Law Enforcement

High-speed car chase ends at LAPD Mission Station
A suspect led officers on a car chase in the San Fernando Valley before the pursuit ended Tuesday evening in front of the Los Angeles Police Department's Mission Station. The suspect was shot with a less-than-lethal device and then was carried away by officers into the station, the LAPD said. Television news footage showed the man driving recklessly through Arleta and Pacoima. Before he was carried away, he was surrounded by officers as he lay face-down on Sepulveda Boulevard.
Los Angeles Times

Police search for 2 men in Woodland Hills home invasion robbery
Police asked for the public's help Tuesday to identify two men who forced a Woodland Hills homeowner back into his house at gunpoint and then robbed and ransacked the residence before making their getaway. The homeowner was not injured in the home invasion, which took place in the 21300 block of Rios Street, near Canoga Avenue, about 7 p.m. Monday, said Los Angeles police Detective Gus Villanueva.
City News Service

Police arrest machete-wielding burglary suspect in Canoga Park
Police apprehended a machete-wielding burglary suspect in Canoga Park after a search over several hours shut down an elementary school, officials said Tuesday. The man allegedly broke into the garage of a home in the 21000 block of Vanowen Street and was confronted by the homeowner shortly before 7 a.m. as he was trying to leave with stolen items.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD officer pleads not guilty to assault charge in arrest death case
A Los Angeles Police Department officer accused of kicking a handcuffed woman -- who later died -- during an arrest pleaded not guilty Tuesday to an assault charge. The 19-year LAPD veteran was ordered to Los Angeles Superior Court Dec. 5. She did not comment to reporters Tuesday as she left court, but her attorney said he is "shocked" and his client is "devastated" over the charge.
NBC4

LAPD tests situational awareness tool
Mobile and touchscreen mapping technologies are some of the latest innovations that the Los Angeles Police Department is using to improve situational awareness in the city. To more effectively oversee patrol areas and move past paper maps, the LAPD has been piloting TouchShare, a solution that produces real-time visual geospatial information that is collected and mapped out on a single screen.
Government Technology

Pensions

Mayors seek statewide vote on measure to allow pension-benefit cuts
A group of Democratic and Republican mayors are hoping to qualify a measure for the November 2014 ballot that could dramatically reduce retirement benefits for current and future public employees. The measure, filed with the state attorney general's office Tuesday, would amend the state constitution to allow local governments to limit benefits for current workers.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

California prisons: Supreme Court action a setback for Brown
Gov. Jerry Brown's attempt to convince the U.S. Supreme Court that California's prison crisis is over stalled Tuesday when the justices refused to hear his appeal of court-ordered caps on the state's prison population. The decision means Brown may have to reduce that population by thousands of inmates by the end of January, the deadline set by a panel of three federal judges.
Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown moves ahead with second private-prison deal
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed another private prison deal to take inmates out of California's crowded prisons. The arrangement, announced Tuesday morning by Corrections Corp. of America, requires the state to pay $28.5 million a year for what is now a federal detention facility in California City. That prison can hold 2,304 inmates.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Mayor to seek report on concrete-building safety
Mayor Eric Garcetti said Tuesday he will ask city agencies to provide an assessment on the public risk from up to 1,000 unreinforced concrete buildings. "This is not something new, but we can't afford to put our heads in the sand and ignore the potential danger," Garcetti said during an interview on "Air Talk" on radio station KPCC (89.3 FM).
Los Angeles Daily News

Garcetti says he'll stop merger of Los Angeles building agencies
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Tuesday that he plans to halt the merger of two major agencies that the city was looking to consolidate in an effort to streamline approval of real estate projects. At a meeting with The Times editorial board, Garcetti said the city Planning Department's expected merger with the Building and Safety Department would not go forward in January.
Los Angeles Times