Law Enforcement

Man dies in possible drug-related attack in South L.A., LAPD says
A man was slain in South Los Angeles on Monday night in a possible drug-related attack, police said. The victim was at a liquor store near West Florence and South Normandie avenues when the gunman walked up and fired multiple rounds, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The victim, believed to be in his 50s, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, Officer Karen Rayner said.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD hopes surveillance video helps ID truck that hit bicyclist
Los Angeles police investigators were slated to review surveillance video on Monday in hopes of catching the driver of a pickup truck who struck a bicyclist south of downtown and then fled the scene. The accident occurred around 8:55 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Central Avenue and 32nd Street, leaving the bicyclist with severe head trauma, said Officer Nebojsa Radjevic, a collision investigator for the LAPD.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD steps up patrols of Sikh temples in wake of Wisconsin slayings
Los Angeles' four Sikh temples were under the stepped-up watch of police Monday in the aftermath of Sunday's slayings at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee, where six people and the gunman were killed. Three other people, including a police officer, were critically wounded in the shooting in Oak Creek, a suburb south of Milwaukee. After receiving word of the shooting in Oak Creek, the Los Angeles Police Department stepped up patrols around the city's Sikh temples, police said.
City News Service

Caught on video: 3 break into Pacoima liquor store, steal cash, booze and cigarettes
Police hope surveillance video will help them catch three men who broke into a Pacoima liquor store last week. The break-in happened just after 4 a.m. on Aug. 1 at Country Cousins Liquor. Wearing gloves and hooded pullovers, the men used cinder blocks to break through the roof, then stole cash, cigarettes and liquor. Lt. Paul Vernon, detective commander for the LAPD's Mission Division, said the video is "first-rate."
Los Angeles Daily News

Retired officers reflect on why they chose the job
People become officers for many reasons - for adrenaline, because each day is different, to avoid being stuck at a desk, perhaps even for power, although psychological screenings test for that. But mostly those in uniform tell me they enter law enforcement to help build community. Despite Hollywood rogue cops, the officers I know maintain that sense of service. Even the guys some civilians call "cowboys."
David Whiting/PoliceOne

Drones tested as tools for police and firefighters
In October, the federal department is planning to invite drone manufacturers to Ft. Sill, Okla., where their aircraft will be scored on how they perform in a series of scenarios, such as a hostage standoff, an earthquake or a hazardous material spill. A rating system will rank the capabilities of the various models. It's like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for drones.
Los Angeles Times

Legislation

California Senate leader, attorney general back gun-control bill
In the wake of the recent mass shootings in Colorado and Wisconsin, the leader of the California Senate and the state attorney general said Monday they support a gun control bill aimed at making it harder to reload assault rifles. Senate President Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris said the measure addresses weapons like those used in the movie theater shooting in Colorado last month that left 12 dead.
Los Angeles Times

The Courts

State Supreme Court upholds death sentence in killing of deputy
The California Supreme Court on Monday upheld the death sentence of a man convicted of murdering Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Deputy Michael Hoenig. In a unanimous decision, the state's highest court rejected an appeal by Enrique Parra Duenas, convicted of fatally shooting Hoenig, 32, in South Gate in 1997 when the deputy tried to stop Duenas as he rode by on a bicycle.
Los Angeles Times

Prison Realignment

In California, county jails face bigger load
Ordered by the United States Supreme Court to reduce severe overcrowding in its prisons, California began redirecting low-level offenders to local jails last October in a shift called realignment. Its prison population, the nation's largest, has since fallen by more than 16 percent to 120,000 from 144,000; it must be reduced to 110,000 by next June. Counties with already tight budgets are scrambling to house the influx of newcomers in facilities that were never designed to accommodate inmates serving long sentences.
New York Times

City Government

Occupy LA costs put at $4.3M
The two-month Occupy L.A. demonstration cost the city $4.2 million in services and overtime, the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee was advised on Monday. As expected, most of the costs were for overtime paid to police and Recreation and Parks personnel who monitored and provided facilities for the protest that took over the park outside City Hall last fall. The committee deferred action on the report for two weeks.
Los Angeles Daily News

City Election 2013

Sacramento becomes a steppingstone to L.A. City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall proved irresistible to yet another Sacramento politician, with Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield becoming the fourth state lawmaker to launch a bid for next year's City Council race. Blumenfield, a Democrat from Woodland Hills, moved to create a campaign committee last week to run for the west San Fernando Valley seat held by Councilman Dennis Zine, who is running for city controller. Already raising money for other council campaigns are Assemblyman Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles), Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) and Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles).
Los Angeles Times