Law Enforcement

'Private Practice' star Taye Diggs collars alleged burglar in Studio City home
Police arrested a man who was detained by actor Taye Diggs after allegedly trying to burglarize the actor's Studio City home, authorities said Monday. Officers sent to the actor's neighborhood about 11:20 p.m. Sunday arrested Hassan Juma, 20, and booked him on suspicion of burglary, said Richard French of the Los Angeles Police Department.
City News Service

Pacoima drive-by shooting victim is identified
A 27-year-old man killed in a gang-related drive-by shooting in Pacoima was identified Sunday night by the coroner's office. The victim was identified as Saul Aguirre of Pacoima, coroner's Lt. Joe Bale said. The shooting took place around 7:40 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Kagel Canyon Street and Telfair Avenue, where a car pulled up to Aguirre and another man and fired multiple rounds, according to Officer Christopher No of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section.
City News Service

LAPD looks for gunman in Warner Center office building
Police responding to a report of a gunman in a Warner Center office Monday afternoon, evacuated the building and searched the floors without finding anyone suspicious, authorities said. A call came in about 3:30 p.m. reporting an armed man, possibly on the 10th floor of the Universal Music Building, which is in the Farmers Insurance Plaza in the 6300 block of Owensmouth Avenue, Los Angeles police said. The call stemmed from a letter received by someone in the building that referenced a threat from a gunman, officers said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Obama asks law enforcement officials to push gun proposals
President Obama on Monday met with police chiefs from around the country -- including three from communities affected by mass shootings -- as part of his effort to build support for the gun control measures he wants to push through Congress. At a morning meeting at the White House, Obama asked the law enforcement officials to put pressure on lawmakers to act on the measures he endorsed in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
Los Angeles Times

Law enforcement rarely uses search warrants in getting Twitter data
United States law-enforcement agencies by and large do not establish probable cause or obtain a search warrant from an impartial judge before they seek information about a Twitter user, the company said Monday in its second transparency report. The company said it received a little over 1,000 requests for information between July and December 2012. Most came from the United States, and in nearly seven out of 10 instances, the company complied with the data request.
New York Times

Immigration

Immigration reform could increase California tax revenue, shift worker base, experts say
Granting residency to undocumented immigrants in California could increase competition for low-end jobs as agricultural laborers shift to cities, while boosting tax revenues as other undocumented workers seek higher-paying positions previously denied to them, experts say. Other potential economic and political effects were being considered across the state after a bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators unveiled plans Monday that would provide a path to citizenship for the country's 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Los Angeles Daily News

Legislation

Earthquake early-warning system proposed by California lawmaker
A state lawmaker is proposing to have California create an earthquake early warning system based on recent scientific breakthroughs. State Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) plans to unveil his legislation on Monday at the California Institute of Technology Seismological Laboratory in Pasadena, where he will be joined by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, Caltech and UC Berkeley.
Los Angeles Times

City Elections

Mayoral debate focuses on city's troubled finances
In the highest-profile debate so far in the Los Angeles mayoral race, three longtime city officials defended their records Monday night as two long-shot challengers accused them of putting the city on a path to insolvency. The city's chronic budget shortfalls dominated the event at UCLA's Royce Hall, televised live on KNBC-TV Channel 4. Entertainment lawyer Kevin James and technology executive Emanuel Pleitez sought to maximize the free media exposure, portraying themselves as fresh alternatives to business as usual at City Hall.
Los Angeles Times

SEIU will consider endorsing Wendy Greuel or Eric Garcetti for mayor of Los Angeles
A hastily organized mayoral endorsement meeting hosted by SEIU 721, a powerful city workers union, is drawing criticism from mayoral candidates not invited to the event. SEIU 721 asked City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti to attend a Town Hall for its members Tuesday night. The union will consider endorsing one of those two candidates at the meeting. Unions can be a powerful force in citywide elections by canvassing and volunteering for candidates.
Los Angeles Daily News

Proponents of L.A. medical marijuana ballot measure shift support
A coalition of medical marijuana activists that fought to put an ordinance regulating pot shops on the May ballot are abandoning their own initiative in favor of a city-backed ballot measure that seeks similar regulations. Representatives for Americans for Safe Access, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and the Greater Los Angeles Collectives Alliance announced Monday that they plan to campaign on behalf of the city's proposal, which the City Council is expected to vote this week to place on the ballot.
Los Angeles Times