Law Enforcement

Crime declined in 2013 in LAPD Harbor, Pacific areas
Los Angeles police officials reported a more than 11 percent reduction in major crime in the Harbor Area in 2013, a decline attributed to a crackdown on repeat offenders and parolees believed responsible for most of the region's offenses. Every major crime category - homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, auto theft, vehicle burglaries and theft - was down through Dec. 28, compared to the same period in 2012.
Torrance Daily Breeze

5 explanations for the great crime decline in Los Angeles and the US
Crime in Los Angeles County is at record lows - but the gains are uneven and there are many theories as to the reasons. "This crime drop is not experienced equally by everyone," said UC-Irvine Criminologist Charis Kubrin, who says crime is better examined on a neighborhood level. Compton, for instance, saw 10 more homicides than last year, as of the Nov. 2012, the latest available figures. LAPD's Southwest station saw nine more homicides reported this year than last in its dataset, which runs through Dec. 21.
Southern California Public Radio

Officer injured in scuffle while transporting man to hospital
A Los Angeles police officer was injured Monday when a man who was in custody began fighting while being taken to a hospital, officials said. Officers were transporting the man via ambulance about 10 p.m. when the incident occurred at the 5 Freeway and Lankershim Boulevard, according to Sgt. Charles Coleman of the Los Angeles Police Department's Foothill station. Several additional officers and Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded to a call for assistance after the scuffle began.
KTLA

Arrest made in connection with stabbing death of South L.A. man
An arrest has been made in connection with the fatal stabbing of Jefferson Park resident William Jennings, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Tuesday. Michael Allen McGilvery was arrested on suspicion of stabbing Jennings to death, police said. McGilvery, 44, turned himself in on Friday and was in police custody, according to an LAPD news release. He was charged with one count of murder and one count of robbery, the release said.
KTLA

Bicyclist dies from hit-and-run injuries suffered in Panorama City accident
A bicyclist who was struck in a hit-and-run collision in Panorama City last week has died, officials said Tuesday. The victim was described only as a 56-year-old man. The incident happened Dec. 23 around 7 a.m., near the intersection of Lanark Street and Burnet Avenue, and police are asking for the public's help to find the driver of the car. "We went back again and canvassed the area, looking for cameras or anything that could help, but it's residential, so there weren't any," said Officer Scott DeWitt of the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division.
Los Angeles Daily News

Son of federal judge dies after apparent hit-and-run in Pacific Palisades
Police say the son of a federal judge who was injured in an apparent hit-and-run crash in the Pacific Palisades died Tuesday at a hospital. David Pregerson, 23, was found in the bushes off Chautauqua Boulevard, just west of Sunset Boulevard, at about 3:20 a.m. Friday, Los Angeles police officials said. When he was found, he was in critical condition, police said. A watch commander confirmed Pregerson died Tuesday.
CBS LA

Distracted Driving

Dialing while behind the wheel is riskiest form of distracted driving
The next time you're tempted to make a phone call while you're behind the wheel, remember this: Dialing while driving increases the risk of a crash or near-crash more than any other sort of distraction. That's one of the findings of a special report published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Other dangers identified in the report include reaching for a cellphone or other object; texting or using the Internet; looking at an object on the side of the road; and eating.
Los Angeles Times

New Laws

California's new laws: What changes in 2014
Bills that crossed Gov. Jerry Brown's desk in 2013 encompassed policy topics from bullets to bike safety. In some cases Brown signed legislation that enshrined key Democratic goals, reflecting the strength of robust Democratic majorities in both houses of the Legislature. A few of those bills, including one hiking the state minimum wage and one requiring cars to stay at least 3 feet away from bicyclists, won't take effect for a few months. But that still leaves plenty of substantial measures that become operative state law today. Here's a look at some highlights.
Sacramento Bee

New Year's Eve

Grand Park New Year's Eve bash called a success
Los Angeles' inaugural push to stage a New Year's Eve bash rivaling those in other major cities became so crowded that organizers shut down the gates before midnight, leaving thousands to watch the show from side streets. An estimated 25,000 revelers jammed into Grand Park in downtown to hear DJs spin electronic beats, to browse art installations and to pose for photographs in front of brightly-lit fountains, said Howard Sherman, chief operating officer of the Music Center, which helped organize the event.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Los Angeles city workers getting 5.5 percent raises
Despite the city's shaky fiscal outlook, most Los Angeles city workers received pay raises this fiscal year, with the latest round of wage hikes set to take effect on January 1. About 13,000 full-time city employees, a group that includes trash collectors, street repair workers and tree trimmers, will receive a 5.5 percent raise at the start of the new year. Combined with other raises over the years, their pay has risen 24.5 percent since 2007.
Los Angeles Daily News

Eric Garcetti brings change in style to L.A. mayor's job
In his first six months in office, Mayor Eric Garcetti has brought a low-key cool to the job that presents a sharp contrast to the heat and flash of his predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa. While every news conference was a major happening for Villaraigosa, Garcetti has steered away from such events and proclamations. Instead, Garcetti seems more comfortable with often letting others get the notice. "I think the most successful mayors have to be their own person," Garcetti said in a recent City Hall interview.
Los Angeles Daily News