Law Enforcement

Arrest made at San Fernando Valley home after fatal shootings
SWAT officers converged on a home in the San Fernando Valley late Sunday and arrested a man who police believe was involved in a series of fatal shootings Sunday morning. The home is in Sylmar near Kismet Avenue and Polk Street, just a few miles from three shooting incidents that left three dead and four others injured. Police called the shootings, which appeared to be related, “a major public threat.”
Los Angeles Daily News

Despite similar shooting, Los Angeles's 'Bank of Trust' tempers reaction
When Los Angeles police officers shot and killed Ezell Ford, an unarmed 25-year-old black man last week, it took less than 24 hours for Lita Herron to get a phone call from a ranking officer at a nearby station. "They wanted to check in and gauge our rage," said Ms. Herron, a grandmother and organizer who has worked to prevent gang violence on the streets of South Los Angeles for years.
New York Times

LAPD seeks public's help to locate missing man, 33
The Los Angeles Police Department Friday asked for the public's help in locating a missing 33-year-old man. Christian Alejandro Perez was last seen on Aug. 18, around 10 a.m., at his home in the 4700 block of South San Pedro Street in Los Angeles. Perez, who was described as a Hispanic man with black hair and brown eyes, has a mental capacity of an 8-year-old, according to the LAPD. Perez is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 240 pounds.
CBS LA

Authorities looking for witnesses in fatal Sylmar crash
Investigators are looking for witnesses to a Friday evening traffic collision in Sylmar that left two people dead, police said. The victims were passengers in a black 2005 Nissan 300Z that lost control near the intersection of San Fernando Road and Sunshine Canyon before crashing into a van about 7:30 p.m., according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles Times

Chicago police officer Thor Soderberg killed with own weapon in the line of duty
Chicago police officer Thor Soderberg was shot and killed with his own weapon in a police parking lot Wednesday afternoon. Officer Soderberg, 43, who worked one week a month as part of a crime-fighting initiative called Operation Project Youth, was returning to his parked car at the end of his shift when he was approached, say authorities. The lot was filled with parked police vehicles when a 24-year-old man advanced on Officer Soderberg around 3:48pm, according to CBS affiliate WBBM.
CBS News

White House to review equipment program for local police
A senior Obama administration official said Saturday the White House is weighing whether the federal government should continue to arm local police departments with military equipment in the wake of fiery protests over the past two weeks in Ferguson, Mo. "It makes sense to take a look at whether military-style equipment is being acquired for the right purposes and whether there is proper training on when and how to deploy it," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement released to USA TODAY.
USA Today

Legislation

Governor signs human trafficking bill
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Friday that seeks to streamline human trafficking prosecutions, reduce some of the trauma to the victims and save taxpayer dollars. The measure, known as Senate Bill 939, will allow prosecutors to file charges against a defendant in one jurisdiction even if that person is accused of sex-trafficking crimes in various locations around the state.
U-T San Diego

Lawmakers pass firearm safety, ammunition bills
California lawmakers on Friday acted on bills that tackle firearm safety and add rules for ammunition sales. The Senate unanimously passed SB505 by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara. It would require officers to search the state's database of gun purchases when checking on whether someone may be a danger to themselves or others.
Associated Press

California lawmakers pass measure requiring testing of rape kits
Amid ongoing efforts to address a backlog of unanalyzed rape kits that go untested throughout the country, California lawmakers passed a bill on Friday requiring law enforcement to process the evidence within a certain time frame. The bill next goes for a procedural approval in the state Assembly next week before heading to Governor Jerry Brown's desk for his signature.
Reuters

California Senate approves bill in response to Isla Vista massacre
The state Senate on Friday gave final legislative approval to a measure, proposed in response to the Isla Vista massacre, that would help identify whether troubled individuals are armed. Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) introduced the bill, which now goes to the governor for consideration, after 22-year-old Elliot Rodger went on a rampage in Isla Vista in May, killing six UC Santa Barbara students and injuring 13 other people.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

DWP customers stunned by new wave of huge bills
For months, her utility bill seemed low. But Rose Hogue, 67, thought it was because she was spending more time away from her San Pedro home. She had no idea what was really happening. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power had been estimating her bill since December, using citywide averages because the department's $162 million new billing system was broken.
Los Angeles Daily News