Law Enforcement

LAPD hiring drive faces shortfall in qualified applicants
The Los Angeles Police Department is facing a drought of applicants to hire as patrol officers. With more than 100 openings to fill, LAPD officials are warning of a steady decline in qualified applicants, with a number of them being weeded out over past run-ins with the law or financial issues, according to the Los Angeles Times. The department has to hire about 350 officers a year to account for attrition and officials worry they could be understaffed for years if the current trend continues, according to the Associated Press.
CBS LA

Time to Oppose Another Cop Killer's Parole
The Los Angeles Police Protective League vehemently opposes the release of Voltaire Williams, who was involved in the brutal ambush assassination of LAPD Detective Thomas Williams. The murder occurred on Halloween in 1985 in a spray of gunfire just as Det. Williams was picking up his young son from his son's daycare center.
LAPPL Blog

2nd suspect sought in murder of LA school custodian
Detectives were searching for a second suspect Wednesday in the killing of a Los Angeles Unified school district janitor. KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports police say the first suspect, Kenneth Clay, is a known gang member who faces murder and attempted murder charges in the death of Jarret Crump. Jarret Crump and a 25-year-old female friend were stopped at around 5:40 p.m. on Nov. 25 at Century Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, where they were attacked by an unknown gunman, according to detectives with the LAPD's Criminal Gang Homicide Division.
CBS LA

LAX shooting suspect Paul Ciancia appears in court; bail is denied
The 23-year-old accused of perpetrating a shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport made his first court appearance Wednesday, facing a murder charge in the slaying of a security screener. Paul Anthony Ciancia appeared before a judge in a courtroom inside the Rancho Cucamonga jail, where he is being held while recovering from gunshot wounds he suffered when airport police were trying to apprehend him.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD motorcycle officer injured in PCH hit-and-run
Police were investigating a hit-and-run collision Wednesday involving an LAPD motorcycle officer near Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway (map) in Pacific Palisades. The officer was struck around 7:50 p.m. by an older man driving a dark grey convertible Mercedes who was last seen heading north on PCH, according to LAPD Sgt. Cynthia Barlow. He was transported to UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center with a broken ankle, Barlow said. The officer had just finished working a traffic enforcement detail when he was struck, according to Barlow.
KTLA

$75K reward offered for couple ambushed, fatally shot on LA street
The Los Angeles Police Department and City Council Wednesday will announce a $75,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a double-murder suspect. Teresa Flores and Alex Lara were killed in the early morning hours of June 23 in the 2400 block of 10th Street in LA, police said.
CBS LA

City to hold gun buyback day near Dodger Stadium
The City of Los Angeles will hold an anonymous gun buyback day Dec. 14 near Dodger Stadium. The buyback program will be hosted at the Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Academy at the Frank Hotchkins Training Academy adjacent to the ballpark from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. According to organizers, gun owners can anonymously turn in their guns in exchange for gift cards of varying amounts. Handguns, shotguns and rifles can be exchanged for a $100 gift card while assault weapons will receive $200.
Echo Park - Silver Lake Patch

FBI agents worry criminals will have it easier if sequestration continues
Looming furloughs, an ongoing hiring freeze and a suspension of training will leave the FBI less capable of preventing and responding to terrorist attacks and other criminal activities, according to a group representing the federal law enforcement officials. While the Justice Department avoided furloughs entirely in fiscal 2013, the FBI Agents Association -- which represents 12,000 active and former Special Agents -- said at a press briefing Wednesday that cuts last year were so deep unpaid leave would be unavoidable if sequestration goes through as scheduled in 2014.
Government Executive

Jails

Group opposes counties' bids for more money for more jails
On the heels of a scathing report card that gave failing grades to both Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties for their handling of the state's prison realignment program, an advocacy group and concerned residents caravaned to Sacramento Wednesday to voice opposition to the counties seeking grant money to build what the group calls "cages for our children." All but eight of the state's 50 counties have plans to build new jails. Of those, 36 have applied for millions of dollars through new state legislation that allows the sale of bonds to pay for $500 million in construction costs.
Los Angeles Daily News

Cyber Security

Massive hack shows users still don't know how to create safe passwords
Cyber security researchers recently discovered a server with about 2 million stolen Internet passwords, and as expected, many of the login credentials are no more complex than "1234." Of the stolen passwords, nearly 1.6 million come from websites. More than 318,000 come from Facebook, nearly 60,000 from Yahoo, more than 54,000 from Google and nearly 22,000 from Twitter. Fortunately, most of the companies have reportedly reset the passwords for users' whose accounts were compromised.
Los Angeles Times

Economy

California economy continues uneven recovery, UCLA says
California continues to be a story of two economies: coastal regions with healthy job growth and inland areas that are still struggling to recover, according to a UCLA report released Thursday. UCLA economists said in their quarterly forecast that coastal counties stretching from Marin to San Diego have enjoyed employment gains that outpaced the U.S. In contrast, inland areas such as the San Joaquin Valley and the East Bay are showing little or even negative growth.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

L.A. City Council moves to regulate sales and use of e-cigarettes
Calling it a potential health risk and a gateway to tobacco, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to regulate the sales of e-cigarettes and other "vaping" devices. The new law regulates electronic smoking devices as a tobacco product, subjecting their sales to the same restrictions as tobacco. It bans the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and from street kiosks, ice-cream trucks and self-service displays.
Los Angeles Times