Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for West Hills and 15 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 16 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Six neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. West Hills was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.3 over the last three months. East Hollywood topped the list of 11 neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

As Downtown crime spikes, questions follow
Serious crime in Downtown is up 15% compared to last year at this time. Violent crime has risen 18%. What is driving the hike is uncertain, but local authorities finger last year's controversial prison reform as a key driver. Implemented in October 2011 in response to a federal order to reduce prison overcrowding, Assembly Bill 109 transferred post-release supervision responsibilities for low-level felons from the state to the counties. The law applies to individuals whose most recent offense was deemed nonviolent, non-sexual or non-"serious."
Los Angeles Downtown News

LAPD to staff more officers in West L.A.
Highlighting recent vigilant community policing efforts to help catch three "career criminals" in four days last month while committing burglaries in Pacific Palisades, the Los Angeles Police Department announced the West L.A. Division will be receiving 17 additional police officers. In a press conference Tuesday morning at Palisades Recreation Park, Captain Evangelyn Nathan said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is bonusing the West L.A. Division with the additional officers without losing any staff. "The message today is when community spirit and a watchful eye are prevalent, the criminals don't win, and that's what we want," Nathan said.
Brentwood Patch

LAPD gets $45,000 from council to patrol transient-heavy area near Hansen Dam
With growing problems from transients and criminals who have camped out in the rugged area east of Hansen Dam, the Los Angeles Police Department received nearly $45,000 from the City Council on Tuesday to beef up patrols in the area. Interim Foothill Capt. Stephen Carmona said he will be able to put 10 officers on patrol to stem complaints from residents and the equestrian community of continuing problems and criminal acts in the area. "We will be able to go in there for 10 weeks to see if we can stem some of the problems," Carmona said.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD Captain demoted over rough arrest files harassment complaint against Chief Beck
The top officer in the LAPD Foothill Division who was demoted after officers under his command slammed a handcuffed woman into the pavement has filed a harassment claim against Police Chief Charlie Beck. Joseph Hiltner, a 34-year veteran with the department, was "demoted two substantial levels and transferred against my will without cause," according to the claim filed Tuesday with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Hiltner has also been "assigned to home," meaning he must stay at home during work hours, according to his attorney, Steven Brock.
NBC4

CHP officer critically wounded, suspected shooter killed in shootout on I-680 in Alamo
A California Highway Patrol officer is on life support and his assailant dead following a traffic stop on crowded Interstate 680 Tuesday morning that became violent as hundreds of commuters drove past. As traffic eased south on Interstate 680 in Alamo at 8:20 a.m., an unidentified officer was shot through the neck after pulling over a Jeep Wrangler on the shoulder of the freeway, police said. Moments later, a second CHP officer who had pulled up behind the jeep shot the man in his vehicle and aided the injured officer until emergency medical crews arrived, said Contra Costa sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee.
Contra Costa Times

L.A. County drunk driving arrests during Labor Day weekend top 250
More people were arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles County this Labor Day weekend than last year, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP officers arrested 259 people in the county for suspected drunk driving between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday, up from 227 last year, according to Officer Tatiana Sauquillo. Statewide, 892 people were arrested during the holiday weekend this year, compared with 1,008 last year, Sauquillo said. There were 11 DUI-related fatalities, including one in L.A. County, this year.
Los Angeles Times

Death Penalty

Californians debate death penalty as vote to end it nears
Sharron Mankins, McGregor Scott and Bill Babbitt each have watched a man die inside the death chamber at San Quentin State Prison, and each has a strong view on whether voters should end California's death penalty in November. Even after 20 years, Mankins has no regrets about watching Robert Alton Harris die by cyanide gas for the 1978 murders of her 16-year-old son, Michael Baker, and his friend John Mayeski. "We saw justice served," the 69-year-old Southern California woman said in an interview last month.
Sacramento Bee

Immigration

Commentary: Letting illegal immigrants get driver's licenses makes sense
The debate over whether to offer driver's licenses to illegal immigrants has a usefully neurological angle: It's a way of defining "insanity" as the process of shooting yourself in the foot in the expectation that someone else will scream in pain. The people who are supposedly afflicted with the pain are undocumented immigrants, who are theoretically deprived of the right to drive on our roads. The injury inflicted on society arises from the fact that many of the supposed targets of this punishment drive anyway.
Los Angeles Times

Legislation

Bills to reform developmental center police reach governor
Two bills that would require outside police and advocates to be informed about alleged crimes against the developmentally disabled at California's board-and-care institutions have reached Gov. Jerry Brown's desk. Brown has 30 days to sign the legislation - SB 1051 and SB 1522 - into law or veto the measures. Both bills are designated urgent, so they take effect immediately should the governor approve them.
Bay Citizen