Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Harbor City and nine other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 10 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Eight neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Harbor City was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 1.0 over the last three months. Westwood topped the list of two neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Trail-blazing LAPD unit follows up felons released under realignment
LAPD Hollywood's Parole Probation Impact Team was on the streets early Tuesday morning checking up on parolees on supervised release. The team took several repeat offenders into custody. Due to realignment, many of those arrested will only spend a short time in jail. It was only the first stop of half-dozen this particular morning for the Los Angeles Police Department's trail-blazing Parole/Probation Impact Team, focusing on felons released from prison and now living in the community.
NBC4

Keeping Los Angeles safe
We were pleased to hear Mayor Villaraigosa pledge that the city budget he will submit for the next fiscal year beginning July 1 will continue to reflect a commitment to a 10,000-member police force and continued anti-gang efforts. As he looks back on eight years in office, the mayor can take pride in knowing he served the second largest city in America at a time when crime rates fell to levels not seen since the 1950s. For that, undoubted he would thank the dedicated men and women of the LAPD who police what remains - let no one forget - the most under-policed big city in the nation.
LAPPL Blog

Alleged road rage on 405 Freeway turns into hit and run in Brentwood Glen
An alleged road rage and hit and run incident spilled off the 405 Freeway into a Brentwood Glen neighborhood Saturday, April 6, putting residents into lock down. Police are still investigating the man and woman involved and both were operating separate vehicles. No charges have been made as of Monday, April 8, according to Det. Nelson Hernandez of the Los Angeles Police Department's West Traffic Division.
Brentwood Patch

911 tapes from manhunt for ex-LAPD cop released
San Bernardino County authorities on Tuesday released recordings of the Feb. 12 911 call that led to the death of murder suspect Christopher Jordan Dorner. At the time, Dorner was wanted on suspicion of killing Riverside Police officer Michael Crain and an Irvine couple, Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department was leading a large-scale manhunt for him in the Big Bear Lake area.
San Bernardino Sun

Christopher Dorner reward: Lawyer for carjack victim objects to process
The lawyer for a man carjacked by Christopher Dorner the day Dorner died objected Tuesday to the newly announced process for distributing a reward of $1 million or more that had been offered for the ex-police officer's capture or conviction. Rick Heltebrake, who has earlier publicly claimed the reward, raised questions in an eight-page letter sent to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles Daily News

Prison Realignment

Felon slain by CHP officer after allegedly killing woman in Fontana
The Fontana police chief and San Bernardino County's chief probation officer said a convicted felon who allegedly stabbed a woman to death at a Fontana park-and-ride exposed flaws in Gov. Jerry Brown's controversial plan to give local governments responsibility for nonviolent prisoners. David Mulder, 43, a transient with a long history of drug-related convictions, was shot and killed Sunday night by a California Highway Patrol officer responding to a report of a woman being attacked in a car near the San Bernardino Freeway.
Los Angeles Times

The Courts

Court cutbacks are forcing delays across the state
California courts, reeling from years of state budget cuts, are delaying hearings and trials, allowing records to sit unprocessed for months and slashing services at public windows, a judge's committee has reported. The report by the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee was based on a survey of all presiding judges and prepared for the Judicial Council, the policy-making body for the courts. All but 10 of the state's counties responded to the survey.
Los Angeles Times

Legislation

Senate committee backs stiffer penalty for 'swatting'
Just days after hoax 911 calls were made involving the homes of Justin Timberlake, Rihanna and Sean Combs, state lawmakers acted Tuesday to advance a bill creating heavy financial penalties for those making false calls known as "swatting." On Tuesday, the state Senate Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to approve a bill by Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) to make those convicted of such false calls responsible for paying restitution for the cost of the police response, which can be in the thousands of dollars.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Villaraigosa, in city address, notes gains, chides Garcetti and Greuel
In one of his last major speeches as mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday took credit for creating a safer, greener and more livable city, while also scolding the candidates running to replace him for not saying enough about how they will improve schools. "The old Los Angeles is fading in the rear view mirror," Villaraigosa said during his eighth and final State of the City address. He will be termed-out June 30.
Los Angeles Times
Text of Mayor's Speech

New Economic Development Department created by L.A. City Council
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved the creation of a new city department to oversee economic development to replace the now defunct Community Redevelopment Agency. The 12-0 vote is the first step in creating the agency that will begin on July coordinating with a new nonprofit to help develop new projects around the city. "This is not a dramatic shift in how we do business," City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana told the council.
Los Angeles Daily News

City Election

Early help for L.A.'s early voters
Official sample ballots for Los Angeles' May 21 election will be available April 22, a little less than two weeks from now. Voters who just want to get the whole thing over with can actually vote by mail that very same day by getting their super-early ballot directly from the city clerk. And that's fine for voters who are ready to roll on their runoff choices for mayor, city attorney, controller, Community College Board and (depending on their districts) City Council and school board. But what about the ballot measures?
Los Angeles Times