Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Hollywood Hills and six other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in seven L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Six neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Hollywood Hills was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.5 over the last three months. Elysian Valley was the lone neighborhood with a property-crime alert.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD should begin testing cameras on officers' bodies, says Councilman Mitch Englander
Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch Englander wants the police department to begin testing out cameras they can wear on their bodies. Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff last week touched off discussion about the cameras when he vowed that they be in place by next year. Los Angeles police officers have cameras in their vehicles, but do not wear currently wear them.
City News Service

Private donors offer to fund LAPD lapel cameras
Police Commission President Steve Soboroff has privately raised roughly half the $1 million he says is necessary to equip 1,500 Los Angeles Police Department officers with lapel cameras. A week after taking the helm of the LAPD civilian oversight board, Soboroff said Tuesday he has promises of $250,000 from media giant Casey Wasserman and an undisclosed sum from DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. Soboroff says he hopes the department will adopt the lapel cameras within a year.
Associated Press

LAPD to ramp up hit-and-run policies
Los Angeles city officials agreed Tuesday to take a tougher stance on how it treats and tracks hit-and-runs, dropping the perception that they are accidents and voting to adopt a longer statute of limitation for serious ones. "We understand that accidents happen," Councilman Joe Buscaino said. "But if you are in an accident and run away, you are a coward and a criminal. I'm tired of us having to vote to offer rewards because of hit-and-runs."
Los Angeles Daily News

Indianapolis native to receive LAPD Purple Heart
An Indianapolis man wounded during one of the most spectacular police shootouts in American history will receive a big award later this week. Martin Whitfield is a retired California cop who was wounded in the line of duty in the North Hollywood Shootout. In 1997, two heavily armed bank robbers dressed in body armor fired hundreds of rounds, wounding nine police officers and three civilians. Whitfield, an Indianapolis native, was on-duty that day and was shot four times.
Fox59 Indianapolis

Koreatown gambling houses raided, slot machines seized, LAPD says
Los Angeles police officers served search warrants on suspected Koreatown gambling houses, seizing dozens of slot machines and tens of thousands of dollars in cash, authorities said Tuesday afternoon. The operation focused on seven privately owned homes and duplexes that allegedly ran gambling operations from midmorning until late at night, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles Times

LA man's service bird stolen off his shoulder
A Southern California man needs the public's help to find his stolen service bird that helps treat his narcolepsy and depression. The umbrella cockatoo named Laura was stolen last week as Walfrid Whittington was walking near Eighth and Alvarado streets. He says the suspect came up to him, snatched the bird off his shoulder and ran away. In the meantime, Whittington has received another service bird to help him medically but says Laura is irreplaceable.
ABC7

L.A. gang member held on suspicion of illegally entering U.S.
A reputed member of a notorious Los Angeles street gang was arrested on suspicion of illegally entering the United States, federal authorities said Monday. Jose De Jesus Salazar-Gomez, 35, an "active member" of the Florencia 13 street gang, was spotted early Monday by Border Patrol agents after he crossed the border near Calexico, Calif., according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Los Angeles Times

Legislation

Jerry Brown says he will sign bills extending vehicle fees
Gov. Jerry Brown said Monday that he will sign legislation extending a fee on vehicle registrations and tire sales in California to pay for programs designed to reduce emissions and promote alternative fuels. Assembly Bill 8, by Assemblyman Henry Perea, D-Fresno, will extend until 2024 a $3 increase in vehicle registration fees scheduled to expire in 2016. Brown also said he will sign legislation providing money to the California Air Resources Board for programs to encourage the use of zero-emission and hybrid vehicles.
Sacramento Bee

Prisons & Jails

Los Angeles police officers support prison plan agreement
Governor Brown recently came to an agreement with legislative leaders that allows the state to comply with a federal court order to limit the prison population to 137.5 percent of capacity while avoiding the early release of thousands of prisoners. On behalf of all Los Angeles police officers, we applaud Governor Jerry Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker John Pérez, Senate Republican leader Bob Huff and Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway for reaching an agreement that helps keep California residents safe.
LAPPL Blog

L.A. County to use fire camps for some long-term jail inmates
In a bid to ease jail crowding and increase time served by serious criminal offenders, Los Angeles County supervisors agreed Tuesday to spend millions to house more than 500 inmates at government firefighting camps in mountain and foothill areas. The $27-million, three-year deal will send 528 county inmates serving long-term sentences to five fire camps, jointly operated with the state prison system, that are scattered across the county.
Los Angeles Times