Law Enforcement

LAPD will keep celebrity 'swatting' cases secret
The Los Angeles Police Department announced Thursday that it would take the unusual step of no longer issuing press releases or immediately confirming instances of celebrity "swatting," saying intense media coverage seems to be fueling more incidents. Cmdr. Andrew Smith, who oversees the LAPD Media Relations Section, said the procedural change keeping celebrity swatting calls a secret, was necessary because of concerns about the privacy of the victims as well as the belief that publicizing such incidents targeting individual celebrities was emboldening copycats.
Los Angeles Times

Armed security guard shot, killed at strip mall
Police are searching for a suspect who shot and killed an armed security guard at a strip mall in Panorama City. The fatal shooting happened around 10 p.m. Thursday next to Mercado 3 Hermanos in the 15000 block of Roscoe Boulevard. Police found the victim, a 48-year-old man, unconscious on the pavement. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Family members say he had worked patrolling the mini mall for some 12 years. He leaves behind two children and a wife.
KTLA

Student at North Hills' Valley High accused of attack on girl, 17
A student at Valley High School in North Hills was arrested Wednesday after a 17-year-old classmate said he grabbed her, forced her into a bathroom and tried to remove her clothes, police said. Jesus Lares, 18, was being held today on $1 million bail on suspicion of kidnapping with intent to rape, which carries a life sentence. Los Angeles police said the incident started when Lares and the girl spoke at lunchtime.
Los Angeles Daily News

White powder sent to Villaraigosa is probably chalk, police say
A white powder discovered in an envelope addressed to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was probably chalk, according to police. A portion of the mayor's office on the third floor of City Hall was evacuated Thursday afternoon after one of Villaraigosa's employees discovered the white substance and alerted authorities. The envelope also included a "threatening letter" addressed to Villaraigosa, according to Los Angeles Police Cmdr. Blake Chow.
Los Angeles Times

'POPP' offers youths path to LADP careers
Students across L.A. are getting a chance of a lifetime as they participate in a new leadership program led by the LAPD. It's called the Police Orientation and Preparation Program, or POPP. The two-year program is a joint effort by the LAPD, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the L.A. Community College District. It allows high school seniors to earn their diplomas and work toward a college associate's degree as they prepare for a career in law enforcement.
KTLA

Sign hacked near USC to flash crude message about LAPD
Officials are looking into an electronic sign near USC apparently hacked to display inappropriate messages about the Los Angeles Police Department, a university official said Thursday. Various pictures of the sign surfaced on Instagram and Twitter on Thursday morning, showing the crude message, which included references to the Police Department, a posterior and "probing."
Los Angeles Times

San Fernando Valley robbery suspect hit 3 businesses within hours; search under way
A search is under way for a robbery suspect who allegedly struck three West San Fernando Valley businesses in less than an hour. It all started at a CVS in the 8500 block of Reseda Boulevard in Northridge at about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday. According to Los Angeles police, the suspect entered the business, went straight for the check-out counter and demanded money from the cashier.
ABC7

People

Afghan bomb cost Marine his legs, but not his spirit
Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Zambon runs on carbon fiber prosthetics at Naval Medical Center San Diego. He was injured in an explosion in Afghanistan. He is determined to stay with the Marines as an emergency ordnance disposal technician, this time as an instructor. On prosthetic limbs, Zambon climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. He carried the dog tags of two other Marines from explosive ordnance disposal: Sgt. Mike Tayaotao, killed in Iraq in 2007, and Staff Sgt. Josh Cullins, a reservist and Los Angeles police officer, killed in Afghanistan in 2010.
Los Angeles Times

Legislation

New bill would give tougher punishments to paroled sex offenders who cut their GPS trackers
The jump in the number of high-risk sex offenders who are cutting off their GPS ankle trackers is actually bigger than previously thought. The number has almost doubled since the prison realignment policy change in October 2011, which sends parolees to county jail instead of state prison for certain relatively minor violations.
ABC7

Prisons

Judges demand Brown comply with prison order
Gov. Jerry Brown's effort to eliminate or modify a court order to reduce prison overcrowding was rejected by federal judges Thursday. The three judges issued a strongly worded decision that concluded by saying the state "will not be allowed to continue to violate the requirements of the Constitution of the United States." The state prison system is under court oversight because judges say overcrowding has created conditions that violate the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Los Angeles Times

City Election

Garcetti, Greuel face off in first runoff mayoral debate
In the first Los Angeles mayoral debate since the runoff election began, City Councilman Eric Garcetti and City Controller Wendy Greuel found themselves explaining on multiple occasions how, exactly, each differed from the other. During an hourlong back-and-forth at American Jewish University in Bel-Air, the candidates tackled questions ranging from education and public safety to traffic and an NFL team in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Times