Law Enforcement

LAPD searching for Hollywood murder suspect
Surveillance video of the shooting death of a 29-year-old man in Hollywood was released Thursday as police asked for public help to identify his killer. Jeffrey Dale was walking north on Las Palmas Avenue about 2 a.m. on May 30 when the suspect walked up and shot him, according to Los Angeles police. Dale was found on the street by Hollywood Division officers walking a beat. Paramedics were summoned and Dale was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the LAPD.
Westside Today

Police seek leads in South L.A. slaying of mother, friend
Two people who died after they were gunned down in South Los Angeles were identified Wednesday night by police. Monique Campbell, 21, and Marquette Carter, 28, were shot late Tuesday as they sat in a parked car in the 4800 block of South Western Avenue, said Los Angeles Police Department Det. Chris Barling. Barling said the attackers drove up shortly before 11 p.m. in what was believed to be a light-colored sedan and opened fire. They fled northbound on Western.
Los Angeles Times

California state AG urges compliance with TRUST Act in new bulletin to cops
A year and a half after advising state and local cops that they weren't legally bound to detain immigrants at the request of federal immigration agents, California State Attorney General Kamala Harris has issued a new bulletin to cops, this time taking in the new state law known as the TRUST Act. The bulletin outlines how unlike before the law kicked in, agencies' handling of immigration detainers is no longer discretionary.
KPCC

Jury recommends 2nd death sentence for LA killer
A jury Thursday recommended another death sentence for a man who's already on death row for murdering 10 women in the Los Angeles area. Chester D. Turner, 47, should be put to death for killing four other women between 1987 and 1997, the panel said. The former pizza deliveryman was convicted last week in the second spate of killings around south Los Angeles. DNA evidence linked him to the crimes, prosecutors said. Turner will be sentenced Aug. 1, according to City News Service.
Associated Press

LAPD detective accused of racially charged comments is placed on leave
A veteran Los Angeles police detective has been placed on leave pending an investigation into allegations that he made racially charged comments during a training lecture given to other officers, authorities said Thursday. Frank Lyga, 57, was placed on paid leave after new information came to the attention of LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, said Cmdr. Andrew Smith, a department spokesman. He declined to provide additional details.
Los Angeles Times

Ballot Measure

Measure to reduce sentences for theft, drugs on California ballot
An initiative to reduce crimes such as drug possession and receiving stolen property from felonies to misdemeanors - and to use the savings for mental health and drug treatment programs - has qualified for the ballot in November, the secretary of state announced Thursday. The push by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and former San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne would require misdemeanor sentences for petty theft and writing bad checks of $950 or less.
Sacramento Bee

Homelessness

Downtown LA's historic Rosslyn Hotel Apartments set to become permanent housing for homeless
In L.A.'s booming downtown, derelict buildings from the turn of the last century are being gutted and reborn as high end apartments. Wealthy new renters are returning in droves to these old buildings. But unlike many beautiful Beaux Arts buildings undergoing a makeover, the restored Rosslyn will cater not to high-end luxury loft seekers, but to the area's growing homeless population.
KPCC

Local Government

Los Angeles County top executive William Fujioka announces retirement
Los Angeles County's top manager, William T Fujioka, announced plans to retire Thursday, signaling another wave in the sea change in county leadership. Fujioka, 61, said in a letter to his staff that he would step down in November to "provide sufficient time for a smooth transition." His departure will coincide with a major transition on the board, as two new supervisors and a new sheriff take office.
Los Angeles Times

Audit: Tens of millions in cable fees sit unspent in L.A. city fund
Tens of millions of dollars in fees paid by Los Angeles cable customers remain unspent in city coffers, with no plan for using much of the money as it piles up, according to a new audit released Thursday by the city controller. A portion of city fees charged to cable companies -- and ultimately passed on to customers through their bills -- flow into a special fund separate from the day-to-day city budget.
Los Angeles Times

Mayor Garcetti: DWP trust fund money doesn't have to be spent
Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday he believes the city is obligated to pay money to two controversial Department of Water and Power trust funds that were set up to pay for safety training for DWP workers. However, Garcetti said the city may have found a loophole: The money doesn't have to be spent by the board. "I think we are legally obligated to transfer it, but we don't have to spend it," said Garcetti, suggesting the city's money could essentially be frozen in the two trusts.
Los Angeles Daily News