Law Enforcement

LAPD officers honored by President Obama
President Barack Obama presented 12 members of the Los Angeles Police Department with the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COP award Saturday at the White House. The LAPD officers were honored for chasing and arresting Ian Schlesinger on September 12, after he allegedly carjacked a vehicle then led police on a pursuit from North Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles, according to the LAPD. The dramatic pursuit ended when Schlesinger was injured in a shootout with police.
KTLA

LAPD: 'Armed and dangerous' robbers targeting joggers at Silver Lake Reservoir
LAPD issued an alert Thursday regarding two robberies since April 28 on the popular Silver Lake Reservoir jogging path. One of the robberies involved bodily force and a weapon. The Los Angeles Police Department issued the community alert via Facebook, saying robbers had recently stolen electronics from at least two joggers, taking their iPhone, iPods, headphones or mp3 players, reports NBC LA.
KPCC

Mother describes grief in letters to judges
Sabine Durden said her life was "blown to bits" when her son, Dominic Durden, 30, was killed July 12, 2012, in a collision on Pigeon Pass Road in Moreno Valley caused by a man who had two drunken-driving convictions and no driver's license. Now, Durden, 55, is using words such as "raped," "crushed" and "shattered" because, she said, the judge who sentenced Juan Zacarias Tzun compounded her grief by imposing what she considers a lenient sentence - and seemingly against the judge's own better judgment.
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Charges filed after man is kidnapped, fatally shot, run over by car
A 28-year-old Van Nuys man has been charged in the kidnapping and death of a Glendale man who was run over with a vehicle and shot to death in Sun Valley, authorities said this week. Hachik Maskovian faces four felony murder-related charges in the death of 33-year-old Joshua West, including that the incident was premeditated and that he was kidnapped during the April 24 incident, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint.
Los Angeles Times

Van Nuys cell phone store manager found dead
Police Saturday were investigating whether robbery was involved in the shooting of a Van Nuys cellphone store manager who was found shot to death in a rear office of the business. Employees of 405 Wireless & Accessories at 15234 Saticoy Street notified police they arrived at the shop Friday afternoon but were unable to gain entry, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department's Van Nuys Station.
City News Service

Gun Control

Rep. Janice Hahn bill would keep guns from stalkers
Anyone slapped with a restraining order for stalking someone would be prohibited from purchasing guns under legislation introduced this week by Harbor Area Democratic Rep. Janice Hahn. The bill aims to fix what Hahn calls a "loophole" in federal law. Current law limits people from buying or owning a gun if they have stalked an intimate partner, Hahn said, but not if they have threatened a stranger or someone they know less well.
Torrance Daily Breeze

Prison Realignment

Calif. struggles with experiment to shift inmates
In response to a federal court order, Gov. Jerry Brown pushed a novel approach through the Legislature two years ago to dramatically reduce California's prison population. People convicted of felonies that were considered non-violent, non-sexual and non-serious would serve their sentences in county jails rather than state prisons. Once released, they would be supervised by local probation officers instead of state parole agents. But the change has not come without criticism.
Associated Press

City Election

Three ballot measures, three reasons to vote NO
In addition to electing their mayor, city controller and city attorney for the next four years, Los Angeles voters will have the opportunity on May 21 to vote on three confusing and overlapping ballot measures seeking to regulate medical marijuana pot shops operating within LA city limits. Among other things, the measures include efforts to cap the number of dispensaries, increase taxes on earnings, and standardize operation hours and distances from schools, childcare center and other sensitive locations. The LAPPL is in opposition to all three ballot measures for three compelling reasons
LAPPL Blog

L.A. Votes: Wendy Greuel says she's raising money at 'fast pace'
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel said Friday that she has raised money at "a very fast pace" over the last week and insisted that her campaign would be able to compete, even though her opponent reported 10 times as much cash on hand for the final stretch. Appearing with civil rights activist Dolores Huerta and Los Angeles Unified School Board President Monica Garcia to celebrate Mexican Mother's Day, Greuel told reporters she had no regrets about the way her campaign had spent its money and said the team strategically targeted voters who will cast their ballots early by mail.
Los Angeles Times

DWP union drops $300,000 more into campaign for Wendy Greuel
The union that represents Department of Water and Power employees has pumped another $300,000 into the effort to elect Wendy Greuel, cementing its status as the largest single contributor in the Los Angeles mayor's race, according to campaign finance reports obtained Saturday. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18 dropped $200,000 into the campaign group Working Californians for Greuel, whose treasurer is Brian D'Arcy, the DWP union's top executive.
Los Angeles Times