Law Enforcement

Crime alerts for Carthay, Bel-Air and six other L.A. neighborhoods
Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in eight L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times' Crime L.A. database. Six neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Carthay was the most unusual, recording three reports compared with a weekly average of 0.2 over the last three months. Bel-Air topped the list of two neighborhoods with property crime alerts.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD impound lawsuits
A judge Wednesday consolidated for trial two lawsuits challenging the Los Angeles Police Department's recently modified policy for impounding cars driven by unlicensed drivers. Special Order 7 was aimed at lessening the financial burden on drivers who have their cars impounded for as long as month for driving without a valid license. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing about 9,900 rank-and-file LAPD officers, and the group Judicial Watch opposed the moved and sued to stop it.
City News Service

Mission Hills: Man dies one month after police pursuit crash
A man died at a hospital Wednesday of injuries suffered at the end of a Los Angeles Police Department pursuit nearly a month ago. Victor Vasquez, 25, died at 5:20 a.m. at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, said coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter. Vasquez had suffered "blunt force trauma," Winter said. Officer Rosario Herrera, of the LAPD Media Relations office, said the man was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed July 13 during a pursuit by officers in the LAPD Foothill Station's jurisdiction. Other details were not immediately available.
City News Service

LAPD, Occupy movement face new friction
After they were forced out of City Hall park last year, some members of Occupy L.A. made their stand half a mile away on a sidewalk on Towne Avenue that became known as "Occupy Skid Row." The encampment, which included homeless people and activists from around the region, took on more political significance in recent months as Occupy made the issue of homeless rights and downtown gentrification its new rallying cry. But this summer, the Los Angeles Police Department began cracking down, with more citations and arrests on the block and seizures of unattended belongings.
Los Angeles Times

Anaheim: No laughing place
There is more to Anaheim, Calif., than Disneyland. As shown on the crime map, the unfortunate tourist who takes a wrong turn on his way out of the Magic Kingdom may quickly find the neighborhood he has entered is far from The Happiest Place on Earth. Things are not getting any happier. On a recent Friday morning, Anaheim police officers shot at (and missed) a man who attempted to run them down with a car when they interrupted him and an accomplice while committing a burglary.
Jack Dunphy/National Review

Man pleads no contest in series of bank robberies
A parolee pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges that he robbed four banks -- one of them twice -- and led police on a chase before his arrest in April. Just as his jury trial was set to begin in Pomona Superior Court, Jerry Lee Franklin pleaded no contest to five counts of second-degree robbery and one count of evading police. The 40-year-old defendant -- who has three prior serious felony convictions -- is facing 180 years to life in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 1, according to Deputy District Attorney Duke Chau.
City News Service

Shuttle Endeavour L.A. Arrival

Shuttle Endeavour arrives in California next month
Space shuttle Endeavour once zoomed through the cosmos at 17,500 mph. But its final journey will be a crawl through the streets of Los Angeles at 2 mph. The giant spaceship will creep to its new home at the California Science Center in October, officials said Wednesday. Hundreds of trees, power lines and streetlights will be pulled down to make way.
Associated Press

City Government

Venice group threatens lawsuit over camping along boardwalk
A nonprofit group in Venice sent Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa a letter this week demanding that city leaders remove encampments along the Venice Boardwalk, saying the city is treating different parts of the city differently when it comes to illegal camping. In a letter that also went to Councilman Bill Rosendahl, the Venice Stakeholders Assn. said "Skid Row"-type conditions had developed along the boardwalk, with tents, sleeping bags, bedrolls and other personal possessions lining the walkway.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. to delay closure of public pools
Dozens of Los Angeles public pools slated for closure next week as part of a cost-cutting move will stay open until Labor Day, parks officials said Wednesday. A total of 46 pools will operate through Labor Day, a figure that includes 13 year-round pools. City Council members, prodded by unhappy constituents, pushed parks officials to keep the pools open, arguing the recent heat wave helped justify the added expense of operating the sites.
Los Angeles Daily News

Legislation

California unions pushing end-of-session workers comp bill
California labor unions and a few employers are pushing for an end-of-session bill that would change the workers compensation system by increasing payments to permanently injured workers and limiting the fees that can be charged in processing claims. "A group of representatives from labor and management are negotiating a deal to bring better efficiencies and benefit delivery to the workers comp system," said Angie Wei, a lobbyist with the California Labor Federation.
Sacramento Bee

Push on again for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses
Natividad Carrera recalled an event in 2004 when a group of undocumented immigrants celebrated at a local Department of Motor Vehicles after they heard they would soon be able to apply for a driver's license. But that celebration turned out to be premature. Then-Sen. Gil Cedillo's bill to provide licenses for the undocumented was signed into law, but then repealed before it ever took effect. Now an assemblyman who is termed out this year, Cedillo, D-L.A., is pressing his eighth and presumably final attempt at turning the bill into law.
Los Angeles Daily News