Law Enforcement

New president takes over Police Commission
The newest member of the Board of Police Commissioners was elected Tuesday as its president. Attorney Richard Drooyan was unanimously approved to serve a two-year term as head of the five-member Police Commission. Drooyan was appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in 2010. Drooyan takes the reins from John Mack, longtime president of the Los Angeles Urban League. Mack has been president or vice president of the Police Commission since he was appointed by Villaraigosa in 2005.
Los Angeles Daily News

Silver Lake shooting suspect charged with murder
An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder in an apparent road rage shooting that killed a Silver Lake pizza deliveryman, police said Tuesday. Jose Beltran was charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Beltran was arrested Aug. 19 for an unrelated gun charge.
NBC4

3 arrested in Christmas murder of young mother
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a young mother who was gunned down in front of her 3-year-old daughter in South Los Angeles on Christmas night. 25-year-old Kashmier James was shot dead on December 25, 2010 in the 1700 block of West 85th Street while visiting friends. On Tuesday, eight months after the shooting, the Los Angeles Police Department said three suspects were taken into custody. They face charges of murder, attempted murder and gang allegations, detectives say.
KTLA

D.A. predicts crime spike when state hands over prisoners
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said a new state law to force counties, instead of the state, to jail non-violent felons is a "horribly flawed plan" that would increase crime on the streets. "Public safety will be seriously jeopardized," Cooley said Tuesday. "We're not kidding. There will be tens of thousands of people let out all over California, who would otherwise be incarcerated.... I've been predicting ... that there will be a spike in crime."
Los Angeles Times

Driver allegedly involved in drug deal smashes into County Jail
A man allegedly involved in a drug deal Tuesday afternoon in skid row tried to evade police by taking a wild ride through downtown, where he drove the wrong way along busy streets before smashing his vehicle into the Central Jail, authorities said. Undercover narcotics officers saw the transaction about 4:30 p.m. and began following the man, who started to drive the wrong way through downtown, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Los Angeles Times

5-hour Van Nuys standoff on Valerio Street ends in arrest
A Van Nuys man who allegedly threatened to shoot his apartment manager was arrested Tuesday after police fired tear gas into his unit, ending a five-hour standoff, according to LAPD. The man, whose name was not released pending booking, pointed a gun at the manager, who had gone to the unit to fix some plumbing at around 10:25 a.m., said Lt. Andy Neiman of LAPD Media Relations. The two had been involved in a business dispute, Neiman said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Prisons & Parole

Education vs. prisons: Shifting priorities
The budget for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation increased from about 3 percent of the state's general fund in 1980 to 11.2 percent for this fiscal year, according to figures prepared at the request of The Bay Citizen by the state Department of Finance. Meanwhile, funding for UC and CSU dropped from 10 percent of the state's general fund 30 years ago to about 6.6 percent this fiscal year.
Bay Citizen

Legislation

State moves to limit cities' ability to impound cars
The state Senate on Tuesday voted to restrict cities' ability to impound cars driven by people caught at sobriety checkpoints without driver's licenses. The action came as a direct response to the city of Bell, which made it a practice to confiscate vehicles from unlicensed motorists - many of them illegal immigrants - and then charge high impound fees or sell them in order to fill city coffers. Under the legislation, if a sober driver is caught at a DUI checkpoint without a valid license, officers must release the car to a qualified driver representing the registered owner.
Los Angeles Times

10th Anniversary of 9/11

Security on rise nationwide for 9/11 anniversary
The federal government is escalating security around the country in preparation for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and conducting confidential briefings with state and local law enforcement organizations. But officials say there is no specific indication that a terror plot against the U.S. is under way. Americans can expect more security at airports, mass transit stations, U.S. borders, government buildings and major athletic events over the next month, said an intelligence official who spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive security matters.
Associated Press