Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Koreatown, Bel-Air and 15 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 17 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of Los Angeles Police Department data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Twelve neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Koreatown was the most unusual, recording 19 reports compared with a weekly average of 10.5 over the last three months. Bel-Air topped the list of five neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Woman found dead in Pacoima may be victim of fatal beating
A 23-year-old woman was found dead Monday in Pacoima, possibly the victim of a fatal beating, authorities said. Officers responded around 2:30 a.m. to the vicinity of Carl Street and Lehigh Avenue, which is next to the San Fernando Gardens housing project. They discovered the body of a woman who had sustained blunt force trauma, said Sgt. Diane Escalante of the Los Angeles Police Department's Foothill Station.
Los Angeles Times

1 wounded in car-to-car shooting on 10 Freeway
Police are investigating a shooting on the 10 Freeway in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles. It happened just after 3 a.m. on the eastbound side of the freeway, between Robertson Boulevard and La Brea Avenue. Three people -- two adult males and an adult woman -- had left a nightclub and got on the 10 east at Robertson, according to LAPD Sgt. Mike Richardson. That's when a grey SUV, possibly with two people inside, pulled up alongside their red Ford Mustang and someone opened fire, police said.
KTLA

One arrested, one sought in fatal South Los Angeles shooting
Police arrested one suspect and are searching for another following a South Los Angeles shooting that left one man dead and two others injured over the weekend, officials said Monday. De Edmond Brown, 37, was talking with friends around 12:40 a.m. Sunday in the 600 block of Caliburn Drive when two men approached. One of the two opened fire, and Brown and his friends scattered, police said. The suspects followed Brown after he ran inside an apartment complex, shooting him several times in the upper torso.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD probes excessive-force claim in video arrest
Police were investigating allegations Monday that officers used excessive force when they dog-piled on a skateboarder who was punched during a weekend arrest recorded on video. Ronald Weekley Jr., 20, claimed he suffered a broken nose, broken cheekbone and a concussion during the confrontation outside his home in the Venice neighborhood. His face appeared slightly bruised as he spoke with friends, supporters and journalists.
Associated Press

Neighborhood watch groups to hear I.D. theft expert Thursday
All the Basic Car Neighborhood Watch groups in the LAPD's Devonshire Division will meet together Thursday, Aug. 23, to hear Robert Rebhan, an internationally recognized expert on financial crimes. The meeting will be 6:45 p.m. at St. John Eudes Church, 9901 Mason Ave., Chatsworth. He is a former LAPD sergeant and detective and director of the American Express fraud prevention program for over 20 years.
Northridge Chatsworth Patch

FBI to open facial recognition searches to police nationwide
The FBI is expanding the pilot project of its facial recognition software and will be offering a free-of-charge client software version later this summer to law enforcement agencies. The Universal Face Workstation will enable law enforcement agencies to conduct automated facial/photo searches with minimal resource investment. The facial recognition system was piloted in February with the state of Michigan, which is currently submitting searches to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, according to Jerome Pender, the division's deputy assistant director.
Government Computer News

Traffic

Construction to shut down northbound 405 Freeway Tuesday night
Construction crews will close the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway Tuesday night through a small stretch of the Sepulveda Pass to pour concrete for part of the Sunset Boulevard bridge over the freeway. Beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday, crews will begin closing lanes and ramps on the northbound 405 between Montana Avenue and Moraga Drive. Traffic will be detoured to Sepulveda Boulevard, and the highway closure will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
City News Service

Legislation

California Senate sends Jerry Brown bill to parole some juvenile murderers
California lawmakers are sending Gov. Jerry Brown a bill that would allow some juvenile murderers the chance to get out of prison on parole. The state Senate approved Senate Bill 9 on a 21-16 vote today, the bare minimum necessary for it to clear its last legislative hurdle. Brown has until the end of September to act on it. The bill by Democratic Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco would allow some murderers to petition for a hearing to have their sentence changed to 25 years to life, allowing them to later petition for parole.
Sacramento Bee

City Government

Occupy L.A. cost: $4.3 million and rising
The estimated cost of $4.3 million for last year's Occupy L.A. protests could end up even higher because the demonstrations have moved from City Hall to Pershing Square, city officials said Monday. The City Council's Budget and Finance Committee was provided with the cost estimate for the two- month protest held outside City Hall last fall, which included the cost of repairing damaged lawns and staff overtime.
Los Angeles Daily News

Immigration

DMV working on issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is getting closer to a decision on providing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who qualify for federal work permits under a new initiative of the Obama administration. DMV spokesman Mike Marando said Monday the agency's staff is working through technical issues including a determination of whether the Legislature will have to clarify the law.
Los Angeles Times