Pensions

Reckless Richard Riordan
As you may have read in recent news stories, former Mayor Richard Riordan has taken the first steps toward eliminating the current pension system for all future City employees and replacing it with 401(k) plans. However, this proposal will not only impact the pay and benefits of current employees, who have already given years of service to the City, but it will be detrimental to Los Angeles taxpayers.
LAPPL Blog

Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Los Feliz, Canoga Park and 11 other neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 13 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Four neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Los Feliz was the most unusual, recording four reports compared with a weekly average of 1.5 over the last three months. Canoga Park topped the list of nine neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Party patrol policing effort approved in the Northeast San Fernando Valley
With more than 2,100 parties a year in his district, Councilman Richard Alarcon on Tuesday won City Council approval to divert $46,000 to the Los Angeles Police Department to create a "party patrol." The money, from Community Redevelopment Funds available to Alarcon, will be used to pay for officers to respond to complaints about parties, as well as work with party hosts to control the size of parties.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD officers shoot at pickup outside Trader Joe's in Sherman Oaks, suspected wine thief escapes
A man suspected of trying to run down a Los Angeles police officer in the parking lot of a Trader Joe's store in Sherman Oaks today escaped after officers fired their weapons at his pickup. A confrontation occurred between at least one officer and the suspect in the grocery-store parking lot at Hazeltine Avenue and Riverside Drive at 6:35 p.m., said Officer Christopher No of the LAPD's Media Relations Section. KCAL9 reported that when the suspect -- described only as a white man -- tried to run down an officer in a white pickup truck, at least one officer shot at the suspect.
City News Service

Police chase starts in North Hollywood, ends with arrest in Mission Hills
Police on Tuesday arrested a man who led them on a chase from North Hollywood to Mission Hills. The pursuit began at 9:37 a.m. in the 6300 block of Colfax Avenue, and ended about 10 minutes later on the eastbound Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway at the Golden State (5) Freeway, where the SUV stopped and the man surrendered, said Los Angeles police Officer Sara Faden of the Media Relations office.
City News Service

Accused of drinking and killing two sleeping homeless people with Mercedes, 19-year-old will now stand trial
A 19-year-old woman who was allegedly drunk when she lost control of her car, which struck and killed two homeless people sleeping on a sidewalk in Skid Row, was charged Tuesday with vehicular manslaughter. Carmen Elena Chavez of Los Angeles pleaded not guilty to the two felony counts stemming from the deaths of Randall Milton and Teryl Sageser, both 51. The criminal complaint alleges that the deaths occurred while Chavez was driving under the influence of alcohol and under the legal drinking age of 21.
City News Service

North Hollywood 19-year-old who pointed 'commercial grade' laser at jet, police helicopter could get 5 years in prison
A 19-year-old North Hollywood man faces up to five years in prison for shining a laser at a business jet and then aiming the "commercial-grade" device at a police helicopter sent to find the source. Adam Gardenhire pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Los Angeles to a single count of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, court papers show. U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson set Jan. 28 for sentencing.
Los Angeles Daily News

Off-duty cop shot 'execution-style' at Escondido ATM
A veteran off-duty San Diego police officer using an ATM in Escondido was shot and seriously injured after a suspect attempted to rob him, police said. Sources tell NBC 7 that at least one suspect made Officer Les Stewart lay face down at the ATM machine just after noon Monday. The suspect went through Stewart's wallet and saw his Police Department badge inside, then took his wallet and cell phone and shot him in the head "execution-style." Stewart is a 27-year veteran with the San Diego Police Department. He is 57 years old, and was set to retire in December, the sources said.
NBC7 San Diego

FBI expands Cybercrime Division
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is adding resources, building new tools, increasing hiring and expanding collaboration with local groups as part of its Next Generation Cyber Initiative, an effort to overhaul the FBI's Cyber Division, the agency announced last week. The FBI has long been a force in combating cybercrime.
Information Week

City Government

L.A. council to consider new tax proposals
With thousands of employees out the door and years of crushing deficits still on the horizon, the Los Angeles City Council is preparing an urgent appeal to voters for more taxes to prevent further cuts in parks, police, fire and other services. The council on Wednesday will take up four possible tax measures for the March ballot. The largest is a half-cent sales tax hike unveiled Tuesday by council President Herb Wesson that would generate an estimated $220 million a year and give Los Angeles one of the highest sales tax rates in the state.
Los Angeles Times

Appeals panel may strike down L.A. digital billboard deal
A three-judge panel signaled Tuesday that it may strike down a deal that allowed roughly 100 digital billboards to go up in Hollywood, Venice and other neighborhoods, according to participants in the case. The 2nd District Court of Appeal informed attorneys that it was leaning toward instructing a Superior Court judge to invalidate the permits for those existing digital signs, attorneys said. The signs were approved by the L.A. City Council in 2006 as part of a settlement agreement and have drawn protests from neighborhood activists, who say the billboards create blight and shine into yards and homes.
Los Angeles Times