Law Enforcement

LAPD sees increase in use-of-force incidents, including Valley rise
LAPD officers were involved in more use-of-force incidents in the first half of 2011 than during the comparable period last year, due, in part to the early release of parolees, officials said Tuesday. A total of 59 incidents were reported through June 30, an 11 percent increase from the first half of 2010, Deputy Chief Rick Jacobs told the Police Commission. This year's tally includes 28 officer-involved shootings and 15 in which animals were shot, the report said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Father helped daughter cover up fatal hit-and-run, LAPD says
A father and daughter were arrested Tuesday morning in connection with the hit-and-run death of a 17-year-old Chatsworth High School senior, Los Angeles police said. Dominique Rush, 23, of Oxnard was booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run. She is being held in lieu of $100,000 at the Van Nuys jail. Also arrested was Steven Rush, 44, of Porter Ranch, for allegedly helping his daughter conceal the crime after the fact. His bail was set at $20,000.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD called in to handle large group of drunk, unruly bicyclists
The Los Angeles police responded Tuesday night to a call in Playa del Rey about a large group of bicyclists who may have been drinking while riding and holding up traffic. The incident occurred about 10:20 p.m. in the 300 block of Culver Boulevard. Witnesses reported a group of up to 100 bicyclists in the street. They "appeared to be drunk and drinking alcohol," said LAPD spokesman Karen Rayner.
Los Angeles Times

Grim Sleeper: LAPD expands serial killer probe to 230 cases
Los Angeles police detectives have significantly widened the number of cases they are reviewing as they search for more victims of the Grim Sleeper serial killer. LAPD detectives are now looking at 230 missing persons cases and unsolved killings going back to the mid-1970s, seeing whether there are any links to Grim Sleeper suspect Lonnie David Franklin Jr., who has been charged in 10 killings.
Los Angeles Times

DNA profile of Ted Bundy gives hope to old cases
The serial killer Ted Bundy confessed to 30 murders before he was executed in Florida in 1989, but he hinted that the true body count was far higher. Now a DNA profile of Mr. Bundy - extracted from a vial of blood discovered in a courthouse where it had been stored for three decades - may help investigators around the country figure out if he was responsible for any of their unsolved cases. The profile was uploaded into the Federal Bureau of Investigation's DNA database on Friday.
New York Times

Immigration

Feds circumvent state contracts on immigration fingerprint checks
Federal officials have ended agreements with California and 40 other states that had been the backbone of controversial immigration fingerprint checks in local jails. Instead, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contends it does not need states' permission to operate the Secure Communities program nationwide. The move comes after three states - Massachusetts, Illinois and New York - withdrew from the program, which checks arrestees' residency status using fingerprint data. California could join that list should Assembly Bill 1081 pass the state Senate this month and receive the governor's signature.
California Watch

Illegal immigration bills keep state legislators busy
State lawmakers considered a record number of immigration-related bills this year, highlighting their continued frustration with federal government inaction on immigration laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A total of 1,592 bills were introduced in all 50 states and Puerto Rico in the 2011 legislative session that ended June 30, a report by the bipartisan research organization found.
Los Angeles Times

State Budget Crisis

California tax revenues plunge, deep cuts to schools could be triggered
California's tax revenues plummeted in July, falling more than 10% below expectations and making it more likely that deeper cuts to public schools built into the state budget in case of a stalled economic recovery will occur. Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers patched up the final $4 billion of California's budget shortfall this year by hoping for a windfall economic recovery.
Los Angeles Times

Pensions

Calif. pension funds stung by stock market decline
The turmoil on Wall Street has hit the nation's largest public pension fund, which lost about $18 billion off the value of its stock portfolio from July 1 until Tuesday's market rebound. The losses for the California Public Employees' Retirement System came just three weeks after it and California's teacher pension fund each reported annual investment gains of more than 20 percent in fiscal year that ended June 30. CalPERS officials said Tuesday they view the stock market turmoil as a chance to hunt for stocks at bargain prices and are maintaining a long-term investment view.
AP

City Government

Los Angeles OKs outlines of downtown football stadium deal
In the most significant step toward bringing NFL football back to Los Angeles since the city lost out on an expansion team more than a decade ago, the City Council on Tuesday approved the outlines of a $1.5-billion deal to develop a new downtown stadium and major wing of the Convention Center. The unanimous vote gave city leaders a rare chance to seize on a major economic development after years of slashing payrolls, scaling back services and watching helplessly as the real estate market dried up.
Los Angeles Times