Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Atwater Village and eight other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in nine L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Six neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Atwater Village was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.3 over the last three months. Carthay topped the list of three neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

Four men wounded in drive-by shooting in South L.A.
Four men were shot and wounded in a suspected gang-related attack in South Los Angeles, police said Tuesday night. The men were sprayed with gunfire when a car described as a burgundy Jeep Cherokee drove by, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The condition of the victims was not immediately known. They were believed to be between 45 and 50 years old, Officer Norma Eisenman said. She said the men were in front of a home in the 400 block of West 89th Street when the Jeep passed by shortly 6 p.m.
Los Angeles Times

Barricaded suspect shot to death by LAPD
A robbery suspect was shot and killed by police officers following a barricade situation in South Los Angeles Tuesday. Authorities say the suspect robbed a person at gunpoint in the 5900 block of Wilshire Boulevard at about 5:30 a.m. He fled the scene and was last seen entering a home in the 1000 block of W. 62nd Street. Officers surrounded the house, ordering the suspect to come out, but he refused. The suspect was then shot in an officer-involved shooting at about 8 a.m., but it was unclear what sparked the confrontation.
ABC7

Man fatally shot on front porch of South L.A. home, cops say
A 43-year-old South L.A. man was fatally shot on his porch Monday night after an argument, police said. Corey Norflin was standing on his front porch in the 700 block of East 76th Place in Florence at about 8 p.m. when he got into an argument with someone and was shot, said Los Angeles Police Department Det. Chris Barling. He was struck at least once in the torso and pronounced dead at the scene.
Los Angeles Times

LA Mayor Garcetti was passenger in police car that struck pedestrian
The mayor of Los Angeles was a passenger in a police car that struck a pedestrian Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles, according to his office. Mayor Eric Garcetti was traveling in an LAPD vehicle when it hit a woman about 12:20 p.m. near Second and Spring streets. Garcetti's office said the mayor was on the phone and did not witness the crash, and has been interviewed by investigators.
NBC4

LAPD Commission says body cameras will cut down on lawsuits
The LA Police Commission recently secured funding to outfit 600 officers with body cameras and says the devices will cut down on lawsuits. The camera lenses are as small as a dime and the devices can be easily clipped on to shirt lapels, hats or glasses. "When people get tickets or get arrested they're going to be taped," said Steve Soboroff, head of the commission and a former mayoral candidate.
CBS LA

McDonnell gets big-name backers in bid to replace Sheriff Baca
Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell entered the race to become Los Angeles County's sheriff on Monday, boasting a number of heavyweight endorsements including the county's current and former district attorneys. McDonnell, who served as second in command to Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton before moving to Long Beach, enters an increasingly crowded field seeking to replace Lee Baca, who last week made the surprise announcement that he would end his reelection campaign and retire at the end of the month.
Los Angeles Times

Four less-than-obvious theories for L.A.'s record drop in crime
The last time the crime rate in L.A. was this low, the Black Dahlia had been only two years in her grave. The last time the crime rate in L.A. was this low, they were handing out the first-ever Emmy awards (KTLA won). The last time the crime rate in L.A. was this low .... well, you get the idea. The mayor and the police chief, Eric Garcetti and Charlie Beck, respectively, were justifiably over the moon this week about the winning streak, 11 years of plummeting crime rates, the lowest overall since 1949.
Los Angeles Times

CHP thanks Californians for saving 255 children with AMBER Alerts
The California Highway Patrol joined the U.S. Department of Justice in observing National AMBER Alert Awareness Day Monday. This special day was created to raise public awareness of the AMBER Alert program. The goal of the program, which can be found in every state in the nation, is to instantly spur the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of a child.
ABC23 Bakersfield

Traffic

'Jamzilla' on 405 Freeway: Officials warn of new closures next month
Authorities are warning travelers to stay away from the northbound 405 Freeway over next month's long Presidents Day weekend, when the roadway will be partially closed while construction crews pave the route's new carpool lanes through the Sepulveda Pass. The closures will occur from Getty Center Drive to Ventura Boulevard at the following times: Friday, Feb. 14: 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 15: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 16: 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday, Feb. 17: 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

California Parolee rearrest rate not improving
As federal judges pressured California to relieve prison overcrowding in 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown pushed lawmakers to send tens of thousands of parolees and lower-level offenders to counties. The realignment plan enabled the state to reduce its prison population by 25,000 inmates and balance its cash-strapped budget. But it has disappointed advocates who had hopes that counties would reduce California's notoriously high rate of inmates who commit crimes soon after hitting the streets.
Sacramento Bee

Legislation

State committee in favor of colored BB guns
A bill that would require BB guns and similar weapons to be brightly colored, drafted in response to the shooting death of a 13-year-old Santa Rosa boy, passed its first major hurdle in Sacramento today. The bill made it out of the Senate's Public Safety Committee Tuesday on a 4-1 vote, over the opposition of the gun lobby. It would require BB, pellet and airsoft guns to be brightly colored or translucent so that they are not mistaken for the real thing.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat

City Government

L.A. Mayor Garcetti calls for aggressive earthquake safety effort
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Tuesday announced an aggressive new plan to tackle earthquake safety, including how to better protect vulnerable buildings. Marking the 20th anniversary of the destructive Northridge earthquake, Garcetti said Los Angeles would for the first time partner with the U.S. Geological Survey to build a comprehensive strategy for dealing with how to better protect private buildings and other resources such as telecommunications and the water supply during a major temblor.
Los Angeles Times