Law Enforcement

LAPD officers trade policing for mentoring with PAL program
With the largest housing projects west of the Mississippi and 120 recognized gangs within 10 square miles, the Southeast Division of the Los Angeles Police Department is working harder than ever to keep children away from the gang culture. Officers started a local chapter of the Police Activities League (PAL) in Southeast Los Angeles to provide sports teams, field trips and mentoring opportunities for children exposed to violence and fear on a daily basis.
Intersections South LA Report

Fire officials: Beware of fallen firefighter donation scam
Los Angeles fire officials warned the public about con artists soliciting donations in the name of a firefighter killed last week when a water-saturated ceiling caved-in on him. "If anyone tries to contact you via phone, e-mail or front door, attempting to collect money on behalf of the Los Angeles Fire Department and/or fallen firefighter Glenn Allen, call 911," Capt. Jaime Moore said. "There have been recent reports of people going door-to-door carrying cans, asking for money, taking advantage of this tragedy," Moore said. "Our deepest condolences go out to the Allen family."
Los Angeles Daily News

Florida city loses third police officer in 28 days to shootings
Hundreds of police officers scoured a Saint Petersburg, Florida, neighborhood Tuesday for a police officer's killer, vowing to hold a perimeter around the crime scene until they've searched every nook where a person could possibly hide. The killing was the third death of a law enforcement officer in the city in less than a month. The search, involving hundreds of officers, scent dogs and aircraft, forced the closure of several nearby streets and three schools. School officials sent students to other locations for the day.
CNN

Prisons

Lawmakers moved to shrink prisoner counts last year
California was among 23 states that approved legislative measures last year to reduce the number of people in their prisons. The legislation enacted here was small in scope, but nonetheless part of a national trend, according to a new report by The Sentencing Project, an organization that advocates for alternatives to incarceration. State officials increasingly have little choice but to shrink their inmate rolls, as the report explains:
California Watch

State Budget Crisis

Voters know little about budget details
Gov. Jerry Brown wants California voters to weigh in by June on his plan to balance the budget. But the voters, polls show, know next to nothing about the state's finances, and much of what they think they know is wrong. That widespread ignorance, understandable in a state as complex as most countries, might play a role in shaping the debate over Brown's plan, and ultimately the outcome.
HealthyCal.org

Election 2011

City ballot measures would rein in DWP
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power nearly brought City Hall to its knees last year, threatening to withhold $73.5 million from the city budget unless the council approved an increase in electricity rates. That dispute was resolved months ago. But repercussions from the fight live on in the March 8 election campaign, which has two measures on the ballot aimed at reining in the DWP.
Los Angeles Times