Law Enforcement

Villaraigosa cites officer hiring level in crime dip
Citing a drop in major crimes for the ninth straight year, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pressured the City Council Thursday to back his plan to continue hiring LAPD officers. "Make no mistake about it, there is a direct correlation between the drop in crime and the number of cops we have on the street," Villaraigosa said at a news conference with police Chief Charlie Beck and other officials.
Los Angeles Daily News

Investigation into death of Notorious B.I.G. heats up
A task force made up of local and federal law enforcement agencies is actively pursuing leads into the 1997 slaying of hip hop artist Christopher Wallace, better known as Biggie Smalls or Notorious B.I.G., according to two sources familiar with the investigation. According to one law enforcement source, the investigation into the 13-year-old unsolved case was "reinvigorated" months ago as a result of new information, but the source would not elaborate further because of the ongoing investigation that includes the Los Angeles Police Department, L.A. County District Attorney's Office and the FBI.
CNN

New Laws

Motorists ring in the New Year with new laws
January 1 not only ushers in a new year but also a handful of new laws for California's motoring public. These new traffic laws were passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, and the California Highway Patrol is asking the public to familiarize themselves with the new laws. "The new laws are designed to make California roadways safer for travelers regardless of their mode of transportation," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
CHP Press Release

Prisons

Lethal injection drug tied to London wholesaler
California's corrections department appears to have received a key lethal injection drug via a London wholesaler working out of a driving school's office. The Arizona Department of Corrections bought sodium thiopental from Dream Pharma Ltd., according to a Sept. 28 invoice obtained by multiple British news outlets. Shortly thereafter, Arizona officials provided their California counterparts 12 grams of the drug.
California Watch

Politics

Candidates vying for Greig Smith's open council seat begin race
The campaign for the only open seat in the 2011 Los Angeles City Council elections began Wednesday night with candidates trying to outdo each other in their loathing of business taxes and love of horses. The occasion was a public question-and-answer session - put on by the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council - that marked the first joint appearance by the five men and one woman vying to succeed retiring City Councilman Greig Smith as representative of District 12 in the northwest San Fernando Valley.
Los Angeles Daily News

Pensions

U.S. inquiry said to focus on California Pension Fund
Federal regulators are investigating whether California violated securities laws and failed to provide adequate disclosure about its giant public pension fund, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation. The Securities and Exchange Commission normally polices companies, but last year it brought its first enforcement action ever against a state, accusing New Jersey of securities fraud for misleading bond investors about the condition of its pension fund.
New York Times