Via LAO, it turns out Jill Leovy is launching the Homicide Report, a new blog detailing all of L.A.’s homicides. I love the idea, and a blog is the perfect vehicle for it. Because, let’s face it – unless its a celebrity or its done in a really public manner, not all homicides are alike.

It’s an unfortunate, but true, fact of media life. When I was a reporter, every homicide in Glendale was big news, but that’s Glendale. In L.A.? Shoot. Like I said, unless its a celebrity or done in a public manner — like the black lady whose body was found burning in Playa del Rey — it won’t end up in “the news” (depending on whether your news is TV News or Newspaper News). It really sucks – I’m sure there are outraged parents or relatives who can’t figure out why their child or kin’s killing is less newsworthy than another person’s, something that Jill Leovy alluded to in an email to Kevin Roderick.

As an aside, I kind of wish L.A. had coplogs, just for the off-beat and unintentionally funny things that don’t have to do with homicides or another major crime. The closest thing that we’ve got so far is Stephen Blackmoore’s very excellent L.A Noir, but since its mostly based on TV news, I know for a fact he’s only getting the tip of the iceberg. There’s also IncidentLog.com, which is really super cool, but just doesn’t have the meat that good old fashion police reports have. Unfortunately, the LAPD does not do coplogs (which I found out via my buddy Josh when he became the Daily News police reporter long ago), and I suppose I understand that they have a huge number of cases every day – but still.

Case in point: I once found a gem in a Glendale police report that never saw the light of day in the Glendale News-Press. And this was way beyond its current regime, thank you very much. Anyway, a woman had reported that someone had broke into her house. I think I remember that the only thing in the house that had been disturbed was her bed, and she knew this because there were “naughty-sauce stains” on it.

I kid you not. Naughty-sauce stains! Augh! Priceless!