Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Sun Valley and eight other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in nine L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Seven neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Sun Valley was the most unusual, recording nine reports compared with a weekly average of 3.8 over the last three months. Cheviot Hills topped the list of two neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD releases video on suspect wanted in numerous Valley robbery/carjackings
A robbery suspect dubbed the "Opportunistic Bandit" is being sought for at least twelve crimes in the San Fernando Valley and city of Los Angeles, including three robbery/carjackings, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities believe they may have caught the suspect on video on April 15, when a woman was at a gas station in the 1700 block of Highland Ave. in Hollywood at 8:45 p.m.
Los Angeles Daily News

City must pay cop $1 million in retaliation case
The city of Los Angeles was ordered to pay just over $1 million in damages Tuesday after a jury found that LAPD officials retaliated against a sergeant who reported a superior officer for allegedly evading tolls for several months on the 91 Freeway. Gregory W. Smith, the attorney representing Sgt. James Abbate, successfully argued that his client was subjected to retaliation and neglect-of-duty complaints after reporting the alleged violations by Ruben De La Torre, who worked in the LAPD's media relations office before being promoted to captain of the West Los Angeles Division.
Los Angeles Times

Back and to the left: The L.A. Times analyzes a police shooting
Imagine working in an occupation in which your most important decisions were evaluated by people who have never performed your job. Imagine further that your very life depended on those decisions and that you had to make them in the blink of an eye. And finally imagine that others could take months to come to a conclusion about what you had done, mulling it over with the aid of reports, photographs, and a 3-D animation of what had occurred. Such is the situation facing officers in the Los Angeles Police Department today.
Jack Dunphy/Pajamas Media

Drone surveillance in your backyard? LAPD has no plans to use unmanned aircraft ... yet
So cops can now fly unmanned aircraft known as drones, which could be used to peek into your backyard and maybe even into your window at night. So will the LAPD, a pioneer in the use of helicopters for law enforcement, soon be buzzing drones over your house as you smoke your favorite herb and become paranoid with fear? Not likely, cops tell us: The department doesn't really the see the advantage of using unmanned aircraft and has no plans to test them out, at least for now.
LA Weekly

Downtown gridlock: 'Never been a weekend like this' in L.A.
With the Lakers, Clippers and Kings all in postseason action this weekend and the final stage of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, authorities are warning of street closures and heavier than normal traffic in the downtown area. "There's never been a weekend like this in Los Angeles," said AEG's Michael Roth. "Six playoff games in four days? In Los Angeles? Never. And the bike race will be a really big deal."
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Plan to fold General Services in to LAPD is approved
The Los Angeles Police Department will absorb the General Services police and security officers under a plan approved Tuesday. The City Council voted unanimously to consolidate the two agencies, transferring the 220 officers and security guards from General Services to the LAPD. With the move, the LAPD will take on the work of General Services police: patrolling libraries, City Hall offices and other city facilities.
Los Angeles Daily News

Potential L.A. city layoffs delayed by committee
City employees who would have lost their jobs under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 2012-13 budget received a temporary lifeline Tuesday after a key city committee voted to delay layoffs until next year. The Budget and Finance Committee voted to fund until Jan. 1, 2013 the 209 positions targeted for layoffs in the mayor's budget. The move was aided by improved revenue estimates in the latest budget projections, and additional cuts elsewhere in the city.
Los Angeles Daily News

Legislation

Bill expanding powers of LAX police officers being considered in Sacramento
A protracted effort to expand the powers of Los Angeles International Airport's police force has moved to Sacramento, where state lawmakers are considering a bill strongly opposed by the LAPD. The union representing officers who patrol LAX, Ontario and Van Nuys airports say Assembly Bill 2137 would allow the agency to perform seemingly routine functions on airport property.
Torrance Daily Breeze

Prisons

Gov. Jerry Brown backtracks on plan to phase out the state's youth prison system
Responding to pressure from probation chiefs, district attorneys and prison guards, Gov. Jerry Brown has done an about-face on a revolutionary plan to shutter California's youth prison system that was once the nation's largest -- and arguably the most notorious. Just four months ago, a small section buried in the governor's belt-tightening budget caused a massive stir in the juvenile justice world.
San Jose Mercury News