Law Enforcement

Man shot, killed outside of South Los Angeles convenience store
A 48-year-old man was shot and killed outside a convenience store in South Los Angeles Tuesday. The shooting occurred in the 7500 block of South Central Avenue around 6:05 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department Lt. John Jenal said. It appeared the victim was shot on or near the store's doorway, Jenal said. The victim was shot several times in the torso by a suspect wearing black clothing, LAPD Officer Nuria Vinegas said.
City News Service

Child Safety from LAPD
Children are our most precious resource. Unfortunately, because of their vulnerability, children are popular targets for molesters, drug dealers, and other predatory criminals. As a result, parents have teamed up with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and other professionals to focus on child crime prevention measures. By working with children and teaching them crime prevention measures, we can substantially reduce the chances of child victimization.
Van Nuys Neighborhood Council

LAPD plans to focus on Sepulveda prostitution
Los Angeles police assigned to the Mission Station announced plans Tuesday to concentrate on prostitution-related crimes in Panorama City and other parts of the patrol area that includes Pacoima, Sylmar and Mission Hills. In late February, City Councilwoman Nury Martinez, who represents the area, started calling for a prostitution crackdown in her 6th Council District and additional funding to combat the problem.
City News Service

Body-worn cameras catching on in law enforcement
Earlier this month, London's Metropolitan Police announced that it would trial 500 body-worn video surveillance cameras to be used by police officers in 10 of the city's boroughs. The Los Angeles Police Department also began piloting body-worn cameras for its officers earlier this year, which have thus far garnered mostly positive reviews. There is a clear trend developing towards increased use of on-body cameras for law enforcement as cameras are seen not only as a tool in helping police protect themselves against lawsuits, but also as a way of rebuilding the public trust.
Security Info Watch

Homeland Security

Hudson to hold hearing on lessons from the LAX shooting
Today, the Subcommittee on Transportation Security will hold a hearing on lessons from the LAX shooting and the perspective of airport and law enforcement. Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC) on the hearing: "This hearing will continue the Subcommittee's review of lessons learned from the tragic shooting at Los Angeles International Airport, which took the life of Transportation Security Officer Gerardo Hernandez and injured three others last November."
Committee of Homeland Security Press Release

Legislation

After LAX shooting, bill mandates coordination
A Legislation that responds to a deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport last year would require law enforcement and emergency officials to prepare together for potentially deadly incidents after a report found poor coordination. AB1598 by Democratic Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez of Pomona would require police, fire and other emergency services to train together for incidents involving active shooters. He says it is vital that agencies work in a "cohesive way." The Assembly approved the bill on a 70-0 vote Wednesday, sending it to the Senate.
Associated Press

Bill tightens rules for out-of-state gun purchases
Californians buying guns from out-of-state sources would have to go through the same steps required for in-state purchases under a bill passed Wednesday by the state Assembly. AB1609 advanced to the Senate on a 48-23 party-line vote. Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, said he carried the bill in response to gun violence in his district and mass killings, including the weekend slayings in Santa Barbara.
Associated Press

Driverless Cars

Google plans to release small fleet of driverless cars for sharing on public roads
Google plans to build and launch onto city streets a small fleet of subcompact cars that could operate without a person at the wheel. Actually, the cars wouldn't even have a wheel. Or gas and brake pedals. The company says the vehicles will use sensors and computing power, with no human needed. Google Inc. hopes that by this time next year, 100 of the two-seaters will be on public roads, following extensive testing.
Associated Press

Prisons

9th Circuit rejects Brown's prison oversight appeal
A Federal appeals court Wednesday rejected Gov. Jerry Brown's challenge of a lower court ruling that requires the state to provide three months' warning before seeking to end federal oversight of California's prison system. Medical care within California prisons has been under federal receivership since 2006, run by a court-appointed official. Brown last year said he would seek to regain control of the $2.2-billion healthcare system.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Los Angeles holds gun buybacks on Saturday
A week after the Isla Vista mass shootings that left six students dead and revived the debate over gun control, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced plans Wednesday for a gun buyback program this weekend. "The tragedy in Santa Barbara reminded us of the horrors of gun violence," Garcetti said. "The gun buyback gives Angelenos the opportunity to help make our city safer by taking these guns off the street so they don't fall into the hands of criminals or children."
Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles City Council votes to sponsor California-wide alert system for fatal hit-and-run crashes
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to back or sponsor state legislation that would generate alerts when serious or fatal hit- and-run crashes occur -- mirroring the Amber Alert system for child abductions. The council adopted a resolution urging state lawmakers to set up a system to issue alerts with descriptions of vehicles driven by people who fled the scene of traffic collisions.
City News Service

L.A. council orders inventory of earthquake-vulnerable apartments
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday took the most sweeping action on earthquake safety in nearly three decades, instructing building officials to find and catalog apartment buildings vulnerable to collapse in a major temblor. The survey would focus on wood frame buildings similar to the Northridge Meadows apartment complex, which collapsed and killed 16 people during the 1994 earthquake.
Los Angeles Times