Although one city council committee recommended it for approval last week, another panel yesterday sought to delay a decision on setting a timeline for the future of LAPD's famed Parker Center building, recently vacated for the new Police Administration Building a couple blocks away. An Environmental Impact Report is currently in process to look into all options--destroy, keep, give it a historical designation?--but Councilman Greig Smith wants to put the $1 million report to rest, at least for a year, citing budget concerns, according to Eric Richardson at blogdowntown. more ›

At today's L.A. City Council Public Safety Committee meeting (.pdf), the issue of what to do with the nearly emptied Parker Center is up for discussion. Since the new Police Administration Building opened in October, only the Scientific Investigation Division (SID) remains until the city finds a new 35,000 to 40,000 square foot facility in downtown. In the meantime, the city is considering a study on what to do with the building in an environmental impact report that will take place over the next year and seven months. Should they keep it? Demolish it? Give it historical status (being over 50 years old, it's eligible)? more ›

The Los Angeles Police Department's new home in Downtown is a state-of-the-art facility that has been the topic of much praise and scrutiny since construction began in 2007. Today, however, the building, which has yet to be graced with an official name, will be opened in a public ceremony helmed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and outgoing Chief William Bratton. "At the 10 a.m. ceremony, Bratton will welcome the public to tour the new building," notes abc7, which is thought to be the most expensive and modern police facility in the country. more ›

They begin moving next month and by the end of the year, the new LAPD headquarters next to the LA Times building should be open for business. But one thing that's not settled yet is what to name it, or if it even needs one at all. One name being considered is transferring the same one from the current one: Parker Center, named after the controversial and racist Chief William Parker from the 1950s. "Parker does not warrant similar commemoration at the new headquarters, scheduled to open by the end of the year," the LA Times editorial board opined today. "The City Council should reject the misguided proposal to name the building for him. It needs no moniker at all, and certainly not that of this complicated and flawed chief." The safest naming bet is this one: Police Administration Building. more ›

Unemployment is no longer an issue for LA's population of feral cats. more ›

- Sunday Morning Travel Alert: Caltrans will close the northbound San Diego Freeway (I-405) connectors to the east and westbound Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101), Sunday from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. for maintenance work. -UK based Tesco will launch Fresh & Easy Neighbourhood Markets in Los Angeles stocking healthy, chilled food in 10,000 sq. ft. spaces. - The Parker Center, LAPD HQ, was evacuated today over a bomb scare. It was just a suitcase.... more ›

Yesterday, Gothamist was happy to report they are in the safest city in America, or at least they were in 2005 for which the FBI report is for. Today, we get to say we are the #2 safest big city, as reported by the Daily News. While it is a big cheer for us, there is, of course, the angle of unreported crimes: His car has been burglarized, but he never reported it, figuring... more ›

We heard last week that Netflix was setting up a summer travelling roadshow. Now the details: Netflix is showing classic American movies around the country at locations the films made famous. more ›

The LAPD, in one of its new webby moves, has used the Googlemaps API to create a handy tool. Just plug in your address on this form and find out what crimes have happened in and around your neighborhood recently. more ›

Speaking of driving, last night's episode of The Closer -- TNT's new police drama starring Kyra Sedgwick and based in LA and the LAPD -- opens with Sedgwick's Captain Brenda Johnson on a sunny hillside street, Thomas Guide in hand, trying to figure out the difference between Mulholland Drive and Mulholland Circle and how one street can have two different names depending on how far in a given direction you take it. more ›