Law Enforcement

LAPD issues information regarding Valley pursuit
A police pursuit that ended with deputies chasing suspects up the vegetated hills of the Sepulveda Pass Tuesday began in West Hills with a suspected attempted robbery, the Los Angeles Police Department said Thursday. At the time, officials from the LAPD's Topanga Station declined to comment on the
circumstances that lead to the chase, but on Thursday, it issued an advisory with follow-up information.
Woodland Hills Patch

Dorner carjack victim seeking $1.2 million reward
A man who was carjacked by Christopher Dorner says he is entitled to a $1.2 million reward for giving authorities information that led them to the ex-cop who killed four people before taking his own life in a cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains. Rick Heltebrake filed a claim Feb. 19, saying his 9-1-1 call helped authorities track Dorner to the cabin near Barton Flats where the fugitive killed himself in a gun battle that ended with the cabin burned to the ground. Los Angeles police spokesman Richard French said Thursday the distribution of the reward was a "complex process" being overseen by the mayor's office, not police.
Los Angeles Daily News

Community bids farewell to LAPD Cmdr. Bill Murphy
Scores of police officers and community members gathered Thursday afternoon at the Los Angeles Police Department Northeast Area Community Station to bid farewell to Capt. Bill Murphy following his promotion in late February to the post of commander. The station's senior-most officer led the LAPD's Northeast division for nearly five years, helping turn it into the city's top station in everything from violent crime reduction to a striking social media strategy that has become the talk of the entire police force.
Eagle Rock Patch

The Courts

Los Angeles County Superior Court system will close its Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
The Los Angeles County Superior Court department that helps resolve cases before they reach a courtroom will shutter by June 28. Alternative Dispute Resolution Services, which has existed for more than 20 years and is the largest of its kind in the United States, will shut down. The closure is one of several steps that the Superior Court is taking to save between $55 million and $85 million in the 2013-14 fiscal year, said Mary Hearn, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Los Angeles Daily News

Gun Control

City Government

Los Angeles throws its hat in the ring for 2024 Olympics
Los Angeles wants the 2024 Olympic Games. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa informed the United States Olympic Committee on Thursday that the city is interested in hosting the Olympics for a third time. L.A. previously hosted the 1932 and 1984 games. Last month, the USOC sent a letter to at least 30 cities gauging their interest in hosting the games. Los Angeles is believed to be the first city to throw its hat in the ring.
Los Angeles Daily News

City Runoff Election

San Fernando Valley a key battleground in L.A. mayor's race
With a mayor's race between two City Hall veterans looking like a tight, tough battle, the San Fernando Valley is shaping up as a key battleground over the next 10 weeks. Both City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti can claim ties to the Valley, and both plan to campaign hard in every district. Garcetti grew up in Encino, while Greuel lives in Studio City and represented the area as a City Council member.
Los Angeles Daily News

Rivals' run for money begins anew
The vote counting isn't finished, but Los Angeles' surviving mayoral candidates have already moved on to a monumental new task: replenishing their campaign treasuries for the final and most intense phase of the campaign. When the polls closed Tuesday, the campaigns were effectively broke. City ethics rules prohibit candidates from carrying over funds from the March primary and soliciting new money before they made the runoff.
Los Angeles Times