Law Enforcement

LAPD to give Medal of Valor, Purple Heart awards
The Los Angeles Police Department will gather to honor more than a dozen of its outstanding officers at a Thursday ceremony in Hollywood. Police Chief Charlie Beck will present the department's highest recognition, the Medal of Valor and Purple Heart awards, during a luncheon scheduled for the grand ballroom of the Hollywood & Highland Center. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis will serve as the mistress of ceremonies. The Los Angeles Police Foundation is the host of the ceremony.
Hollywood Patch

Tribute paid to sacrifice in the line of duty
Hundreds of law enforcement officers, along with grieving relatives, honored fallen comrades Monday at the California Peace Officers' Memorial. Gov. Jerry Brown joined law enforcement officials from throughout the state at Capitol Mall to remember fallen peace officers, including eight who died in 2011.
Sacramento Bee

CHP officer shot twice
A California Highway Patrol officer was shot twice by a passenger in an SUV that had flipped a U-turn to confront him as he stood on the side of the road in Bodfish using his radar gun, according to CHP investigators. The unidentified officer told investigators he was conducting radar checks about 10:45 p.m. Sunday on Highway 178 near Borel Road when a dark blue SUV sped past him. Assistant Chief Brian Smith with the California Highway Patrol said the vehicle then made a U-turn, crossed the double-yellow lines and veered close to the officer. So the officer turned on his headlights.
KERO23 Bakersfield

LAPD Northeast Division's newest crime fighting tools are Facebook, Twitter & YouTube
In addition to tracking how many cars have been stolen and homes burglarized, Bill Murphy, Captain of the LAPD Northeast Division, has also been keeping a close eye on a new set of numbers to measure his division's performance. But these statistics don't measure crime. Instead these figures tell him how many people "like" the Northeast Division Facebook page, follow its Twitter feed and, as of last week, have watched its YouTube channel.
The Eastsider LA

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month: LAPD reminds drivers, bikers to share the road
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the LAPD is joining forces with other organizations to get the message out to drivers and bikers to share the road. The goal of the campaign is to lower the number of crashes involving motorcycles. In 2010, 361 bikers died and nearly 11,000 were injured in California. "It comes down to training and proficiency, being able to practice with what you're riding. Motorcycles and technology have improved over the years, but you need to be familiar with your equipment," said LAPD Officer Jeremy Yamamoto.
ABC7

Chief Charlie Beck walks KCAL9 News through LAPD gun locker
Venture into the LAPD's gun locker and you'll find hand guns, assault rifles and machine guns. Chief Charlie Beck gave KCAL9 News a rare look inside the gun locker and showed the bizarre weapons officers have seized on the streets of L.A. Behind a steel door, under a heavy lock and key, are where thousands of weapons are tagged, categorized and ready for trial. "Believe it or not, there are about 13,000 guns surrounding us right now," an officer said.
KCAL9

Homeland Security

Foiled plot shows militants seek detection-proof bombs
The revelation that militants sought to attack an airliner with an improved "underwear bomb" in a plot foiled by U.S. and allied authorities shows their determination to build bombs that can pass through airport security, U.S. officials said. The Obama administration said on Monday that authorities in the Middle East recently seized an underwear bomb which they believe al Qaeda's Yemen-based affiliate had intended to give to a suicide bomber to blow up an airliner bound for the U.S. or another Western country.
Reuters

Prisons

AB 109 delivers an insult to justice
AB 109, the state's new prison realignment law, will go down as one of the worst pieces of legislation ever enacted in California. As the list of its failures continues to grow, the only possible explanation is that either the bill's supporters actually believe serious crimes should go unpunished, or that they are seriously incapable of crafting laws that protect the public.
LAPPL Blog

State, advocates disagree on future of prison healthcare
Gov. Jerry Brown's administration is sharply at odds with inmate advocates and a federal receiver over the future of the prison medical system, a new court filing showed Monday. The document was submitted after the federal judge overseeing the case asked each side to present its proposals for how to end six years of federal control of inmate healthcare.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Homeless advocates oppose City Hall's attempts to ban tents from L.A. parks
Homeless advocacy groups are criticizing a move by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to ban tents from all Los Angeles city parks. The City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on the new ordinance, which bans tents from parks during day and nighttime hours. The ordinance was requested by Villaraigosa and expands an existing law that bars camping in most city parks.
Los Angeles Daily News

Villaraigosa seeks another boost in parking ticket fines
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa is pursuing another big boost in parking ticket fines, leaving some of them 70% to 90% more expensive than the year he was elected - and several times the region's inflation rate. With the latest proposed hikes, the city would collect about $40 million a year more than during Villaraigosa's first year in office, much of it from street-sweeping violations that leave many residents fuming.
Los Angeles Times