Law Enforcement

Police seek suspect in early morning Marmion Way fatal shooting
A man was shot and killed early Monday morning near the corner of Marmion Way and Avenue 60, according to LAPD. No arrests have been made in the shooting that occurred at around 2:10 a.m. on Monday. Police learned of shooting after receiving several calls from people who heard the gunfire and one who saw it, said Sgt. M. Campbell of the Los Angeles Police Department's Northeast Station. The victim was transported to the hospital by paramedics, where he died as a result of his wounds, according to ABC 7.
Highland Park - Mount Washington Patch

Calif. DNA collection from arrestees challenged
Technological advances in genetic research and computers in recent years have turned solving "cold cases" into near-routine police work. The California Attorney General reports that the state's DNA database of close to 2 million samples spits outs more than 425 "hits" a month, more than double the average monthly rate of 183 in 2008. More than 10,000 suspects have been identified in the last five years. But on Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union will argue before a federal appellate court in San Francisco that California's DNA collection efforts have become unconstitutionally aggressive and that the spike in hits comes at the expense of civil liberties.
Associated Press

Former assemblyman, current probation executive Carl Washington arrested for bank fraud
FBI agents arrested former state assemblyman Carl Washington on charges of bank fraud Monday, surprising him while he worked at the headquarters of the county Probation Department. The federal indictment accuses Washington, 47, of stealing thousands of dollars from banks and credit unions by pretending to be a victim of identity theft.
Los Angeles Daily News

SUV third-row seat theft on the rise in Southern California
Third-row seat theft from SUVs is on the raise across Southern California. The Los Angeles Police Department says the problem is so rampant, it's become a necessity to engrave them with identifying information. "It's something that's very simple," said LAPD Det. Mike Ventura. "With a little bit of time and effort people can protect themselves." The seats might be heavy and cumbersome, but crooks are making quick work of them.
ABC7

LAPD bike patrollers shop the Demo
It was not all retailers (and media) at the Interbike OutDoor Demo in Boulder City, Nev., on Monday. The demo was also a great opportunity for Los Angeles Police Department bike patrol instructors to look for new gear for the department, which buys about 100 new bikes every year, plus helmets, shoes, clothing, lighting systems and other gear.
Bicycle Retailer

State Ballot Propositions

Prop. 32 an unbalanced 'reform' plan
Proposition 32 purports to be an even-handed attempt to reduce the influence of special interests in California. It is anything but balanced. The most telling way to assess the motive and the effect of this initiative is to follow the money. The bulk of the financial backing for Prop. 32 has come from conservative ideologues who have made no secret of their desire to tamp down the clout of labor unions. A group linked to the billionaire Koch brothers just poured $4 million into a committee just formed to help pass Prop. 32.
San Francisco Chronicle

LA County DA calls on voters to reject lethal injection ban
The chief prosecutor for Los Angeles County urged voters on Monday to uphold the death penalty in California on the upcoming November ballot. Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO that the state - which has had a moratorium on executions since 2006 due to concerns over the previously-used three-drug cocktail - should resume executions after the election.
CBS LA

City Ballot Measure

Bid to overturn L.A. pot shop ban qualifies for ballot
Activists seeking to repeal a ban on medical marijuana outlets in Los Angeles have secured enough verified signatures to place their measure on the ballot, City Clerk June Lagmay said Monday. Backers of medical marijuana dispensaries needed 27,425 valid signatures for their measure to qualify. Lagmay said a statistical sampling of the signatures showed that activists had turned in 110% of the amount needed.
Los Angeles Times

Traffic

Weather pushes space shuttle Endeavour's L.A. arrival to Friday
Space shuttle Endeavour will arrive in Los Angeles a day later than originally intended after the threat of thunderstorms again delayed the start of the retired orbiter's cross-country trip from Florida. The shuttle is now expected to reach Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, NASA announced. Endeavour was supposed to leave NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Houston early Monday, the first leg of its days-long trek across the southern United States that includes 1,500-foot flyovers of several NASA facilities.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

California calls prison release plan unsafe
Gov. Jerry Brown's administration says it is a terrible idea that jeopardizes public safety, but if federal judges order it, California could in six months craft a plan to ease prison crowding by releasing inmates early. The question itself is "outdated," state lawyers told a federal court panel in papers filed late Monday, "made before the state took enormous strides on its own to reduce crowding... The overcrowding level of California's prisons that existed in the record before the Supreme Court is now a distant memory."
Los Angeles Times