Law Enforcement

Las Vegas police officers gunned down at pizza restaurant, one civilian killed
Two Las Vegas police officers and a civilian are dead after two shooters ambushed the cops at a pizza restaurant on Sunday afternoon and then got into a gunfight at a nearby Walmart. The two shooters, a man and woman, walked up to two officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on their lunch break at CiCi's Pizza and gunned them down.
New York Daily News

Man shot after Silver Lake graduation was student's older brother
Authorities on Friday identified the man shot to death in Silver Lake on Wednesday as the older brother of a student who was graduating at a nearby middle school. Christopher Hernandez, 19, of Los Angeles, died in a hospital after he was found with multiple gunshot wounds outside of a Del Taco restaurant on Sunset Boulevard near Fountain Avenue, said Los Angeles County assistant chief coroner Ed Winter.
Los Angeles Times

Van Nuys LAPD station celebrates 50 years of community service
It has served as the hub for law enforcement in the San Fernando Valley for half a century and now serves as a symbol for community renewal. So the Van Nuys Community Police Station got a rousing 50th birthday bash on Saturday celebrated by Los Angeles police, public officials and the community. "Fifty years ago, our forefathers said we need to have a home base integral to this city," said Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, standing in front of the station that until recently served as home of the Valley Bureau.
Los Angeles Daily News

LAPD officers injured subduing man in Los Angeles
At least three police officers suffered some minor scrapes Saturday while trying to handle a man under the influence of drugs in the West Adams section of Los Angeles. Police were dealing with the report of a drug-crazed man at 27th Street and Kenwood Avenue when paramedics were dispatched to treat them at 9:49 a.m., said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles City Fire Department.
City News Service

Editorial: Charlie Beck wants 5 more years as LAPD chief. So how is his department doing?
Hearings begin this week on whether Charlie Beck should be reappointed as Los Angeles police chief for a second five-year term. The public will have an opportunity during community meetings over the next month to ask questions and raise concerns about his performance, or to voice support for his leadership. The civilian Police Commission has the option of continuing or ending his term; if it opts for the latter, it must make that decision by Aug. 20.
Los Angeles Times

Secretive online marketplace for poisons under investigation
For more than a year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been investigating a secretive Internet-based marketplace suspected of connecting manufacturers of poisons and other controlled substances with potential buyers, according to court records. The investigation was revealed in an FBI affidavit unsealed Friday in the case of a San Francisco man arrested earlier this week after federal agents said they found an explosive materials in his apartment.
Los Angeles Times

Media

Charles Manson free from California prison article is fake
Charles Manson was not granted parole, and an article saying he was freed from prison is fake. The fake report was posted on Empire News, a self-described “satire” website.
Updated News

City Government

L.A. leaders ask employers not to reject people with criminal records
So people with criminal records are not automatically rejected when they apply for jobs, Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price proposed Friday that employers be asked to conduct background checks only after a candidate has been found to be qualified. Price said people who have had trouble with the law are often disqualified before they can even really begin the job application process. That makes it especially difficult for those who've been incarcerated to re-enter society.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. councilman calls for stiffer penalties in graffiti cases
Frustrated by tagging in his San Fernando Valley district, a Los Angeles city councilman called this week for new measures to crack down on graffiti vandals, especially when murals are defaced. Councilman Paul Krekorian introduced a motion Friday seeking to double the reward to $2,000 from $1,000 for those who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of taggers who mark up murals.
Los Angeles Times

Most L.A. city employees don't live in L.A., Times analysis finds
More than two-thirds of people who work for the city of Los Angeles live somewhere else, a Los Angeles Times analysis suggests. Out-of-towners are especially common among those charged with keeping Angelenos safe from crime and fire. Only 21% of Police Department employees live in Los Angeles, and 16% of Fire Department workers call the city home, according to the analysis of city data showing where workers receive their paychecks.
Los Angeles Times

DWP leaves immediate electric safety hazards unfixed: state audits
State auditors found that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power failed to quickly fix broken electrical equipment that posed an immediate risk to public safety or threatened power outages. Recent power audits also show sloppy record keeping and that some wood poles weren't thoroughly inspected for 60 years. The outside audits shed new light on the DWP's admitted problems maintaining its aging electric infrastructure.
Los Angeles Daily News