Crime alerts for Silver Lake, Toluca Lake and 8 other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 10 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of Los Angeles Police Department data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Six neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Silver Lake was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.5 over the last three months. Toluca Lake topped the list of four neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Man killed, woman seriously wounded in shooting in Glassell Park
Los Angeles police are investigating a shooting Wednesday in Glassell Park that killed a man and seriously injured a woman. The shooting occurred about 10:50 a.m. in the 2900 block of Sagamore Way, according to LAPD spokeswoman Rosario Herrera. Herrera said police had not identified a suspect in the shooting. No other information was immediately available.
Los Angeles Times

Man fatally shot in Eagle Rock 'random act of violence' identified; wife remains hospitalized
A man fatally shot in a random act of violence on the doorstep of his Eagle Rock home was identified Thursday by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, while his wife, wounded by the gunfire, remains hospitalized. James Marcus Howe, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene following the shooting, reported at 10:51 a.m. on Wednesday in the 4400 block of West Avenue 42, according to Katherine Main of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
City News Service

Man dies after stabbing at Mid-City party
A man died after a stabbing at a Mid-City party early Sunday morning. Officers responded shortly after midnight to a report of shots fired and a stabbing on the 2000 block of Thurman Avenue, Sgt. Chris Chase of the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire division said. No one was hit by the gunfire, Chase said. The stabbing victim was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. To report information about the case, call West Bureau homicide detectives at (213) 382-9470. To leave an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
Los Angeles Times

Drunk driving arrests down this holiday weekend
Preliminary statistics from the California Highway Patrol showed fewer drunk driving arrests over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend than during the same period last year. Between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Saturday, highway patrol officers arrested 724 people on suspicion of driving under the influence statewide and 158 in Los Angeles County. Over the same period last year, there were 840 such arrests statewide and 186 in Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

Prop 36: A year after release, only 2 percent of three strikers charged with new crimes
A little more than a year ago, Californians voted for Proposition 36, allowing the release of three-strikers convicted of non-violent, non-serious crimes. Since then, about 1,000 people have been released. Many of them had been in and out of prison and had drug problems - and they spent a long time locked up. KQED's Michael Montgomery followed three of these men as they left prison and adapted to their new lives outside.
Southern California Public Radio

California jail violence rises after prison realignment
County jails that account for the vast majority of local inmates in California have seen a marked increase in violence since they began housing thousands of offenders who previously would have gone to state prisons. Many of the 10 counties that account for 70 percent of California's total jail population have experienced a surge in the number of inmate fights and attacks on jail employees, according to assault records requested by The Associated Press.
Associated Press

Special Election

Special election to decide L.A.-area Assembly seat
The musical chairs in California's Legislature continues when voters in a Los Angeles-area Assembly district go to the polls Tuesday in a special election to fill a vacant seat. One of the three candidates in the contest - all Democrats - is Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mark Ridley-Thomas, who served in the Legislature before being elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The other candidates are former Culver City Mayor Christopher R. Armenta and John Jake, a real estate broker who is president of the Olympic Park Neighborhood Council.
Los Angeles Times

Auto Safety

Auto safety initiative seeks to reduce driver errors
Auto safety regulators are pushing for new equipment to protect motorists from their biggest threat: themselves. They're aiming to keep drunk drivers off the road with the help of onboard technology that immobilizes their cars. New vehicles may soon come with systems to help prevent collisions. And engines may not start unless occupants buckle their seat belts. It's all part of a push by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to use technology to reduce traffic fatalities.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

After billing woes, DWP halts new shutoff notices, collections
The top executive of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said Wednesday that his agency had stopped issuing shutoff notices as it attempts to clear up problems with as many as 70,000 late or inaccurate customer bills. Faced with questions from City Council members upset over the billing debacle, DWP General Manager Ron Nichols said the utility also would not initiate new collections on unpaid bills through the end of the year.
Los Angeles Times