Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Cypress Park, Palms, 13 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 15 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Eight neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Cypress Park was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.8 over the last three months. Palms topped the list of seven neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Video released of Hummer's hit-and-run crash near downtown L.A.
Police this week released video of a hit-and-run crash near downtown L.A. earlier this month that seriously injured a mother and her 2-year-old son. KTLA reports the video shows a Hummer striking the woman's car before speeding off. The crash on Oct. 10 was near the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Burlington Avenue in Pico-Union. A Los Angeles Police Department investigator told KTLA that the driver of the Hummer slowed down but did not stop after the crash.
Los Angeles Times

Police in Chatsworth looking for suspects in motorcycle theft scam
Investigators are asking for the public's help in finding two people suspected of using stolen identities to make off with motorcycles from local dealerships. According to police, the two suspects used an online inquiry form to start the process, and managed to finance a Kawasaki ZX10 from Wheels in Motion in Chatsworth, using an identity stolen from a woman in Lemoore, nearly 200 miles north of the San Fernando Valley.
Los Angeles Daily News

Police seeking suspects in Sherman Oaks shooting
Two men in their 20s were shot and wounded in Sherman Oaks and taken to a hospital Thursday night, CBSLA reported. Police were seeking suspects in a shooting near Murietta Avenue and Moorpark Street, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department's Van Nuys station told The Times. Police received a call about the shooting at 9:43 p.m., the officer said. Officers were still searching the area.
Los Angeles Times

Headlines follow career of dedicated cop in a rough town
The LAPD honored Felix Vera with a Purple Heart last year, but not all the memories of his days with the department bring him comfort.
Los Angeles Times

A cop's worst nightmare
It is by far the weightiest decision a police officer must make: Should I pull the trigger? And though he must reach that decision in less time than it takes to read this sentence, his actions will be examined and critiqued for months or even years, often by people with little experience or understanding of what it's like to make such a decision.
Jack Dunphy/PJ Media

4 masked men rob North Hollywood jewelry store on Halloween
Police in North Hollywood are looking for four men suspected of a daytime smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store Thursday afternoon. The four suspects wore masks during the robbery of Valley Discount Jewelers, at 12119 Magnolia Blvd. Lt. McNeill Gardner of the Los Angeles Police Department's North Hollywood Division said investigators believe they were all adults. "What we know right now is that they came in, confronted the employee and were able to make off with an unknown amount of jewelry," he said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Chase of armed robbery suspect ends in Sunland
Authorities Thursday chased a car driven by an armed robbery suspect from the La Crescenta area to Sunland, where a patrol car forced the suspect's vehicle to stop. The chase was initiated by deputies from the Crescenta Valley Station, according to the sheriff's department. The pursuit began about 7:30 a.m. and the car was forced to stop about 8:40 a.m. The man surrendered about 10 minutes later. The chase ended at Foothill Boulevard and Fenwick Street, according to police radio reports.
City News Service

Prisons

California releases controversial prison videos
Six videos of dramatic confrontations between mentally ill prison inmates and California prison guards were filed Thursday in federal court, giving the public its first glimpse of what inmate advocates contend are inhumane uses of force. The videos have been the subject of legal battles for months as the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tried unsuccessfully to block them from being shown in court.
Sacramento Bee

Pensions

Landmark legal challenge to pension reform gets day in court
In a potentially landmark legal challenge to Gov. Jerry Brown's 2012 pension reform legislation that has financial implications for thousands of public employees and taxpayers, state attorneys Thursday said county retirement systems had illegally included vacation and other types of terminal pay in their members' pension calculations for nearly 15 years. The state is asking Judge David Flinn to rule that the retirement associations of Contra Costa, Alameda and Merced counties overstepped their legal authority when they granted the perks as part of pension dispute settlements signed in the late 1990s.
Contra Costa Times

City Government

Los Angeles' top transportation manager stepping down
In another major shake-up at City Hall, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the resignation Thursday of transportation head Jaime de la Vega. De la Vega will step down Dec. 1, Garcetti said. He has headed the Los Angeles Department of Transportation since 2011. Previously, he served as deputy mayor of transportation for former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. At the LADOT, de la Vega oversaw the addition of new bike lanes, traffic synchronization and an upgrade of the city's aging parking meter system.
Los Angeles Daily News