Crime alerts for Woodland Hills, Fairfax and 10 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 12 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Four neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Woodland Hills was the most unusual, recording four reports compared with a weekly average of 1.9 over the last three months. Fairfax topped the list of eight neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Fully funding the LAPD would save more lives
More officers and better policing. That's what a Los Angeles Times editorial stated recently as key reasons why L.A. is a much safer city today. The editorial, "L.A.'s triumph over crime," makes the irrefutable case for full funding of public safety. This article should be reviewed by every elected official at City Hall whenever budget priorities are being set.
LAPPL Blog

Police arrest shooting suspect wearing hospital gown
Los Angeles police arrested an armed man wearing a hospital gown who was allegedly firing shots near a Northridge residence Tuesday. The Los Angeles County fire department responded to a call from the wife of a man who said her husband may be attempting suicide in the 10000 block of Reseda Boulevard around 10:15, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
NBC4

Man wounded in possible car-to-car shooting in South L.A.
A man was wounded Tuesday in a possible vehicle-to- vehicle shooting in South Los Angeles, authorities said. The crime was reported shortly after 8 a.m. in the 900 block of West 52nd Street, said Los Angeles police Officer Sara Faden of the Media Relations office. Paramedics transported the victim for hospital treatment in unknown condition, Faden said. No arrests were immediately reported.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD headquarters lobby cleared because of suspicious package
The Los Angeles Police Department briefly evacuated the lobby of its downtown police headquarters Tuesday after the discovery of a suspicious package. LAPD officials said a manila envelope was dropped off at the building and run through the X-ray machine around 10:30 a.m., when officers decided that the item warranted additional scrutiny.
Los Angeles Times

LA city attorney files 8 counterfeit goods cases
Selling counterfeit goods is usually the kind of crime that is high in profit and very low in risk, typically operating below police radar. But that's not the case anymore in Downtown Los Angeles. Back in November, a multi-agency task force launched a crackdown on counterfeit sales. The city attorney's office filed four criminal cases Monday, totaling eight since November.
ABC7

NYPD: Thefts of smartphones and iPads now more prevalent than cash as criminals turn focus on electronics
An eCrime wave is sweeping New York with iPads, smartphones and other pricey devices now more popular with Big Apple thieves than even cold hard cash, cops say. Half of the nearly 16,000 robberies in New York over the first 10 months of this year involved the trendy gadgets - mostly cell phones, an NYPD study found.
New York Daily News

Fewer teens getting driver's licenses as more seniors retain them
In an era of expensive gasoline and a threadbare economy, fewer young people are getting driver's licenses and more older people are holding on to them as long as possible. The data reflect big behavioral, technological and economic shifts, said Michael Sivak, research professor at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute.
Los Angeles Times

California voters give edge to Jerry Brown's public pension overhaul
A majority of California voters support Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to dial back public employee pensions and a plurality think that state and local government retirements are "too generous," according to a new Field Poll. A little more than half - 51 percent - said that Brown's pension proposal "strikes about the right balance."
Sacramento Bee

Fewer face deportation because of criminal charges, data shows
The number of people facing deportation because of criminal charges has declined steadily the past three fiscal years, according to data released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instead, in California and beyond, a growing number are accused only of entering the United States without permission.
California Watch