Law Enforcement

1 dead, 4 hurt after BET Awards party shooting in East Hollywood
One person was killed and four others injured after a man opened fire at an overnight party early Sunday in East Hollywood to celebrate the upcoming Black Entertainment Television Awards. The assailant was a lone gunman who is still at large, said Officer Drake Madison of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles Times

Shoddy LAPD record keeping muddies murder statistics
The Los Angeles Police Department told the world that it solved less than 40 percent of murders during two of the past five years, a figure well below state and national averages for big cities. Now, department officials say the rate was actually above 70 percent, about typical for a city its size. Why the disparity?
Los Angeles Daily News

Man taken into custody in Canoga Park after he allegedly tried to steal mom's car
Police took a man into custody Sunday evening after his mother said he was trying to steal her car in Canoga Park, police said. Police were called to an apartment complex in the 21000 block of Van Owen Street near Variel Avenue around 5 p.m. after a neighbor called to say she heard a woman screaming, Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Brian Woods of the Topanga Division said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Experts say law enforcement's use of cellphone records can be inaccurate
The use of cellphone records to place suspects at or near crime scenes is coming under attack in courts nationwide, challenging an established practice by federal and local law enforcement that has helped lead to thousands of convictions. Cellphone records are often used as evidence, relied upon to trace which cell tower was used to make or receive a call and then determine a caller's whereabouts.
Washington Post

Collective Bargaining

Labor tests ahead
Mayor Eric Garcetti will be tested this summer by the new union contracts for both civilian workers and sworn personnel who have promised to draw a hard line as the economy improves and the city brings in more tax dollars. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, one of the unions in negotiations with the city, is seeking a wage increase and concessions on overtime and pension reforms.
Los Angeles Daily News

Parole

1978 San Diego cop-killing case an early test of state's new parole law
Even the convicted killer now admits it was brutal and senseless: a young police officer left in the gutter, three bullets in his chest, one in his right temple, after a traffic stop. The San Diego Police Department was shaken by the slaying of officer Archie Buggs that damp night in late 1978. In its aftermath, officers demanded better equipment and an end to the policy of having one-officer cars even in high-crime areas.
Los Angeles Times

Ballot Measures

Six ballot measures qualify to go before voters in November
California voters will get to weigh in on six ballot measures this November, including a proposal to reform criminal sentencing and a Gov. Jerry Brown-backed plan for a rainy-day fund. Thursday was the cutoff for measures to qualify for the ballot. That deadline is flexible for legislators, who have waived rules in the past to place measures on the ballot later in the summer.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

City considers banning large-capacity ammunition clips
A City Council committee directed its attorneys Friday to further revise a proposed ordinance that would ban large-capacity ammunition clips in Los Angeles to ensure the law will withstand legal challenges and to provide exceptions for gun hobbyists. Two members of the council's Public Safety Committee voiced strong support for the proposal, saying such a ban is needed to help prevent deaths in the street and the "bloodshed of children."
City News Service

Mayor Eric Garcetti took a low-risk approach in his first year
In his first year as mayor, Garcetti has more often taken a low-risk approach to the job, avoiding potentially messy fights over taxes and spending on signature projects. His "back-to-basics" agenda - making City Hall more efficient and effective with up-to-date technology - is supposed to result in smoother streets and sidewalks, less hassle getting building permits and quicker 911 response times.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. Mayor Garcetti sets up a nonprofit to aid city initiatives
Faced with limited financial resources at City Hall, Mayor Eric Garcetti has created a nonprofit organization to raise money for some of his initiatives, including efforts to boost cultural tourism, find summer jobs for low-income teens and revitalize the Los Angeles River. The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles, incorporated this month, has collected more than $2.3 million so far and will work on efforts to make the city more livable, its economy stronger and its government more efficient.
Los Angeles Times

Charity donation boxes can be 'a nuisance,' says Los Angeles councilman in call for regulation
A Los Angeles City Council committee on Friday asked the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance that would regulate stand-alone charitable donation collective boxes, with one councilman calling the some of the boxes a "nuisance." The proposed ordinance would require companies to seek a yearly city permit and fee for the placement of unattended donation boxes. The companies also would be tasked with providing a current phone number that would be fixed to the box.
Los Angeles Daily News