Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Valley Village, Elysian Valley, 3 other L.A. areas
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in five L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Three neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Valley Village was the most unusual, recording four reports compared with a weekly average of 0.8 over the last three months. Elysian Valley topped the list of two neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD: Shuttle trek may have cut crime
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday the space shuttle Endeavour's high-profile trip through downtown may have helped reduce crime in the city. The shuttle's trek from Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center in downtown LA drew crowds estimated at 1 million. Beck told the Police Commission crime rates in the city during the weekend were the lowest they had been in months. The chief said the public's behavior along the shuttle's 12-mile route was problem free.
UPI

LAPD leapfrogs to protect a national treasure
As Endeavor made its way to its new home in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department kept a watchful eye with a unique surveillance camera network. To safeguard the 12-mile route in a cost-effective way, the LAPD constructed a special wireless network of HDTV-quality Axis surveillance cameras and used a special "leapfrog" technique to reconfigure it as the shuttle crept along.
Fox News

Van Nuys sex offender wearing GPS device accused of exposing himself to girl
A registered sex offender who wears a GPS-monitored ankle bracelet is suspected of exposing himself to a 12-year-old girl in Arleta, police said. It was at least the second time in a week police have tied a sex offender to a new crime based in part on satellite monitoring. Geary Gornick, 50, of Van Nuys is suspected in an Aug. 31 incident in which a man on a moped rode up to a girl in a parking lot, called out to her and exposed himself, Los Angeles police said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Lake View Terrace: SWAT overpowers barricaded man reported to be suicidal
A SWAT team used tear gas and a stun gun Tuesday to overpower a suicidal man who had barricaded himself inside his Lake View Terrace apartment armed with a knife, police said. Officers went to the 11800 block of Foothill Boulevard at 6:44 p.m. Monday in response to a report of a suicidal man, said Officer Sara Faden, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman.
City News Service

Anti-bullying forum draws more than 100 students
The Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood Division hosted an anti-bullying forum to raise awareness about bullying and how to prevent it. While October is National Bullying Prevention Month, LAPD Sgt. Darrell Davis said the department tries to host similar events at least once a year. He said the forum is important for students in Hollywood. "I've had a couple of kids who are part of the youth program tell us they've had issues with bullying at schools," Davis said.
Hollywood Patch

Gang intervention workers and police build trust
Gang intervention workers and cops are working together to curb gang violence in Los Angeles. But trust between the two groups hasn't come easily as some 40 Los Angeles Police Department officers and LA County Sheriff's deputies made clear during a recent all-day training session on the topic. Early in the day, LAPD Deputy Chief Pat Gannon, a 34-year LAPD vet who's since retired, quickly established his tough cop bona fides before describing his growing support for gang intervention.
HealthyCal.org

FBI warns users of mobile malware
As mobile malware increases at break-neck speed, the U.S. government wants to be sure users are aware of its dangers. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which is a government task force that includes the FBI, issued a mobile malware warning on Friday. "The IC3 has been made aware of various malware attacking Android operating systems for mobile devices," the warning said. "Some of the latest known versions of this type of malware are Loozfon and FinFisher."
CNET

City Government

ID card for illegal immigrants breezes through L.A. council panel
A plan to provide illegal immigrants with an official city ID card easily won a key vote Tuesday when members of a Los Angeles City Council committee agreed to solicit bids for a third-party vendor to handle the program. Councilman Ed Reyes, a member of the Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee, said it's "about time" that L.A. residents, regardless of immigration status, have the ability to easily open bank accounts and access city services.
Los Angeles Times

Moody's cuts one L.A. bond rating but weighs raising another
After high-profile bankruptcies in Stockton and San Bernardino, the Wall Street rating agency Moody's Corp. has been reviewing the financial stability of dozens of California cities in recent months. The agency's assessment of Los Angeles has been mixed. Last week Moody's downgraded the city's rating for so-called judgment obligation bonds to A2 from A1, according to City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana. But the news from Moody's was not all bad. The agency also announced that it was reviewing the city's general obligation bonds for a possible upgrade.
Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles neighborhood councils to exclude felons
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday called for new regulations to prohibit felons or those convicted of sex crimes from serving on neighborhood councils. The council voted 14-0 to have the proposal drafted at the urging of Councilman Mitch Englander. Under the proposal, the city attorney will draft regulations to be considered by the full council. There have been complaints from some neighborhood councils over residents of halfway houses taking over the local groups.
Los Angeles Daily News