Crime in L.A. Up in all Categories in 2015:  End-of-the-year crime figures show that in 2015, every category of crime rose across Los Angeles for the first time in over a decade, with all 21 LAPD divisions reporting crime increases.  Ben Poston of the LA Times reports that overall violent crime in neighborhoods all over the city increased 19.9 percent while property crime spiked 10.3 percent, marking the second consecutive year that violent crime rose and the first time since 2003 that both violent and property crime increased.  Analysis of the data uncovers alarming increases in several violent crime sub-categories, including rape (8.6%), robbery (12.3%), and aggravated assault (27.5%), as well as increases in homicides (10.2%) and shooting victims (12.6%).  When property crime is broken down, figures confirm surges in burglaries (4.8%), personal thefts (6.3%), thefts from vehicles (15.1%) and motor vehicle thefts (16.7%).  After more than 10 years of steep declines in crime, Los Angeles joins the growing number of large U.S. cities that have reported serious increases in crime.

CA Death Row Inmates Don't Fear Execution:  A rare tour by officials of California's death row and death chamber at San Quentin State Prison last Tuesday provided the outside world with a glimpse of life inside the prison that houses the majority of the state's 750 condemned inmates, revealing that they spend little time worrying about executions.  Sudhin Thanawala of the AP reports that the tour comes as the state replaces its three-drug lethal injection protocol with a one-drug protocol.  In 2016, California voters may get a chance to vote on competing death penalty measures - one to expedite executions, and another that would scrap it altogether.   Jan. 17 marks the 10-year anniversary of the last execution in the state.

Massive Backlog of Untested Rape Kits in FL:  A report released Monday reveals that Florida has a backlog of over 13,000 untested and unprocessed rape kits that will cost the state significant time and money to address.  Tamara Lush of the AP reports that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which conducted the study which  concluded that of the 13,345 kits that have not been tested, 41% were because the victim decided not to proceed with the investigation and in 31%, the state attorney's office declined to prosecute.  Other common reasons included a suspect's guilty plea, death of a victim or a victim declining to file a police report.  Last November, Gov. Rick Scott announced plans to seek $8.5 million to help process the backlog, but estimations range from $9 million to $32 million.  The most efficient and economical way to manage the issue, says the FDLE, is through outsourcing.  

Most Homicides Since 2008 in CA Capital:  A drastic increase in homicides in 2015 has Sacramento police trying to figure out the cause.  Tom Miller of KCRA reports that the number of homicides in the city last year totaled to 43, up from 28 in 2014, making 2015 the deadliest year in the state's capital city since 2008.  Adding to the concern is a decrease in the number of homicide cases solved, with just 49 percent of cases solved in 2015 compared to 87 percent in 2014.  City police hope that new technologies and more help from the community can turn things around.