Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Del Rey and 11 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 12 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Seven neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Del Rey was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.7 over the last three months. Gramercy Park topped the list of five neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 21 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 7.9 over the last three months.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD presses ahead with dash cams
The Los Angeles Police Commission Tuesday approved a nearly $8 million contract to place 381 dashboard cameras in police cruisers in LAPD's Operations-Central Bureau, which would more than double the number of cars currently outfitted with the technology. The additional cameras will take approximately 12 months to put in place once the contract is approved by the City Council and Mayor Eric Garcetti, and commission members urged the department's commanding officer for the Information Technology Bureau to continue to push for timely backing at City Hall.
Los Angeles Daily News

Man shot to death while sitting in his car in South L.A.
A man was shot to death while sitting in his car early Tuesday morning in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles. Los Angeles Police Officer Gregory Baek said the man was in his car in the 800 block of West 82nd Street just before 5 a.m. when someone drove up next to him and "fired several rounds." Baek said it was unclear if the shooting was gang-related. The man, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a hospital where he died. The investigation remained ongoing, Baek added.
Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles City Attorney investigating new cases of possible Skid Row 'patient dumping'
The Los Angeles City Attorney is investigating new accusations of “patient dumping” in Downtown's Skid Row. That is the practice of hospitals discharging homeless patients to somewhere other than their home without their consent, in violation of an L.A. city ordinance. City attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said they were alerted to the issue by Skid Row service providers, who are usually the first to spot the recently discharged patients. Mateljan declined to speak about specific cases, but said they've received more complaints recently.
KPCC

LAPD detective unsure what to make of report of homeless man lit on fire
The details of a blog post on Highland Park-Mt. Washington Patch posted Sunday were shocking—a homeless man in a wheelchair claimed he had been lit on fire by three young men while he was sleeping in front of the Eagle Rock Library at 5027 Caspar Ave. The blog included a short video of the man's back that had been clearly burned. The Los Angeles Police Department detective in charge of the case said he is so far unsure what to make of the report because not all of the details provided in the blog post and the police report have been accurate.
Eagle Rock Patch

LAPD plans extra San Fernando Valley traffic patrols Wednesday
Traffic officers will be out in force in the San Fernando Valley on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Police Department targets pedestrians and drivers in an effort to stem the rising number of pedestrian fatalities in the area this year. According to the department's Valley Traffic Division, 20 pedestrians have died in the Valley this year as a result of a collision with a vehicle, up 18 percent year to date over last year.
Los Angeles Daily News

Pair of distraction burglars target San Fernando Valley elderly
Police are looking for two women they say have stolen from elderly women in the San Fernando Valley in a series of so-called distraction burglaries.Investigators say the pair went to a beauty salon in the 6600 block of Reseda Boulevard Sept. 24. One woman allegedly distracted the employees and customers, while the second took a victim's purse.
Los Angeles Daily News

Dodgers-Braves Game 4: LAPD reports few arrests, citations
Los Angeles police said there were few problems with the hometown crowd following the Dodgers' dramatic come-from-behind victory Monday night at Chavez Ravine. "The game went smooth, we didn't have any issues," said Officer Gregory Baek. Police made seven misdemeanor arrests and issued eight citations for various infractions at Monday night's game, Baek said. Officers also briefly detained and cited 25 people for scalping tickets.
Los Angeles Times

Traffic

Pothole damage: LA approves only 10% of claims; how you can file one
A joint investigation by KPCC and NBC4 has found that the city of Los Angeles rarely approves claims seeking compensation for damage caused by potholes, and that the claims process seems stacked against people seeking money. Nicole Swain navigates her car down Aviation Boulevard near LAX, maneuvering around the many potholes. She recalls the crater she encountered last year, as she was driving with her 6- year-old-daughter. "I was terrified," she says. "You could actually hear the tire pop, and I immediately felt like I was going to lose control of the steering wheel."
KPCC

Guns

NRA threatens lawsuits over California gun bills
Gov. Jerry Brown has not yet acted on a bill to outlaw the sale of semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines in California, but the National Rifle Assn. warned Tuesday that it will file a lawsuit challenging it in court if the governor signs the measure. SB 374 by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) was approved by the Legislature. The governor has until Oct. 13 to act on that bill and 13 other gun control measures. Gun groups may file multiple lawsuits depending on how many bills are signed, but singled out SB 374 as the worst of the bunch.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

In first 100 days, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti focused on overhauling City Hall
Three months into the job, Mayor Eric Garcetti's bookshelves in his City Hall office are largely empty. There are some art books, a Jimi Hendrix biography and a framed newspaper obituary of his grandfather, clothing store founder Harry Roth, but not much else. Like Garcetti's new office, much about this administration feels lean. As the mayor hits his 100th day in office today, he is solidifying a reputation for a low-key approach and a focus on governing.
Los Angeles Daily News