Law Enforcement

LAPD civilian oversight board elects its president
The Los Angeles Police Department's civilian oversight board has unanimously elected real estate developer Steve Soboroff as its president. The newly composed Los Angeles Police Commission, which oversees the LAPD and sets its policies, met Tuesday. Four of its five members were recently appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti. Robert Saltzman, a law professor, remains from the prior board.
Associated Press
Los Angeles Times

Inspector general reviews LAPD arrestee injury
The Los Angeles Police Commission's inspector general is investigating the case of a woman who says she was somehow ejected from a moving police car while handcuffed. Inspector General Alex Bustamante said at Tuesday's Police Commission meeting that his office is reviewing surveillance video and reports on the case and will report findings to the civilian oversight board.
Associated Press

Criminal complaints filed against individuals at 7 medical marijuana dispensaries
Seven medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles are the target of a first round of prosecutions under voter-approved Proposition D. The criminal misdemeanor filings target individuals believed to be owners, operators, and property landlords of dispensaries allegedly operating outside Prop D's parameters. The individuals have been sent notice to appear letters by the Los Angeles City Attorney. The filings rankle attorneys for some of the dispensaries.
NBC4

Counterfeit goods: Can you spot a fake product?
Thousands of items have been manufactured cheaply to look like more expensive, popular products such as handbags and cosmetics. The online sale of those knockoffs has created an "Internet avalanche," according to The Counterfeit Report, which tracks the sale of fake goods. The publisher, Craig Crosby, believes that few consumers can identify a fake. As a result, he said, the counterfeit product industry is expected to top $1.5 trillion worldwide by 2015.
Riverside Press-Enterprise

City officially appoints Papa as new police chief
Hermosa Beach has officially appointed Sharon Papa as its new police chief. Hermosa Beach City Manager Tom Bakaly announced on Sept. 10 that he has officially appointed Papa, a law enforcement executive with more than 34 years of experience, to the position of police chief for the city of Hermosa Beach. Papa was selected for the position at the end of July, but needed to pass a background check before the hire could be made official.
The Beach Reporter

Legislation

Gov. Brown signs 'swatting,' inmate bills sought by Baca
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca seems to be able to get his way in Sacramento. On Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills sought by Baca, including one that will increase the penalty for those convicted of "swatting," in which 911 calls are made falsely claiming a crime is in process at a home in order to draw an armed police response.
Los Angeles Times

Legislature sending Jerry Brown bill making drug possession a 'wobbler'
The California Legislature is sending Gov. Jerry Brown a bill to change drug sentencing laws in the state. Under Senate Bill 649, local prosecutors would have discretion to decide whether a person charged with possessing a small amount of illegal drugs should be charged with a felony or a misdemeanor. "It gives district attorneys more authority than they have today," said Sen. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat who wrote the bill.
Sacramento Bee

Lawmakers advance new parole hearings for youthful offenders
The Senate gave final legislative approval to a measure that would provide a new chance to get out of prison for inmates who committed serious crimes when they were minors and were prosecuted as adults. The new parole hearing process allows eligible inmates to have their cases reviewed for possible early release as early as 15 years into their prison sentence.
Los Angeles Times

California Public Records Act amendment going to June ballot
California voters will get a chance to weigh in on whether local governments must comply with, and pay for, public records requests. The Assembly passed a constitutional amendment on Wednesday that would enshrine the 1968 California Public Records Act in the state's constitution, clarifying that local agencies cannot reject requests for publicly available documents. The proposed amendment will appear on the June 2014 ballot.
Sacramento Bee

People

From LAPD Lieutenant to Peninsula High Cross Country coach
After retiring from the Los Angeles Police Department as a lieutenant in 2006, Marcella Pierson became a personal trainer and landed "her dream job in retirement" when one of her clients showed up to a beach workout session wearing a Peninsula Track sweatshirt. Her client was Jen Mackenzie, wife of Peninsula High Track coach Mark Mackenzie, and after a conversation on the beach and subsequent interviews with Peninsula boys coach Norm Towers and Peninsula athletic director Wendell Yoshida, Piersol became the new Peninsula girls cross country coach.
Easy Reader News

City Government

Study ordered for L.A.'s quake-vulnerable apartment buildings
Worried about a certain type of wood-framed building particularly vulnerable to collapse during a major earthquake, a Los Angeles City Council committee Tuesday ordered building officials to come up with a plan to identify these structures. Los Angeles officials have long known about the risk of so-called soft-story buildings, particularly after the Northridge earthquake in 1994, when about 200 of these structures were seriously damaged or destroyed.
Los Angeles Times