Law Enforcement

An enduring tribute for Officer No. 37029
It hides on a busy boulevard in plain sight. It occupies a few feet of cyclone fence, a stitch of weary sidewalk, and part of a beam supporting a bridge that stretches across the freeway near Griffith Park. Rows of dried flowers cling to the fence. Beside the flowers, a stream of police tape forms the phrase Never Forget. Glued to the beam, well above the sidewalk for all to see, is a sheet of blue steel proclaiming five numbers: 37029. Here lies the memory of a man who died as he went about his work, trying to do things right.
Los Angeles Times

Violent crime reports up significantly in 10 L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 14 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Ten neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Winnetka was the most unusual, recording seven reports compared with a weekly average of 2.3 over the last three months. Pico-Union topped the list of four neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Driver tries to run over LAPD cop in Van Nuys
A Los Angeles Police Department officer had a close call when he was nearly run over by a suspect in Van Nuys. The incident happened near Chandler Boulevard and Tyrone Avenue while officers were investigating a domestic incident at about 11 p.m. Friday. Police said the officer was approaching a man in a Mercedes, when the man tried to run down the officer with the car. The officer was not hurt, but the incident sparked a manhunt in the area. The search lasted for several hours, but police did not find the suspect.
ABC7

Criminals using subway to make quick getaway
With the recent revitalization of North Hollywood drawing more business and residents, Los Angeles police are finding that the new bustle is also attracting a criminal element - one that is making use of the Red Line subway for a quick getaway. An uptick in thefts around the Lankershim Boulevard station, which is at the heart of North Hollywood and the terminus of the line, has become a big concern for police, who have upped patrols at the station and surrounding areas.
Los Angeles Daily News

Man suspected of killing transgender woman in Hollywood may have robbed 2nd woman
Police said the man who shot and killed a transgender woman in Hollywood may have been the same man who robbed another transgender woman in West Hollywood, and fired a gunshot at her, about 45 minutes later. Nathan Henry Vickers, 32, was Thursday evening near Lexington Avenue and Gower Street, said LAPD Officer Cleon Joseph. She had preferred to be called Cassidy Nathan Vickers, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD looking for suspect who flattened tires on 6 police cars
Police sought public help to find the person who flattened tires on a number of vehicles in downtown Los Angeles Friday, including six police cars parked in front of the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Station. The vandalism apparently happened between midnight and 2 a.m. along Broadway and Spring Street, between Sixth and Eighth streets, Lt. Paul Vernon of the LAPD's Central Station said.
Los Angeles Daily

Occupy L.A. is Beck's big test
Will the LAPD's handling of the Occupy Los Angeles demonstrations turn into a success or a scandal? If the department succeeds in managing the eventual end of the encampment on the City Hall lawn, without the violent clashes we've seen in New York, Oakland and Seattle, it will be a triumph to remember. We may soon witness the first big test of the Beck administration. At stake is the LAPD's claim to have truly reformed.
Los Angeles Daily News Editorial

Prisoner Transfers & Jails

Shifting prisoners to counties could strain local services
California needs to pay attention to potential strains on county services as it implements Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to shift nonviolent criminals and parolees to counties, a RAND Corp. study says. The study, "Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California," released last week, said the plan to shift low-level offenders to county custody could strain local health care and social services programs that already have been ravaged by budget cuts.
California Watch

Prison plan sways prosecutors in filing charges
Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley's office handles about one-third of California's felony convictions, making this single county critical to the success of Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to reduce prison overcrowding by sentencing nonviolent felony offenders to county jails. Cooley, however, is a Republican who adamantly opposes the Democratic governor's plan and is training his staffers to do everything they can to work around it - including pushing for the most serious charges to ensure that as many offenders as possible are sentenced to state prison.
San Francisco Chronicle

$1.4-billion renovation proposed for two L.A. County jails
Los Angeles County supervisors could soon be asked to approve the county's most expensive building project ever, a $1.4-billion reconstruction and renovation of two jails, one of which has figured in allegations of inmate abuse. The officials will also have to gauge whether the potential benefits outweigh the hefty price tag, given the tough economy. Some supervisors wonder whether they may be diverting money from other vital services when cheaper jail alternatives could be considered.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Candidates in L.A. Council runoff pick up key endorsements
As the Jan. 17 runoff contest to replace Janice Hahn on the Los Angeles City Council heats up, several South Bay politicians are weighing in. On Thursday, Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich endorsed Joe Buscaino, a Los Angeles Police Department officer with no political experience. Both Trutanich and Buscaino are natives of San Pedro, the port neighborhood seen by many as the political center of the 15th District, which also includes Harbor City, Wilmington and Watts.
Los Angeles Times

Herb Wesson's skills will be tested as L.A. council president
A former state Assembly speaker, Herb Wesson has honed his powers of persuasion over the years, and vows to bridge differences on contentious issues as he helps his colleagues deliver on their promises. Wesson plans to occupy the president's chair in January, ending a six-year stint by council President Eric Garcetti. Although a vote of support from the council doesn't come until Wednesday, he already has promised to make meetings move more briskly and clamp down on "out of line" behavior by members of the public who address the council.
Los Angeles Times