Law Enforcement

LAPD beefs up patrols at Art Walk after fatal accident in July
Los Angeles police saturated the increasingly popular Art Walk downtown Thursday evening as thousands of people descended on the area. The increased police presence came after a 2-month-old boy was killed at an event in July when his stroller was struck by a car that accidentally jumped a curb near Spring and 4th streets. The officers -- patrolling on horses, motorcycles, bicycles and Segways -- were on hand to help deal with the massive crowds expected at the event, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Los Angeles Times

The LAPD box score reads: Two runs, two hits, one error
Back in April, I wrote about the beating that took place in the Dodger Stadium parking lot following the Opening Day game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. Giant fan Bryan Stow, visiting from Santa Cruz, Calif., was set upon and beaten into a coma by two men who then fled in a car driven by a woman. A child, evidently the next generation of hoodlum, was also in the car. Given the setting, the case generated a good deal of media attention, attendant to which came intense pressure on the LAPD to find and arrest the suspects.
Jack Dunphy/Pajamas Media

Cool Kid helps guide LAPD cadets
Kyle Kidd faced a lot of obstacles as he was growing up. Now he helps young recruits in the LAPD Cadet program deal with any problems they may face. "I knew that's the way I used to be and now I know how to handle how they're acting. So it's really a great feeling," he said. And he's impressed the LAPD officers who supervise the program. "Kyle Kidd, he's a tremendous young man. [He] dedicates a lot of his off time when he's not in school, [he's a] great student," said LAPD Officer Art Gonzalez. Kyle has ambitious goals; the experience has led him to think about pursuing a career as a criminal prosecutor.
ABC7

Two suspects arrested in the death of 17-year-old cyclist
Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division detectives have arrested two suspects in a fatal hit-and-run traffic collision that killed a bicyclist in April 20, 2011. The primary suspect, 23-year-old Dominique Rush, was arrested early this morning in Oxnard, California. Rush was booked at Van Nuys Police Station for Gross Vehicular Manslaughter and Felony Hit and Run with a bail bonds of $100,000.00. Rush's father, 44-year-old Steven Rush, was also arrested this morning, in his Porter Ranch home. Steven Rush faces charges relating to his involvement in helping Dominique conceal the crime after the fact.
Van Nuys News Press

More victims possible in molestation case: LAPD
Investigators are trying to determine how many people were allegedly victimized by a Venice youth pastor recently arrested on suspicion of molestation, Los Angeles police said Thursday. Demetrius Darnell Allen, 28, is accused of abusing a then-14-year-old member of his Venice church, according to the District Attorney's Office. Allen was the pastor in charge of youth ministries at First Baptist Church of Venice, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. "Investigators believe there may be additional victims, and are hoping anyone with information about this case or any unreported cases will come forward,'' according to LAPD.
NBC LA

NYPD forms new social media unit to mine Facebook and Twitter for mayhem
The NYPD has formed a new unit to track troublemakers who announce plans or brag about their crimes on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. Newly named Assistant Commissioner Kevin O'Connor, one of the department's online and gang gurus, has been put in charge of the new juvenile justice unit. He and his staff will mine social media, looking for info about troublesome house parties, gang showdowns and other potential mayhem, sources said.
New York Daily News

British PM to consult former LAPD Chief William Bratton on riots
British Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking to Parliament about the recent riots in London, said street gangs were partly to blame and he will consult with former Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton to tackle them. "I also believe we should be looking beyond our shores to learn lessons from others who have faced similar problems," Cameron told Parliament. "That is why I will be discussing how we can go further in getting to grips with gangs with people like Bill Bratton, former commissioner of police in New York and Los Angeles."
Los Angeles Times

Security flaws in feds' radios make for easy eavesdropping
The portable radios used by many federal law enforcement agents have major security flaws that allowed researchers to intercept hundreds of hours of sensitive traffic sent without encryption over the past two years, according to a new study being released today. While studying the technology, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania overheard conversations that included descriptions of undercover agents and confidential informants, plans for forthcoming arrests and information on the technology used in surveillance operations.
Wall Street Journal

Pensions

Study predicts California pension savings with hybrid plan
Switching California state government pensions to a hybrid system that provides a modest monthly check plus a 401(k)-type savings plan could save taxpayers about $250 million right away and generate billions of dollars in savings in future years, according to a new study by a pension reform organization. Savings would be much higher, roughly $2 billion, if state workers were required to pay up to half of the cost of their early retirement health insurance premiums, said the report released Friday by the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights.
Los Angeles Times

Education

State's high school dropout rate almost 20 percent
Nearly 1 out of every 5 students in California's projected class of 2010 - 18.2 percent - dropped out of high school before graduation day, meaning 94,000 teenagers hit the streets without diplomas, according to data released Thursday. Perhaps more alarming are the 17,000 eighth-grade students who quit before attending a single day of high school, about 3 percent of their class. These numbers are believed to be California's first accurate assessment of the dropout and graduation rates using a data system that tracks individual students over their four-year high school career, according to the state Department of Education.
San Francisco Chronicle