Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/638181
ByEricTucker TheAssociatedPress WASHINGTON Attorney General Loretta Lynch plans to visit six cities to highlight police depart- ments she sees as role mod- els for law enforcement. The locations were cho- sen because they embody a particular trait of success- ful policing, such as ef- fective use of data, strong community relationships or a commitment to officer safety, Lynch said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. The first visit is planned for Thursday and Friday to Miami-Dade County in Florida, where Lynch will praise the Doral police de- partment for its commu- nity policing strategies. She'll also host a youth town hall and a commu- nity policing discussion in Miami. The other locations are Portland, Oregon; India- napolis; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Phoenix and Los Angeles. "It really is our hope to highlight the areas where police and community members are sitting down together and figuring out, 'How do we all make this work?'" she said. Lynch, a former fed- eral prosecutor in New York, has already visited places whose police forces are considered to have troubled community re- lations. Now, the focus turns to departments succeed- ing in implementing "pil- lars" of policing identi- fied in a White House re- port last May. Each city on the tour represents a different pillar, which in- clude building commu- nity trust, community policing, crime reduction and officer training and education. "I'm going to jurisdic- tions where departments have taken those pillars, have made substantial and concrete advances toward them and where we're see- ing positive results," Lynch said, adding that she hopes they can be guideposts for departments looking to im- prove. The policing initiative is part of a national discus- sion on effective tactics, a topic that's taken on new urgency amid a series of high-profile police shoot- ings of unarmed young men in places including Ferguson, Missouri; Cleve- land; and North Charles- ton, South Carolina. That conversation has often been "painful on many fronts," Lynch said. But, she said, she's been en- couraged by the number of police departments looking to evolve on training and tactics and to improve co- operation with the Justice Department, which has the authority to investigate troubled departments and press for sweeping over- hauls. "In my first incarnation as U.S. Attorney when we dealt with these issues, every situation was ad- versarial, every situation was generally confronta- tional," Lynch said. "Now we're at a point where we have police departments reaching out to us for as- sistance." In Ferguson, city offi- cials are preparing for a vote on a proposed settle- ment with the Justice De- partment that could lead to extensive changes in police policies, training and practices. The Justice Department would have the option of suing Fergu- son if it rejects the deal. The attorney general said she hopes it won't come to that. "We think that the agreement that's been pre- sented to the city of Fer- guson is comprehensive, it's thorough, it's fair and it effectively addresses the problems that we outlined so many months ago," Lynch said. "We hope that they will vote on it expe- ditiously and that we can move forward and avoid litigation." ROLE MODELS LA among cities AG plans to visit to discuss police By Alison Noon The Associated Press SACRAMENTO Gouging by oil companies could be one reason California drivers pay about 76 cents more for a gallon of regu- lar gas than motorists else- where in the nation, a state government panel was told Monday. Fuel experts and con- sumer advocates also told the Petroleum Market Ad- visory Committee that a high state gas tax and more rigorous regulations have kept prices relatively high as oil prices have plunged across the nation in recent months. Drivers in California pay more partly because of stiffer fuel blend standards to meet the state's unique air-quality rules, speakers said at the hearing. The panel, appointed by the California Energy Commission, is studying whether changes in state policies and laws could rein in the prices. The average price in Cal- ifornia for a gallon of reg- ular gasoline was $2.50 on Monday — 76.5 cents higher than the national aver- age, according to Gordon Schremp, a fuels adviser at the CEC Energy Assessment Division. Committee Chairman Severin Borenstein said taxes and cleaner-burn- ing fuel account for about 40 cents of the price differ- ence. Witnesses split over whether the additional cost stems from price gouging by providers. Bob van der Valk, se- nior editor of the Bakken Oil Business Journal, said a lack of active oil trad- ers has opened the door to price gouging. "We have an ill-equipped market, so it is prime to be manipulated and it is be- ing manipulated," van der Valk said. Dolores Santos of the Oil Price Information Service noted that a number of fu- els advisers and gas com- panies have left California or deactivated their busi- nesses — increasing pric- ing fluctuations — since a regulatory provision of As- sembly Bill 32 took effect a year ago. Jamie Court, president of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, ar- gued that oil refiners have been intentionally importing less oil and in- creasing exports, thereby tightening supplies in Cal- ifornia. Two industry associa- tions were invited to the meeting. Their representa- tives did not comment dur- ing the discussion. Lawmakers last year held hearings on gas prices after one of the largest price swings in recent his- tory. State energy officials said two refineries that make up 17 percent of the state's pro- cessing capacity went of- fline after a plant explosion and a labor dispute, limit- ing supply and driving up prices. AT THE PUMP Are oil companies gouging Californians? RICHPEDRONCELLI—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station on Monday in Sacramento. Experts tell panel why state fuel prices are higher than rest of nation The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Los Ange- les residents displaced by a massive, 15-week natu- ral gas leak will have more time to return to their homes once the well is plugged, under an agree- ment announced Monday between city officials and Southern California Gas Co. The deal will give resi- dents up to eight days to move back to the Porter Ranch area, rather than 48 hours, the utility and City Attorney Mike Feuer said in separate state- ments. "This agreement will help residents resume their daily routines on schedules that work best for them," Feuer said. Nearly 5,700 households have been relocated since December. Many residents complained about head- aches, nosebleeds, nausea and other symptoms. Public health officials blame those symptoms on the odorant added to the gas and say they don't ex- pect long-term health ef- fects The deal would allow the company to stop pay- ing for short-term housing such as hotels eight days and seven nights after the state declares the well per- manently sealed. SoCalGas will also pay rent and costs such as util- ities and gardening ser- vices for the remainder of a lease term for tempo- rary housing. In addition, residents will receive re- imbursements for moving and travel expenses asso- ciated with their reloca- tions. LOS ANGELES Re si de nt s di sp la ce d by 1 5- we ek ga s le ak g et m or e ti me t o re tu rn BRIAN MELLEY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Los Angeles residents wait in line outside a Southern California Gas Co. office set up to handle claims by people affected by a 15-week-old gas leak in the Proter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday. EVAN VUCCI — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks during an interview with The Associated Press about improving relationships between police and their communities, Monday at the Justice Department in Washington. The Associated Press LOS ANGELES A murder suspect mistakenly released from jail last month was recaptured Monday in Ne- vada, authorities said. Los Angeles County sher- iff's detectives learned ear- lier in the day that Steven Lawrence Wright might be hiding in a Boulder City ho- tel and requested assistance from the FBI and local po- lice departments. Wright was taken into custody without incident, a sher- iff's statement said. No additional charges will be filed against Wright, who will be held in Nevada pending an extradition hearing, the statement said. Investigators had been scrambling to recapture Wrightsincehisreleasefrom theInmateReceptionCenter inLosAngelesonJan.30and had been notifying potential targets he might seek, inter- viewingthosewhoknowhim best and chasing down tips from the public. Deputies didn't realize the mistake until more than 24 hours later, when they launched their manhunt. Wright had been behind bars since April 2011 follow- ing his arrest in the shoot- ing death of a 47-year-old man that year in Pasadena, California. At the time, po- lice said Wright belonged to the Altadena Blocc Crips, and that the victim be- longed to a rival gang. He had been found guilty of the killing in 2014 but his conviction was overturned last year after a judge found the trial wasn't fair. Wright was set for a preliminary hearing in a new murder trial next month, when he also was set to be sentenced for an attempted murder conviction. A court clerk incorrectly wrote down the case num- ber of Wright's murder charge next to details of his sentence, officials said. LOS ANGELES Inmate mistakenly released recaptured | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 8 A