Law Enforcement

LAPD increases patrols in Hollywood following fatal stabbing
Tuesday's murder, while rare, was enough to spark calls for an increased police presence in the area by L.A.'s Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, and the incoming City Attorney Mike Feuer. As of Saturday, Lt. Rich Gabaldon of LAPD's Hollywood Division said there were three-to-five extra patrol units on Hollywood Blvd. where they would likely stay for the foreseeable future. LAPD has not yet determined exactly what the extra patrol presence will look like going forward.
Southern California Public Radio

LAPD announces arrest in possible hate crime attack of transgender woman
A male suspect has been arrested in the late May assault of a transgender woman, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Nicol Shakhnazaryan, 21, was arrested on felony battery charges by Hollywood Division detectives around 8 p.m. Thursday in the San Fernando Valley. Details surrounding his arrest were not released. Police believe Shakhnazaryan was one of four suspects who beat 22-year-old Vivian Diego, a transgender woman, near the Hollywood and Ivar Metro stop on May 31.
CBS LA

Burglaries and auto-related thefts top pre-summer property crimes
Summer invariably brings an uptick in crime. It's hot. More people are outdoors than at any other time of the year. Stuff happens. Often, summer hasn't even officially begun and crime stats start flowing off the charts. According to a map created by the Crime Analysis Detail of the Los Angeles Police Department Northeast Division, at least 42 so-called Part 1 crimes occurred in Eagle Rock during the four weeks from May 23 through June 20.
Eagle Rock Patch

Elderly woman arrested after robbery at Union Bank
Los Angeles Police Department officers from the Northeast Division arrested an elderly woman Thursday after she allegedly brandished a handgun and robbed several hundred dollars from the North Figueroa Street branch of Union Bank. The armed woman entered the 6301 N. Figueroa branch of the bank, on the northwest corner of York Boulevard, at around 1:30 p.m. and demanded money from a teller, Senior Lead Officer Fernando Ochoa told the board of the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council at its monthly board meeting Thursday evening.
Highland Park - Mount Washington Patch

LAPD: Firing of Christopher Dorner 'sound and just'
The LAPD was "factually and legally" proper in 2009 when it fired Christopher Dorner, who killed four people and wounded three others in a rampage this year, an internal department report said Friday. After a five-month review of Dorner's firing, a team headed by a special assistant to the police chief found that the officer's termination "was not only appropriate, it was the only course the department could have taken based on the facts and evidence," the internal report said.
CNN

Los Angeles police and fire warn of possible harm from fireworks
The blast from a quarter-stick of dynamite obliterated a watermelon -- and would have decimated anyone within range. Los Angeles County police and fire agencies set off the so-called "M-1000" and other firecrackers on Friday to demonstrate the potential harm caused by using illegal fireworks.
Los Angeles Daily News

Killer of police detective loses bid for parole
A man convicted of murder in the killing of an off-duty Huntington Beach police officer while driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs was denied parole last week. The Board of Parole Hearings denied Richard Gonzales, 63, a three-year parole after recommending he continue receiving self-help, as he "poses a risk of returning to his drug and alcohol abuse and poses a risk of violence and danger to society," according to a release by the Orange County district attorney's office.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

California has options on prisoner releases
After federal judges on Thursday ordered California to shed more than 9,000 inmates from prisons by the end of the year, Gov. Jerry Brown said the state would request an "immediate stay" of the ruling. While the state awaits a response, it must be prepared for a denial, which would mean implementing the reduction plan corrections officials submitted in May. The plan addresses a 2009 order the judges issued to limit the number of inmates state prisons can hold to 110,000.
Southern California Public Radio

City Government

L.A. City Council approves citation program
A pilot program nearly three years in the making that allows Los Angeles police and Animal Services officers to issue administrative citations for minor crimes received approval Friday from the City Council. Despite fears voiced it could spread to deal with building code violations, the proposal developed by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and Councilman Paul Koretz is designed to keep low-level violations out of the criminal court system. It was approved on a 12-0 vote.
Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti meets with San Pedro residents
Still basking in a honeymoon glow with voters, Los Angeles Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti received a warm reception in San Pedro this week as he held the last of his citywide "Back to Basics" workshops. Promising good things to come for the West Coast metropolis that faces a multitude of issues, Garcetti also cautioned the Harbor Area audience that problems won't be solved overnight.
Torrance Daily Breeze

Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti's inaugural to break with tradition
Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti is looking to break with tradition with a more low-key inaugural event than his predecessors. First off, he isn't even going to do the ceremony on July 1 on the South Lawn of City Hall , which recently has seen small fences go up around the landscaping to prevent crowds from taking over the area. Instead, he is planning to do it at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, on the Spring Street steps and taking advantage of the Grand Avenue Park, which can accommodate much larger crowds.
Los Angeles Daily News