Law Enforcement

L.A. County Fair tributes highlight real-life heroes
Robert Howells stands in front of the 58-foot-long End of Watch Memorial Wall, blue light glowing across his somber face. "I'm looking for the guys I knew," the retired Los Angeles deputy sheriff said, scanning for familiar names. The End of Watch memorial - on display in the Hall of Heroes at the Los Angeles County Fair - pays tribute to every officer from the Los Angeles Police Department who has died in the line of duty.
Los Angeles Register

Jane Doe No. 52: 4 years later, body on conveyor belt still a mystery
Four years after the body of Jane Doe No. 52 was found on a conveyor belt at a recycling center in Chinatown, Los Angeles Police Det. Brian Putman stood outside a public works building late Wednesday afternoon and addressed a crowd of officers and explorers. Amid the sound of booming car radios in East Hollywood, Putman gave a brief summary of the 2010 homicide case: The woman's body was discovered Sept. 10 as employees were sorting recyclables on a conveyor belt.
Los Angeles Times

San Diego police staffing problem growing worse
It's been well-reported that the San Diego Police Department has been struggling to keep officers from leaving, but a new report shows the situation is getting worse. City Independent Budget Analyst Andrea Tevlin said in a report released Thursday the average number of San Diego officers leaving the department each month is now nearly triple the rate in 2010. From July to September, 29 officers have left the department, she said.
KPBS

L.A. man pleads guilty in fatal Christmas Day baseball bat dispute
A Los Angeles man has pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his stepfather on Christmas morning last year during an argument over a baseball bat. Rudy Flores, 22, accepted a plea deal and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 17 to 16 years to life in prison for killing 54-year-old Nery Ambrosio, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney. Flores had been arguing with his mother Christmas morning because she didn't locate a baseball bat that she had hidden, Los Angeles police said.
Los Angeles Times

Sheriff's Department makes some violent crimes appear more serious
An initial review of crime statistics at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released Thursday found that the agency tends to overstate violent crime. An audit of 240 assaults from six sheriff's stations found that department personnel misclassified more than 31% of minor assaults as serious offenses, while incorrectly filing about 3% of serious attacks as minor ones.
Los Angeles Times

9/11 Anniversary

Los Angeles joins in remembering 9/11 attacks on 13th anniversary
On the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Los Angeles joined cities across the U.S. for a remembrance for those lost -- and the hundreds who died trying to save them -- on a fateful day that came to be known as 9/11. "Each day in this country and in this world we have a reminder of that day we saw great evil, that there is evil still in this world," said Mayor Eric Garcetti during a ceremony at a Los Angeles Fire Department training center near Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles Daily News

Roads & Highways

Bad roads, congested commutes cost state drivers $44 billion a year, report says
California drivers pay a staggering $44 billion a year in extra car costs because of traffic jams that seemingly grow worse by the day, spreading potholes and outdated roads and bridges, according to a national highway advocacy group. Driving on deficient roads costs each San Francisco-Oakland-area driver $2,206 per year in the form of extra vehicle operating costs, according to the report. In the South Bay, it's $1,723 a year per driver, and Los Angeles drivers have it the toughest, forking out $2,458 a year.
San Jose Mercury News

Homelessness

Skid row sweep finds many homeless with medical, psychiatric needs
A joint city-county sweep of skid row last month to provide sanitation and social services identified more than 100 homeless people in need of immediate medical and mental health care, officials said Wednesday. Eighty homeless people received medical attention for scabies, wounds and other conditions during the August operation and 27 were referred to mental health services, City Councilman Jose Huizar said in a statement.
Los Angeles Times

Death Penalty

Field Poll: Death penalty support slips in California
Support for the death penalty in California is at its lowest point in nearly 50 years, although more than half of the state's registered voters still favor it, a new Field Poll has found. The poll found 56 percent still believe the death penalty should be kept as a punishment for serious crimes, with 34 percent opposed and 10 percent undecided.
Sacramento Bee

Public Health & Safety

L.A. heat wave: Medical emergencies expected to spike this weekend
A heat wave that's forecast to bear down on the Los Angeles region this weekend is likely to bring not only a heightened threat of wildfires but also a spike in medical emergencies. "People overestimate their abilities and underestimate the danger of the heat," said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The heat wave is expected to ramp up starting Friday and bring triple-digit temperatures across the region, possibly breaking records in parts of the Los Angeles area, National Weather Service meteorologists said.
Los Angeles Times

California's earthquake early warning system is ready to get started
The South Napa earthquake that occurred on August 24 was on everyone's mind as the Third International Conference on Earthquake Early Warning convened last week in Berkeley. The meeting was a powerful show of scientific and political momentum as California prepares to lead the United States into a brave new world in which we'll get second-by-second countdowns in advance of dangerous earthquake shaking.
KQED

City Government

Garcetti considering ballot measure to halt tax opposed by businesses
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday he and other elected officials are exploring the possibility of a ballot measure that would eliminate the city's tax on business receipts and replace it with a different tax on companies. Garcetti, who has been pitching a plan for raising the minimum wage to $13.25 per hour by 2017, said talks have been taking place at City Hall about a tax proposal that could reach the voters as soon as March.
Los Angeles Times