Law Enforcement

2 LAPD officers honored by president for stopping Hollywood shooting spree
Two Los Angeles police officers will be honored by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at a White House ceremony Saturday for their role in killing a gunman who went on a shooting spree in Hollywood. Detective Craig Marquez and Officer Kevin C. Cotter Sr. will be among the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COPS award winners honored at the Rose Garden ceremony.
Los Angeles Daily News

Crime alerts for Sun Valley, Playa Vista and nine other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 11 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Eight neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Sun Valley was the most unusual, recording 10 reports, compared with a weekly average of 3.5 over the last three months. Playa Vista topped the list of three neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Washington, D.C. group files lawsuit against LAPD's new impound policy
A conservative Washington, D.C. group has filed a lawsuit to block the Los Angeles Police Department's new impound policy, arguing it violates state law. Judicial Watch is suing on behalf of an unnamed taxpayer to stop the LAPD's implementation of the new policy that allows some owners to reclaim their vehicles within one day after the drivers were cited for being unlicensed. Previous policy allowed a 30-day impound.
Los Angeles Daily News

Arrest made in arson fire after Lakers 2010 win
Two years after riotous revelers set fire to a taxi following the Lakers' 2010 NBA championship win, authorities have arrested a suspect in the arson, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Wednesday. Darren Cooper, 22, was initially arrested two weeks ago on an unrelated battery charge, according to officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department's arson unit. He had also been wanted for the arson on a warrant that had been issued after an anonymous tipster spotted the San Bernardino resident in a video of the June 17, 2010 incident.
Los Angeles Daily News

Violence stirs gang fears in L.A. area formerly plagued by one
Several violent incidents, including the shooting of a 13-year-old boy, have sparked worries of renewed gang activity in a northeast Los Angeles neighborhood where city authorities have invested many resources to combat a notorious gang. Years after a largely successful effort to clear a subgroup of the Avenues gang from Drew Street in Glassell Park, authorities say it appears that rival gangs are looking to exact revenge on, or humiliate, a once powerful and predatory enemy.
Los Angeles Times

Gang member convicted of killing L.A. high school football standout
A gang member was convicted of first-degree murder on Wednesday for gunning down a standout Los Angeles High School football player who was shot about 40 steps from his home. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Pedro Espinoza, 23, who killed 17-year-old Jamiel Shaw Jr. on March 2, 2008. A penalty phase of trial will begin Tuesday, with jurors being asked to recommend whether Espinoza should be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Los Angeles Daily News

Man critically injured in hit-and-run collision in Van Nuys
A motorist was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after a hit-and-run collision in Van Nuys, police said. The collision occurred at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Densmore Avenue around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Officer C. Gobble of the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division. The victim is a man in his 40s, he said. Police were seeking the male driver of a dark Ford Ranger pickup truck from the early 2000s, he said.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD to exchange gift cards for guns Saturday in Wilmington
The city of Los Angeles will offer Ralphs and Visa gift cards to people who turn in guns Saturday during a citywide buyback program that includes a site in Wilmington. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park-and-ride facility at 1300 W. Pacific Coast Highway. The anonymous program offers $100 gift cards for a handgun, shotgun or rifle and $200 for assault weapons. For more information, go to lapdonline.org. http://lapd.com/r/B/OTI4NzQ/MjAwOTA4/0/0/aHR0cDovL2xhcGRvbmxpbmUub3JnLyMhIyE
Torrance Daily Breeze

LAPD closes investigation into Susanna Schick biking crash
LAPD says it has closed its investigation into the case of biker Susanna Schick, who says that she was intentionally hit by a car in a crash that left her hospitalized. A representative from the LAPD wrote in an e-mail to Streetsblog that the agency was closing the case because it didn't have any evidence to suggest that Schick's crash was caused by a hit-and-run.
LAist

State Budget

Gov. Jerry Brown targets state workers for cuts
Gov. Jerry Brown is targeting a new part of the budget to close a widening deficit by seeking to reduce state worker costs in his revised spending plan, according to sources with knowledge of his plans. Brown, who has been in discussions with labor unions, is expected to release an updated budget proposal on Monday. The sources were not authorized to speak publicly before the governor's announcement. The possibility of cuts to state employees is a symptom of lagging tax revenue.
Los Angeles Times