Law Enforcement

LAPD arrests ex-carnival worker in Ohio in 1978 cold case murder
A former carnival worker has been arrested in connection with the 1978 cold case murder of an executive at his Palms home, Los Angeles police detectives said Monday. Walter Randolph Peartree, 62, was arrested on the L.A. County murder warrant at 10:30 a.m. at his residence in Delaware, Ohio, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division's cold case unit.
Los Angeles Times

Giving kids an alternative to gangs
Crime fighting takes many forms. Patrolling neighborhoods to deter criminal activity and making arrests when crimes do occur are a big part of the job. But increasingly, efforts are underway through community-based policing programs to reach inner-city kids in ways that keep them from becoming easy prey for gangs. One of the most promising efforts along these lines comes from the LAPD's Southeast Division, where officers are taking Watts-area kids on surfing trips and to sports events.
LAPPL Blog

Caught on video: Backpack Bandit strikes again
Little Tokyo's Backpack Bandit has a propensity for ladies pushing walkers, and their jewelry. Police suspect the same man accused of choking a legally blind woman, 68, in broad daylight before taking $100 worth of her jewelry in July has struck again, this time targeting a 79-year-old woman in nearly the same area. The Backpack Bandit, as police have dubbed him due to his choice of accessory, stole a chain from the elderly woman as she walked down a garden path behind 244 S. San Pedro St.
NBC LA

Police catch 2 armed gunmen in Sherman Oaks; 2 still at large
Police found two armed gunman Monday afternoon who robbed two businesses and fired at a witness who pursued them into Sherman Oaks. Two additional suspects remain at large. Officers cordoned off three square blocks of Sherman Oaks as they searched for the four suspected gunmen, catching two of them later in the afternoon. Los Angeles police and SWAT officers were involved in the manhunt near Sepulveda and Valley Vista boulevards, LAPD Officer Karen Rayner said.
Los Angeles Daily News

10 Top Law Enforcement Apps
POLICE Magazine has identified 10 smartphone apps that provide potent tools for patrol officers. These 10 law enforcement apps should keep you engaged in your investigations and may just save you a trip back to the station. We also surveyed POLICE readers to find out which apps you're using that help make your job more efficient. We've picked apps from the two most popular platforms—Apple's iOS and Android operating system—and provided details below. We've also included feedback from officers on several of the apps. We've elected not to print the names of respondents, only their agency and role.
POLICE Magazine

Privacy groups challenge proposal expanding access to terrorist watch list
The Homeland Security Department's plan to centralize and expand in-house access to the FBI's database of suspected terrorists has prompted a letter of protest from a coalition of Washington privacy organizations. In public comments submitted Aug. 5, a coalition led by the Electronic Privacy Information Center challenged a proposed rule under which Homeland Security would duplicate an existing system of records to create the DHS Watchlist Service.
Government Executive

Ex-LAPD Chief Bratton interested in heading Scotland Yard
Throughout his tenure as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, William J. Bratton was fond of saying that the post would be the last such job he would hold. And for a while, it appeared big city police work might be behind him for good. Bratton became the chairman of the global security firm Kroll, advising clients such as Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, and was named to the board of a new Motorola spin-off company.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

Calif. says Facebook will remove inmates' pages
Facebook has agreed to work with law enforcement agencies nationwide to remove accounts set up by inmates or posted on their behalf, in part because prisoners are using the social networking site to stalk victims and direct criminal activity, California prison officials said Monday. It's the latest effort to combat a problem that has grown with the advent of smart phones and social networking sites.
Associated Press

Legislation

Sen. Mark Leno pushes for state sentencing panel
It's akin to the third rail of politics in California, but one state senator is holding out hope that the time may finally be right for the creation of a commission to set criminal sentencing policies in the Golden State. Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, noted that the federal government and 23 other states already have sentencing commissions and that current Gov. Jerry Brown "has a long history of interest in reform."
San Francisco Chronicle

City Government

Council set to vote on framework of deal
The City Council is scheduled today to approve what one official called "a very solid" memorandum of understanding that outlines the terms for a $1.3 billion NFL stadium proposed for downtown Los Angeles. Councilwoman Jan Perry, who chairs the Ad Hoc Committee on the Downtown Stadium and Event Center, said the two-pronged project would provide a way for the city to upgrade the Convention Center and for supporters to lure an NFL team back to L.A.
Los Angeles Daily News