A former Santa Rosa police captain whose four-year wrongful termination suit so far has cost the city nearly $1 million has won a round in federal court. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back for further hearings, ruling that a federal judge improperly ordered Jamie Mitchel to pay some of the city’s legal costs.

UPDATE 7:55 PM: After a week of warnings, Santa Rosa police gathered before dawn Tuesday and ousted dozens of protesters who didn’t have city camping permits for the Occupy camp outside City Hall. Twenty-five tents were removed, leaving 22 permitted tents at the lawn, less than a quarter of the encampment that first appeared three weeks ago. What do you think about the way the city handled things?

Occupy Sebastopol demonstrators made a last-minute application Tuesday night for a special events permit that would allow them to continue camping at the town plaza. A decision is expected by the end of the day Wednesday.

For some, the decision by local law enforcement officials to accept Mexican consular IDs represents a violation of the rule of law and an official acceptance of the growing presence of illegal immigrants. But police say it is the most sensible way to play the hand dealt to them by ineffective federal lawmakers who have failed to address issues surrounding illegal immigration. What is your take?

Occupy Santa Rosa protesters camping at City Hall say they are cleaning up their act and will abide by all the conditions proposed for their camp by city officials. The group hopes to get back into the good graces of the City Council after several council members chastised protesters for allowing their encampment to become a public health and safety hazard. Should the city now allow the camp to remain?

Santa Rosa is installing five new surveillance cameras downtown as part of an effort to protect the nation’s “critical infrastructure.” But officials refuse to discuss just exactly what they are protecting downtown, citing a need for secrecy not often cited by local officials — national security.

Police will face new restrictions on impounding the vehicles of unlicensed drivers caught at sobriety checkpoints under a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The governor, however, vetoed a sister bill by Assemblyman Michael Allen that would have placed limits on the hours of DUI checkpoints and required law enforcement agencies to announce the exact locations in advance.

Sebastopol’s police department is now recognizing Mexican consular ID cards as valid identification, a move that could keep some illegal immigrants from landing in jail, where they would most likely be flagged by federal immigration officials.

The decision by a Santa Rosa Police officer not to impound the car of the unlicensed driver accused five days later in a fatal hit-and-run crash has reignited a debate that is playing out in community groups as well as in the state Legislature. Santa Rosa Police Chief Tom Schwedhelm said the death of 4-year-old Christopher “Buddy” Rowe is the responsibility of the driver who hit him, not the fault of a traffic officer who cited the suspect, Marcos Lopez Garcia, the week before the fatal accident.

A Santa Rosa City Council review Tuesday night of Gang Prevention Week turned into a referendum on gun control and safety as residents gave the council members an earful about a SWAT display that allowed children to handle automatic weapons. Critics of the event, some wearing “Guns Are Not Toys” stickers, questioned the wisdom of the police display, which became publicized after photos circulated showing children handling an M-16-style rifle and other weapons.