Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Elysian Park, Harvard Heights and 17 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 19 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. 13 neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Elysian Park was the most unusual, recording four reports compared with a weekly average of 0.1 over the last three months.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD bringing anti-gang skills to Dodger Stadium
The Los Angeles Police Department announced plans to bring aggressive crime-fighting tactics that it employs on city streets into Dodger Stadium as part of a security crackdown a week after a visiting fan was attacked in the ballpark's parking lot. Overriding a Dodger policy against armed police inside the stadium, Police Chief Charlie Beck said Friday that uniformed officers will be posted throughout the ballpark and will be more aggressive about arresting or expelling people who cause trouble.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. thugs at Dodger Stadium have their role models
We've seen it before: after the Rodney King beating, after Lakers championships turn into festivals of looting, and now after thugs nearly murdered a father of two because he was fond of the wrong team. The predictable L.A. post-catastrophe blame game has kicked into high gear. More cops. Better lighting. Zero tolerance for rowdiness. Maybe even a beer ban. It's that serious. The Dodger experience must be saved. It's one of the crown jewels of life in SoCal. Or should I say, "Was?"
Doug McIntyre/Los Angeles Daily News

State Budget Crisis

California gets bright budget news, with revenue up in March
State Controller John Chiang and the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office are reporting that California enjoyed a surprise boost in personal income tax revenue for March, more than $1.2 billion above projections. A major factor appeared to be that California paid out $953 million less in refunds than the Department of Finance projected.
Sacramento Bee

Pensions

Pension scare tactics ignore the changes already made
In a society where a growing number of public workers are reaching retirement age, the stability of California's public pension funds must be ensured. Unfortunately, the rhetoric of the public pension busters seems to be heating up at the same rate that the problem is cooling down. CalPERS - the California Public Employees' Retirement System - after a decline during the economic crash, is in good shape again, having grown $70 billion since its losses in the last recession. Its funding is back to 70 percent, a level that national rating agencies and financial analysts consider healthy.
Sacramento Bee

Sacramento police, firefighters to be asked to chip in on pensions
For decades, police officers and firefighters in the city of Sacramento have paid nothing out of pocket toward their retirement accounts. Instead, City Hall has picked up the bill. It's a common arrangement, negotiated years ago in lieu of raises. It's also a benefit both city officials and labor leaders expect will be targeted during budget talks as the city's deficit persists and public pressure mounts to rein in the costs of public employee pensions.
Sacramento Bee

Prisons

State's lethal injection drug passes lab tests
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's supply of a key lethal injection drug is lab-certified as sterile and sufficiently potent. Prison officials sent off a share of their sodium thiopental for testing in January to confirm the drug was manufactured properly. The department purchased 521 grams of the anesthetic in October from an obscure pharmaceutical wholesaler in London.
California Watch

Government

Calif lawmakers barred from having guns in Capitol
The speaker of the California Assembly has blocked permission given to four lawmakers to carry concealed weapons inside the state Capitol, a spokesman said Friday. Speaker John Perez "does not believe that members should bring weapons into the Capitol because the job of protecting the men and women who visit and work in the Capitol is best left to the well-trained professionals in the sergeant's office and the California Highway Patrol," spokesman John Vigna said.
Associated Press