Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Chesterfield Square and 10 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 11 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Four neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. North Hills was the most unusual, recording nine reports, compared with a weekly average of 3.8 over the last three months.
Los Angeles Times

Man stabbed to death in Hyde Park, LAPD says
Homicide detectives were investigating a dispute that turned deadly Wednesday night, leaving one person stabbed to death in South Los Angeles. The victim was described as a man is his 40s, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Detectives from the LAPD's South Bureau homicide unit were at the scene Wednesday night. The incident was reported near 54th Street and 4th Avenue in Hyde Park. Since January 2007, at least 135 homicides have been reported with two miles of the crime scene, according to a database by The Times Homicide Report.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD releases sketch of man sought in car-to-car 110 Freeway shooting
Police released a composite sketch Wednesday of a man wanted in connection with a shooting on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles. The victim in Tuesday's shooting was northbound on the 110 Freeway near Manchester Boulevard when another driver opened fire. The driver of a black, four-door sedan pulled alongside the victim's vehicle and opened fire, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
NBC4

Northridge fatal crash: speed, road rage possible factors - LAPD
Speed and road rage may have been factors in a three-vehicle crash in Northridge that left two people dead, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The collision happened around 8 p.m. Wednesday at Tampa Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard. Investigators said a Ford van was making a left turn onto Roscoe Boulevard just as a silver Nissan Maxima and a blue Toyota Tacoma sped through the intersection.
ABC7

U.S. Postal Service logging all mail for law enforcement
Leslie James Pickering noticed something odd in his mail last September: a handwritten card, apparently delivered by mistake, with instructions for postal workers to pay special attention to the letters and packages sent to his home."Show all mail to supv" - supervisor - "for copying prior to going out on the street," read the card. It included Mr. Pickering's name, address and the type of mail that needed to be monitored. The word "confidential" was highlighted in green.
New York Times

Legislation

State lawmakers approve bill banning Calif. cities from ticketing at broken meters
State lawmakers on Wednesday approved legislation that will end what some consider to be unfair parking tickets. The bill by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) would prohibit cities across California from ticketing motorists who park at meters that the city failed to fix. "Any motorist who got a ticket for parking at a broken meter would be able to fight it. Any city who started issuing such tickets would be violating state law, "said Gatto.
Southern California Public Radio

Pensions

We never forget our mission
The mission of the Los Angeles Police Protective League is to vigilantly protect, promote and improve the working conditions, legal rights, compensation and benefits of Los Angeles police officers. Because of that mission, we pay especially close attention to actions anywhere that threaten those benefits, including our members' pensions. It is no secret that what happens in one part of the state can quickly spread to Los Angeles. That is why we have watched with great interest the case of the Pacific Grove Police Officers Association et al. v. City of Pacific Grove – a case resulting from a voter initiative that tried to change the vested pension rights of police officers.
LAPPL Blog

Prisons

Federal judges refuse to delay prison release order
The panel of three federal judges who last month ordered California to release 9,600 inmates or find another cure to overcrowding refused Wednesday to delay that edict while Gov. Jerry Brown appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their June 20 order, still in effect, requires California to reduce prison crowding to 137.5% of what the state's 33 prisons were built to hold by the end of the year. In California's most recent report, those prisons were hovering at 150%.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti calls runaway film production a civic 'Emergency'
Garcetti tells THR that he hopes to fill the film czar position during his first 100 days and that he'll push lawmakers in Sacramento to increase tax incentives for filming locally. New Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called runaway film and television production a civic "emergency" on Tuesday and pledged to take concrete steps to address it within his administration's first 100 days, including the appointment of a "film czar" to oversee the effort.
Hollywood Reporter

L.A. councilman asks LAFD to report back on proposed reforms
A newly seated Los Angeles city councilman has called for the city Fire Department to respond to a sweeping set of reforms recommended last week by the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury. The grand jury's final report, released Friday, argued for fully reversing budget cuts made to the LAFD during the economic downturn, replacing the firefighters who answer 911 calls with lower-skilled civilians and overhauling the department's computer systems.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. City Council a hot destination for former state legislators
The Los Angeles City Council experienced its biggest transformation since 2001 this week, with six new members taking their seats - all but two after serving in the state Legislature. With seven out of 15 members coming from Sacramento, the hand-over has solidified the council's reputation as a destination for professional politicians. By the end of the month, an eighth former state lawmaker could take office, depending on the outcome of a special election.
Los Angeles Times