Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Palms and nine other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 10 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Five neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Palms was the most unusual, recording four reports compared with a weekly average of 1.3 over the last three months. Elysian Park topped the list of five neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded eight property crimes compared with its weekly average of 2.3 over the last three months.
Los Angeles Times

Officer deaths rise despite drop in crime
Crime is down across the country, but more law-enforcement officers are dying on the job, federal officials said Thursday, citing new research that shows fatalities among police and federal agents are on the rise. So far this year, 130 law-enforcement officers working for local and federal police agencies nationwide were killed while on duty-an increase of 15% over the same period in 2010, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, which tracks officer deaths.
Wall Street Journal

LAPD officers wound suspect in Rampart area
A man who was reportedly shooting at a car Thursday evening was shot and wounded by Los Angeles police, authorities said. No officers were injured in the incident, which was reported about 7 p.m. near Madison Avenue and Monroe Street, said LAPD spokeswoman Norma Eisenman. The incident unfolded when LAPD gang enforcement officers saw a man in his early 30s shooting at a car.
Los Angeles Times

3 arrested in theft of auto featured on reality TV's 'Bait Car'
Los Angeles authorities have arrested three men who allegedly stole a car featured on the reality TV show "Bait Car." The car is rigged to record potential thieves using a hidden video camera and to trap them in the vehicle until officers can show up to arrest them. But on Aug. 8th there was a mechanical malfunction that allowed four men to steal the sedan at La Brea Avenue near 30th Street and drive off instead of getting trapped.
Los Angeles Times

Homeland Security

U.S. officials say terrorism threat 'credible but unconfirmed'
U.S. intelligence agencies have received information about a credible but still unconfirmed terrorism threat tied to the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, officials said Thursday night. "It's accurate that there is specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information," Matt Chandler, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. "As we always do before important dates like the anniversary of 9/11, we will undoubtedly get more reporting in the coming days.... We continue to ask the American people to remain vigilant as we head into the weekend."
Los Angeles Times

LAPD: No credible threat to Los Angeles on 9/11
Responding to news of a credible terrorist threat on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Police Chief Charlie Beck said the threat does not include Los Angeles as a target. "I have been briefed on information, and all of that information reveals no credible threats against the City of Los Angeles at this time," Beck said during an afternoon news conference. Citing unnamed sources, Fox News reported late Thursday that federal authorities believe they have discovered a credible threat targeting New York City or Washington, D.C.
Fox11

City Government

Getting a handle on liability
The City has a serious liability problem and urgently needs better risk management. In the last fiscal year alone, it has paid out $45 million in liability claims and a total of $140 million in Workers' Compensation claims. About half of these claims involved LAPD and LAFD personnel. In an effort to do its part to reduce liability and improve risk management, the LAPD has proposed creating a position within the Department to be in charge of all risk management and liability issues. There is merit to this idea, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The City has already implemented variations of this approach with no success.
LAPPL Blog

Legislation

'Open carry' ban wins approval in California Senate
The state Senate has approved legislation today that would make it a crime to openly carry an unloaded handgun in public. Assembly Bill 144, by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, targets the "open carry" movement, marked by gatherings of people displaying their firearms in public places to protest gun-control laws. The bill language contains a number of exceptions, including exemptions for peace officers, military gatherings, gun shows and hunting.
Sacramento Bee

Politics

L.A. Council President Eric Garcetti announces bid for mayor
L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti reshuffled the arithmetic and geography of the race to replace Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday, joining the growing field of contenders in the 2013 citywide election. Garcetti, 40, is the third elected official at City Hall to take the plunge, following City Controller Wendy Greuel and Councilwoman Jan Perry. Fluent in Spanish, he immediately becomes the only high-profile Latino in the race; his father, former Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, is of Mexican descent.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons & Parole

Sacramento County sheriff wants governor to delay shift of prisoners to counties
Conceding he is "going rogue" shortly before the state is to start diverting prison inmates to county jails, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones is calling on Gov. Jerry Brown to postpone the Oct. 1 realignment plan until problems can be worked out. "I believe it will increase crime in virtually every community," Jones said in a recent interview with The Bee. "There's going to be more criminals on the streets, and the logical conclusion is there's going to be more crime."
Sacramento Bee

Bill makes prison cellphone smuggling a crime
A bill making it a misdemeanor to smuggle cellphones to California inmates is on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown. The Senate unanimously approved Assembly amendments to SB26 by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of Los Angeles on Thursday. Under current California law, it is not illegal to possess a cellphone in a prison. Inmates can face discipline such as a loss of privileges, and guards can lose their jobs but cannot be prosecuted.
Associated Press