Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Atwater Village and 16 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 17 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. 11 neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Atwater Village was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.5 over the last three months. Gramercy Park topped the list of seven neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD seeks leads after man slain outside South L.A. nightclub
Police on Tuesday were seeking leads in an early morning shooting that left a 27-year-old man dead outside a South Los Angeles nightclub. The slaying outside the Ground Zero Night Club at 1955 W. Manchester Ave. appeared to be gang-related, said Det. Chris Barling of the Los Angeles Police Department. The shooting occurred shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday after the victim walked out of the club and a dispute broke out, police said.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD: Westwood burglars caught on video
Los Angeles Police Department released images of two men who were filmed breaking into a Westwood apartment rented by UCLA students and stealing electronics and valuables Wednesday afternoon. The burglary took place at 3 p.m. in the 500 block of Glenrock Avenue. The apartment building's security system caught the footage of the men entering the building lobby, forcing open an apartment door, and exiting the building carrying full duffel bags.
Century City Patch

Occupy L.A. prepares for potential police raid
Some Occupy L.A. protesters encamped outside City Hall are preparing for a police raid, even though LAPD officials say they don't plan to conduct one. “It feels like there's a case being built against the Occupy protest," Don Duncan said. "Dead grass at City Hall, the sanitary conditions around the trash and the restrooms. It feels like a lot of issues are being brought up in the media.” Duncan is no stranger to police tactics. He is with Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana group that's fought against police raids on pot shops. Duncan provided a civil disobedience seminar to a small group of Occupy L.A. protesters.
Southern California Public Radio

Two stabbed at Hollywood Metro Red Line station; suspect sought
Metro's Red Line train station at Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue was closed Tuesday morning after a man stabbed and injured two people. The stabbing took place about 4:30 a.m., just as train service was beginning for the day, said Metro spokesman Marc Littman. The suspect and the two victims -- a man and a woman -- got into an argument in the mezzanine level of the station and the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed them. The male victim's throat was slashed, an official said.
Los Angeles Times

20 arrested on Hollywood Boulevard on Halloween night
Los Angeles police reported that 20 people were arrested on Hollywood Boulevard on Halloween night, mostly for fighting and being drunk in public. The number of arrests was down from 32 in 2010, police said. Sixteen horse-mounted officers were on Hollywood Boulevard to keep order Monday night. In one incident, a man refused to get out of the street, police told City News Service. He allegedly threw a bottle of vodka at a dismounting officer.
Los Angeles Times

High court case on GPS surveillance could break new ground
In a potentially groundbreaking case on high-tech tracking by police, the Supreme Court will decide whether constant surveillance is such an intrusion on people's lives that police need a warrant before attaching a GPS device to a person's car. The case, to be heard Tuesday, tests law enforcement's use of the latest technology to fight crime as it raises the specter of a "Big Brother" government knowing one's every move. GPS tracking lets police engage in round-the-clock surveillance - without a person's knowledge - over a prolonged period that could seldom be matched by cops on a beat or other traditional observation.
USA Today

City Government

New inspector general named to L.A. Police Commission
The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday announced its new inspector general. Alexander Bustamante, 39, currently an assistant U.S. attorney in the Central District of California, was chosen by the commission to take over the watchdog office. As inspector general, Bustamante will oversee a staff that serves as a check on the LAPD's authority. The office monitors how the department disciplines its officers and handles complaints from the public, as well as assessing the quality of the department's internal audits, among other responsibilities.
Los Angeles Times

Excessive dog barking will cost you in L.A.
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to amend the city's barking law, imposing fines on the owners of dogs that bark excessively - even if the canines are not licensed by the city. Under the changes, dog owners would face fines starting at $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third if a hearing conducted by the Department of Animal Services determines that a dog barks too much. A dog's barking would be considered excessive if it continued for 10 minutes or more, or intermittently for 30 minutes or more within a three-hour period, Assistant City Atty. Dov Lesel said.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. City Council cancels 3 meetings next week in scheduling snafu
Due to a scheduling mix-up, the Los Angeles City Council has canceled its three scheduled meetings next week. Originally, the council had declared a recess so its members could attend the National League of Cities meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. But the council recently voted not to pay for any members going to Arizona as part of its boycott of the state over its immigration policies. However, council members failed to cancel the recess so the meetings will not be held. Officials said there will be a limited number of City Council committees that will meet.
Torrance Daily Breeze