Rick Caruso, president of the Los Angeles Police Commission when William Bratton was hired to run the LAPD, argues in a Visiting Blogger post at LA Observed that now is the wrong time for the City Council to pause in the department's expansion. Excerpt:

Imposing a hiring freeze for police officers in Los Angeles would be a terrible mistake. There is no simpler way to put it. Los Angeles has turned a corner from a city perceived to be dangerous to one that is much safer for its residents in every neighborhood.

Here's his whole piece. Have an original Visiting Blogger post to submit? Email editor@laobserved.com.

Previously: The Boy Scouts should choose between discrimination and the LAPD Explorer program, says police commissioner Robert Saltzman.

Also at LA Observed:

• Artist Dora De Larios grew up in a multilingual, multicultural area of Los Angeles and named her current exhibit at the Craft & Folk Art Museum after the Spanish and Japanese words for dreams. Judy Graeme at Native Intelligence
• The scary stat that 17% of office space is vacant caught Mark Lacter's eye over the weekend at LA Biz Observed.
• Veronique de Turenne observes the destruction of a favorite knoll in Malibu.