LAPD Breaks Ground on New Police Headquarters
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE VOLUME LIII NO. 3 WWW.LAPDONLINE.ORG ® MARCH 2007 LAPD Breaks Ground on New Police Headquarters n January 22, 2007, Chief Bratton, will be a public plaza with underground Mayor Villaraigosa, City parking for approximately 300 vehicles OCouncilmembers Tom LaBonge, located at 1st and Judge John Aiso Street. Eric Garcetti, Jan Perry, Jack Weiss, “This is a good day for the Department Wendy Greuel, Dennis Zine, Greig Smith and every resident of this city,” Chief and Police Commissioner Andrea Sheridan Bratton stated. “This new police facility will Ordin joined in a groundbreaking bring us into the 21st Century. As society WILLIAM J. BRATTON ceremony of the new Police Headquarters and advancements in technology change, so CHIEF OF POLICE Facility. The new facility will be located on too must we as a police department. This CHIEF’S MESSAGE 1st Street between Main and Spring state of the art facility will enable us to do ince my appointment as Streets. The new police facility will replace just that.” Chief of Police in Parker Center, which was built in 1955. The cost of all three components SOctober 2002, the men The building, slated for completion in combined is $396.9 million. The and women of this Department May 2009, will consist of three construction of the maintenance facility is have worked together to components. The first will be a ten-story scheduled to be completed in reduce crime, and we have 500,000 square foot main building with September 2008, and the made outstanding progress. underground parking for 350 vehicles. The parking garage in late For the fifth year in a row, we second will be a vehicle maintenance 2009. ❏ have shown significant facility and parking garage on Main Street decreases in crime in Los between 2nd and 3rd Streets. This Angeles. The per capita crime 300,000 square foot facility will provide parking for approximately 800 vehicles, a Continued on page 2 mechanic garage, fueling station and office space for Motor Transport Division personnel. The third and final component VOLUME LIII NO. 3 WWW.LAPDONLINE.ORG ® MARCH 2007 Chief’s Message Continued from page 1 rate for Part I crimes remained below analysis capability to bear on identifying William J. Bratton the 1956 level for the second straight the players and addressing the issue Chief of Police year, and we hold the distinction of being head-on. We’ve got significant Mary E. Grady the second-safest big city in the nation. intelligence and your tremendous street Public Information Director Many other large cities are now seeing a level experience. As part of our renewed Commanding Officer Public Information Office spike in crime, while you continue to crime and gang crime reduction efforts keep crime at historic lows. We have we are going to focus our attention and Steven E. Reifel Managing Editor made incredible strides toward regaining resources on certain gangs and individual our place as national and international high activity gang members in an effort to Pedro M. Muñiz Brooks Baker leaders in law enforcement, and we have get these predators off the streets of Editorial Support significantly improved relations with the L.A. Cornel Panov communities we serve. We can be proactive and aggressive Photographer Although the Department is making in targeting gangs and still fulfill our Jim Ungari steady progress on our overall crime sworn obligation to do so consistently, Design, Typeset, & Layout reduction goals, gang-related crime is compassionately and constitutionally. The monthly news publication serving up. Last year, crimes specifically related And that is just what we are going to do. sworn and civilian employees, and to gangs increased by 15.7 percent We have all had enough of going to those interested in the activities of the Citywide. That’s 1,046 additional gang- crime scenes in the aftermath of gang Los Angeles Police Department, is published by the Public Information related crimes over 2005. Those crimes shootings, seeing the distraught families, Office, Public Communications include 12 additional homicides, 127 and of being shot at, disrespected and Section, Public Relations Unit. The additional attempted homicides, 238 endangered. We are going to attempt, Los Angeles Police Department does not endorse or warrant any products, additional felony assaults, and 494 with our limited resources, to turn the services or companies mentioned additional robberies. Our efforts over tide and make it increasingly difficult for within these pages. the years in determining what crimes are these murderers to operate their illegal gang-related have been boosted by our drug-fueled enterprises on our streets. The BEAT deadline for material submission is the intelligence gathering capabilities and by As I mentioned in last month’s taped 4th of each month our increasing use of technology. So as message, we have already begun a full- th for the following we reduced crime overall across the scale effort directed at the 204 Street month’s publication. City, we now have the ability to look at Gang in the Harbor Gateway area of the the different subsets that make up the City. We have also increased our efforts Submit your materials to: Los Angeles Police Department total crime picture, and what that picture in the San Fernando Valley where gang Public Communications Section shows is that gangs continue to be a crime and violence has been particularly 150 N. Los Angeles Street major contributor to crime in L.A. prevalent, showing an increase of 44 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Gang violence is an unfortunate percent over last year. (The gang crime Room 731 - Mail Stop 400 reality for the people of Los Angeles. numbers in the valley have been Phone (213) 485-3281 Fax (213) 473-5635 Recent headlines underscore this point, historically much lower than in the South although it comes as no surprise to and Central Bureaus.) Together with This publication is available online anyone in law enforcement, or to our other local law enforcement agencies at www.LAPDOnline.org. Copyright © 2007 by Los Angeles Police Department media savvy and well-informed public. and through significantly increased While Los Angeles is not alone in having cooperative efforts with the Federal a gang problem – many other cities have government, we have started a new L.A.-style gangs, though not on the same comprehensive set of initiatives against scale – the difference for us now is that the gang members with the highest levels we can bring some of our real time 2 Continued on page 5 VOLUME LIII NO. 3 WWW.LAPDONLINE.ORG ® MARCH 2007 Board of Rights, Open or Closed? By Police Commission President John W. Mack ollowing the decision of Copley Press Inc. vs. Recent Actions by the FSuperior Court of San Police Commission Diego in 2006, the City Attorney advised the Department to close all Board JANUARY 11: The Commissioners reviewed the of Rights proceedings to the “Blueprint for 21st Century Policing,” which public. While the Boards had addresses the recommendations of the Rampart already been closed for a few Blue Ribbon Review Panel. months, this issue came into JANUARY 16: The Commission assigned a committee the public eye in January of to report back in 60 days on the Board of Rights John W. Mack this year, when the Board of manual to ensure that current practices provide as Commission President Rights adjudicating the Devin much openness as legally possible, and to make Brown officer involved shooting case was closed to recommendations to that effect. reporters. Should the Board of Rights process be closed or Commissioners John Mack and Anthony Pacheco open to the public? That is a question for which there are accepted the task of taking the lead position on strong pro and con opinions, but providing the best possible gang issues. answer requires a balancing act. JANUARY 23: The Police Commission held their meeting I am deeply bothered when decisions of concern to the in the Westchester community with Councilmember community are made in “secret.” This is of particular Bill Rosendahl. Approximately 125 community concern to the Police Commission as we seek to develop members attended and many addressed the mutual trust and cooperation between communities of color Commission with local issues. and the LAPD. My fellow Commissioners and I have remained consistent in our desire to be open and provide community members as much access as possible to the police officers have a right to expect their personnel LAPD, an entity that directly impacts each and every one of information to remain private. them. Community members have every right to know how Facing this dilemma in January, I directed Commissioner their police department functions and to have confidence Andrea Sheridan Ordin, Chief Bratton, Executive Director that the Board of Rights process is fair and objective both Richard Tefank, Inspector General André Birotte, and City for community members and police officers. Attorney staff to form a working group. I also asked that It is not unreasonable that the community would want to this working group report back in 60 days regarding a know the outcome of a high profile officer involved shooting review of the Board of Rights manual to ensure that current case. Closing the Board of Rights, and not revealing the policies and practices provide as much openness as legally outcome of the Board, shuts the community out of a very possible, and to make appropriate recommendations. In fundamental right. addition, I have urged members of the public and the City On the other hand, police officers have strictly defined Council to support the legislation that will soon be protection under California law regarding their personnel introduced by State Senator Gloria Romero.