown Victoria Police Interceptor sedans to fix wheels that may crack and cause flat tires. The affected cars were from the 2003 to 2005 model years and were built in St. Thomas, Canada, Ford said in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Police attribute two crashes to the wheels, which Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford disputes.

After years of misfires and false starts, the Los Angeles Police Department is finally on the verge of installing digital video cameras in the first 300 of its patrol cars -- those used by officers in the South Bureau. A test of four competing systems has led Police Chief William J. Bratton to recommend a contract with IBM Corp. for the first phase of a program that will eventually have the cameras installed in all 1,600 patrol cars citywide.

The Police Commission agreed Tuesday to a one-week delay in a plan to select IBM to install video cameras in 300 patrol cars. Another bidder, Panasonic, questioned whether there were hidden costs in its competitor's proposal. The bidding rules require the Police Department to hold a hearing on the protest by Tuesday, when the contract proposal will be back before the commission.

The Police Commission on Tuesday selected IBM Corp. to install 300 digital video cameras in patrol cars in the first phase of a program that could put cameras in all 1,600 police vehicles. "It is a high priority for this commission and for the department," said Commission President John Mack. The $5-million contract needs City Council approval.

Question: On a recent crossing from Mexico back to the U.S., I was stopped for an alleged traffic infraction in Tijuana. The police ended up taking me to an ATM, where I withdrew $500 in cash. Then they then let me go. What could I have done? Rob Gonzalez Claremont -- Answer: The letters we receive often deal with broken promises (by airlines, hotels and other travel providers), bad treatment (by airlines, hotels and other travel providers) and unruly behavior (by everybody).

The Police Commission on Tuesday approved a $5.5-million contract with IBM Corp. to install digital cameras in 300 Los Angeles Police Department patrol cars. The City Council and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also must agree to the three-year contract before it becomes official. Authorities say it will take about four months to install the cameras in patrol cars in the South Bureau area. The cameras record action both in front of the vehicle and in the back seat.

Police chased and shot a 26-year-old man suspected of stealing a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department patrol car early Christmas morning. The suspect, Regino Aguilar, was taken to a hospital with wounds that were not considered life-threatening. He will be booked into county jail on suspicion of auto theft, felony evading and assault, according to Lt. Kevin Rooney of the San Diego Police Department homicide squad. Aguilar allegedly stole the black-and-white vehicle from 7900 Compton Ave.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating a deputy whose marked patrol car was stolen when he left it parked with the keys inside on Christmas Day, authorities said Wednesday.