Capitol Alert

The office of California Attorney General Kamala Harris has just released the results of its investigation into the Parks and Recreation Department's reporting and use of special funds, which was triggered by the revelation of a secret leave-cashout program.

Here's the executive summary of the AG's findings, which concludes that officials for 15 years systematically squirreled away money in the department's State Parks and Recreation Fund:

Discrepancies in Financial Reports Submitted by the California Department of Parks and Recreation

Gov. Jerry Brown called California's law enforcement officers the "the best of our state" this morning as hundreds of police, sheriffs' deputies, Highway Patrol officers, correctional officers and their friends and families remembered those who have fallen in the line of duty.

Brown and other dignitaries spoke at the 36th annual California Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony under a canopy of oaks and redwoods across the street from the Capitol's west steps. Many in the somber crowd of about 700 dabbed their eyes with tissues during the 90-minute event.

Outside the enclosed area for dignitaries, colleagues of the fallen and their family and friends, hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the state stood silently, looking on.

The ceremony at the memorial monument recalled the careers and sacrifice of 18 law enforcement officers, eight of whom died in 2011. Their names join those of more 1,500 others who have fallen in the line of duty since California gained statehood in 1850.

"More than ever we need the inspiration of those who give without asking the cost, who find more and more ways to serve. as opposed to just advancing whatever their interests or their rights might happen to be," Brown said.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Attorney General Kamala Harris struck similar notes of service and sacrifice in brief remarks to the crowd.

The nonprofit California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation sponsored the event. The foundation also funds scholarships and grants for dependents of state peace officers who die in the line of duty.

Here's a list of the officers remembered this year:

California Attorney General Kamala Harris is touting today an agreement she says will help improve safety and security for people looking for love online.

Harris and online dating site companies eHarmony, Match.com and Spark Networks, which operates JDate and Christian Mingle, released a set of business guidelines by which the parties have agreed to abide. Harris praised the principles as "important consumer protections" for people participating in the sites. The release noted that 40 million Americans used online dating services in 2011.

"Consumers should be able to use websites without the fear of being scammed or targeted," she said in the statement.

Under the agreement, which is posted here, the providers will publish safety tips and financial scam warnings online, maintain systems for reporting abuse or suspected criminal activity by users and make an effort to remove registered sex offenders and fake profiles from their sites. The providers will also work with the attorney general and a liaison from the office's new eCrime Unit to address concerns about criminal activity and identity theft issues.

Leaders from the companies said in the statement that many of the "best practices" outlined in the document were drawn from existing policies.

"These types of practices have been part of our commitment to member safety and education for many years," eHarmony CEO Jeremy Verba said in the statement. "We are proud to join Attorney General Harris, March.com and Spark Networks in setting an example for the rest of the online dating industry."

Harris spokeswoman Lynda Gledhill said the attorney general's office initiated conversations with the providers after learning about a case in Southern California involving a woman who was allegedly raped by a man she met through an online dating service. After learning that the man had a criminal history, the woman started urging the site to increase its user screening practices.

While the principles released today are not legally binding by private parties, Gledhill said the attorney general hopes the good-faith agreement will spark more changes for other sites.

"We hope it becomes best practices for the industry," she said.