Law Enforcement

Hero Honored 49 years later - LAPD Officer Ian Campbell Square to be dedicated
At 1:30 p.m. today (Friday), the intersection of Carlos and Gower in Hollywood will be officially named in honor of LAPD Officer Ian Campbell. Glynn Martin of the Los Angeles Police Museum, in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, spearheaded the idea of renaming the intersection. Council members Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge introduced a Council motion to make it happen.
LAPPL News Release

Festive mood at Art Walk amid heavy LAPD presence
A party atmosphere prevailed Thursday night at downtown Los Angeles' Art Walk as scores of police officers patrolled the streets to prevent the type of violence that erupted last month at the popular festival. Art Walk has evolved into a showcase for a revitalized downtown, attracting thousands of people who crowd sidewalks, visit clubs, eat at restaurants and food trucks and turn the historic core into a lively festival on the second Thursday of each month.
Los Angeles Times

Three Occupy protesters detained as chalk demonstrations begin
At least three people were detained by Los Angeles police Thursday morning during a "chalking" protest in downtown L.A.'s Pershing Square, the beginning of what was expected to be a day and night of protests by Occupy L.A. activists. There were about 60 people at the morning protest, in which activists wrote slogans with chalk on sidewalks and streets. Half of those were believed to be from an Occupy contingent from Oakland. The three people detained were "chalking," police said. Police said one person was arrested.
Los Angeles Times

Man arrested on suspicion of giving teen fatal heroin dose
Los Angeles police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after he allegedly injected a 13-year-old boy with heroin. Topanga-area Det. Dave Teteque said an investigation led officers to believe that 23-year-old Brett Cronin purchased heroin and injected himself, then injected his younger brother's friend, who was at a sleepover.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD seeks woman linked to fatal shooting of two men
The woman was photographed by video cameras inside a Lincoln Heights drug store a few hours after the fatal shooting of Mario Martinez, 35, and Jaime Polino, 26. The woman can be seen in the video with Edwin Lugo, 19, a suspect in the shootings who was arrested July 28 and is being held in L.A. County jail. Anyone with information on the shooting or the woman's identity is asked to call LAPD Det. Gretchen Schultz at (818) 838-9951.
Los Angeles Times

FBI warns of online scheme that purports to be from FBI
The FBI issued a warning Thursday about a new malware scheme that is meant to deceive and frighten computer users into thinking it's from the law enforcement agency itself. Worse, the malware also tries to immediately extort users into paying a fine online and it can lock your computer. You may need an expert's help to get it unlocked, the agency said.
NBC News

Pensions

California pension fund earnings outpaced other states in 2011
California's state-managed public employee retirement systems appear to have outpaced those of other states in 2011 investment earnings, according to a new Census Bureau report. The annual statistical report reveals that California pension funds' $433.3 billion in assets were 17 percent of all state-managed retirement systems' assets, but that California's investment earnings of $82.4 billion were 20 percent of all earnings.
Sacramento Bee

Legislation

Calif. bill bars agencies from cellphone jamming
A year after San Francisco's transit agency touched off a global free speech debate by jamming cellphones to block a protest, lawmakers are taking steps to pre-empt a similar scandal. On Thursday, the state Assembly approved a bill that would prohibit agencies from disrupting cellphone service without probable cause and a court order.
Associated Press

Prisons

California prison population decline slows
The rate of the number of inmate beds being emptied by California's diversion of low-level offenders to county jails instead of state prisons is slowing. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's latest census shows a total of 134,152 inmates within the state prison system at the close of July. That's 26,600 fewer state inmates since October, when California began requiring counties to keep custody of certain classes of nonviolent offenders, both as they are sentenced and as they are paroled.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Controller asks L.A. council to change secrecy of parking taxes
Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel on Thursday called on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council to change a law that bars her from auditing the taxes paid by owners of parking lots and garages across the city. In a letter to Villaraigosa and the council,
Los Angeles Times

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich cracks down on ticket scalpers
As the USC football season nears, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich announced Thursday plans to crack down on a group of 17 individuals who have been repeatedly arrested for ticket scalping around the Coliseum, Galen Center, Dodger Stadium, LA LIVE and Staples Center. All have been arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department for violating ticket scalping laws, but Trutanich is stepping up the penalty by seeking an injunction to keep them away from the facilities and imposing fines of up to $20,000 if caught.
Los Angeles Daily News