Law Enforcement

Domestic violence 'glaring exception' to 11 years of crime reduction in L.A.
City Attorney Mike Feuer and police Chief Charlie Beck sounded an alarm on domestic violence recently, saying the issue's impact in Los Angeles and across the nation goes beyond the allegations facing NFL running back Ray Rice and other players. Domestic violence is the "glaring exception" to 11 years of crime reduction in Los Angeles, Beck said.
City News Service

Part-time blues: Volunteer cops on the beat
The Los Angeles Police Department, like many police departments across the country, is surprisingly dependent upon a corps of volunteers known as reserve officers. To pay the bills, they make their living working as attorneys, teachers, or doctors during day. But by night, they are in many ways, the spitting image of a full-time police officer, decked in full uniform, handcuffs, and guns.
KCET

19 accused of human-rights crimes abroad are arrested in 8 U.S. cities
Federal agents have arrested 19 fugitives in cities across the U.S. -- including Los Angeles and San Francisco -- who are suspected of committing war crimes and other human-rights violations abroad, officials announced Wednesday. The arrests mark the first time U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have targeted suspected war criminals illegally seeking shelter in the U.S., the agency said.
Los Angeles Times

Man injured by hit-and-run driver on Van Nuys Blvd
Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division detectives are investigating a hit and run and are looking for additional witnesses to the collision. On Wednesday, September 17, 2014, around 6:50 p.m., a hit and run traffic collision occurred on Van Nuys Boulevard and Telfair Avenue. A green Ford Expedition collided with a 23-year-old pedestrian, a Pacoima resident, and left the scene.
Van Nuys News Press

L.A. County to collect massive database of personal data without public notice
Without notice to the public, Los Angeles County law enforcement officials are preparing to widen what personal information they collect from people they encounter in the field and in jail - by building a massive database of iris scans, fingerprints, mug shots, palm prints and, potentially, voice recordings.
Center for Investigative Reporting

Mass shootings in U.S. have tripled in recent years, FBI says
The number of sudden mass shootings in the United States has nearly tripled in recent years, the FBI said Wednesday, prompting the bureau to expand its work with state and local officials to identify potential gunmen before they attack. In a study of active-shooter incidents, FBI officials said there were 160 cases from 2000 through 2013, with the numbers growing from an average of 6.4 incidents in the first seven years to 16.4 in the last seven years.
Los Angeles Times

Drones

Movie, television production companies expected to get FAA permission to fly drones
The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce Thursday that it is granting permits to seven movie and television production companies to fly drones, an important step toward greater use of the technology by commercial operators, said attorneys and a company official familiar with the decision. However, the permits are expected to come with limitations, including that the unmanned aircraft be used only on closed sets and that they be operated by a three-person team, including a trained drone operator.
Associated Press

Public Health

Officials warn of West Nile virus threat in San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley residents are being urged to take extra precautions against mosquitoes as the threat of West Nile virus infections continues to grow. Three Valley neighborhoods -- Canoga Park, Sherman Oaks and Encino -- have had nine or more mosquito samples that tested positive for the virus this year, said Levy Sun, a spokesman for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

State prisons to conduct stricter searches of visitors, staff
In an attempt to staunch the flow of contraband to inmates, state prisons will soon have stringent new search procedures for visitors and staff. The policy is intended to crack down on smuggled goods that fuel gang activity behind bars, officials said. But prisoners' rights advocates raised concerns that more invasive searches could discourage visitors, who can aid inmates' rehabilitation.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Hotel minimum wage boost to $15.37 an hour approved L.A. City Council, but it's not unanimous
The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday tentatively approved a $15.37-per-hour minimum wage for workers at large hotels in Los Angeles. The council voted 12-3 to approve the minimum wage, with council members Bernard Parks, Mitchell Englander and Paul Krekorian dissenting. Because the decision was not unanimous, the issue will come back for a final vote Oct. 1.
City News Service