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. , 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 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 law regarding their personnel introduced by State Senator Gloria Romero. This legislation information. The Copley vs. San Diego decision is a would address the action taken by the court in the San reflection of the protection afforded police officers. Police Diego case. officers are involved with dangerous criminals on a daily Frankly, I am not sure what the final outcome will be. basis. Any personnel information should be not only However, the Police Commission will aggressively pursue all protected, but vehemently guarded. avenues to ensure transparency and achieve this very So what do we do? On one side, the community has a delicate balance of the public’s right to know and the right to know this kind of information, and on the other, protection of police officer personnel information. ❏ 3 VOLUME LIII NO. 3 WWW.LAPDONLINE.ORG ® MARCH 2007 New State-of-the-Art The LAPD Smart Car Bomb Squad Vehicle he Office of Operations alone systems integrated into one created the Tactical Technology vehicle to provide the safest and most new state-of-the-art command T Unit (TTU) in June 2005, in an technologically advanced response rig is now in place with effort to integrate technology from the vehicle for our officers. The Smart Car A LAPD’s Bomb Squad, the private sector into tactical law is leading the way in policing across the first of its kind for the Department. At enforcement operations. The TTU has country as more law enforcement 34-feet long and weighing in at 40,000 adopted the role of fostering public/ agencies look to incorporate cutting- pounds, this mammoth bomb apparatus edge technology into a truck was designed in-house by Officer mobile configuration, such Rich Nagatoshi with the approval of as the police vehicle. At Motor Transport Director Neil Olson, the 2006 International making these trucks a true homegrown Association of Chiefs of wonder of the LAPD. Valued at Police Conference held in $900,000 and funded through a Boston, the Smart Car was Homeland Security grant, this vehicle prominently featured at the represents a significant step in center of the Motorola preparedness in the age of terrorism. exhibit. Police In the coming months, similar heavy- professionals from around duty trucks will also be coming to both the world visited the exhibit SWAT and the Underwater Dive Unit. and as a testament to the The highly trained tactical experts Smart Car visits Boston Harbor at the 2006 Interna- Department, were not on board this remarkable vehicle are tional Association of Chiefs of Police Conference surprised to see that the capable of disarming explosive or private partnerships to bring the most Los Angeles Police Department was at chemical devices and restoring safety technologically advanced systems to the forefront in technology and its to the scene. Because the vehicle is field applications, and to act as a application to modern policing. The equipped with amazing robotics research bed for innovations in policing. Department is leading the way by equipment, the latest communications In September of 2006, the designing a platform that incorporates and video components, and all the Department rolled out one such the following systems: various necessary specialized gear, it innovation, its most technologically LICENSE PLATE offers everything in one location and is advanced patrol vehicle to date. In the RECOGNITION (LPR) designed to be self-sustaining. spirit of public/private partnership, This is an automatic fixed camera/ The creation of a vehicle of this size Motorola, Inc. brought their team software system that scans license also creates the need for appropriate forward to help fulfill Chief’s Bratton’s plates while mobile and queries the space in order for the crew to have the vision, the “Smart Car.” The Smart scanned plates instantaneously against access and close proximity necessary Car is the evolution of numerous stand- a database of stolen vehicles, Code 6 to perform its Charles vehicles (used in felonies), and function. Officers lost or stolen license plates. The LPR are encouraged to vehicle is capable of reading more than keep this in mind 5000 license plates during one ten-hour when anticipating shift. Currently, LPR is being utilized in the vehicle’s arrival Rampart, West Valley, Southeast, and on a scene. ❏ Mission Areas.

Continued on page 7

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Chief’s Message Continued from page 2 of violent assaults against cops and Department’s overall gang-reduction other, less traditional, covert means of those involved in racial violence. As strategy, tapping into the funding and apprehending violent criminals. you know better than anybody, Los other resources we need. Citywide we are encouraging a Angeles has been terrorized by, The third initiative is the placing of strategy that will allow all patrol victimized by, and made to fear these an L.A. gang member on the FBI’s officers—with appropriate training and gangs for far too long. Ten Most Wanted List. The oversight—to more routinely enforce Our new initiatives are intended to placement of criminal fugitives on the gang injunctions and serve arrest stop the growth of gang crime that we FBI’s list represents the Department’s warrants on named gang members. experienced last year and to begin to intention to arrest, prosecute, and This initiative is designed to take full reduce the overall levels of violence as incarcerate L.A.’s most notorious gang advantage of your skills and expertise you had been able to do in the previous criminals. This is a big commitment and will increase the Department’s four years. from the FBI. The most wanted list is ability to protect law-abiding citizens. First, we will be launching the reserved for the worst criminals You will be the key to our success in South Bureau Criminal Gang Homicide including the likes of Osama bin Laden. this effort by helping to put a full court Group. This new LAPD command will It demonstrates the FBI’s willingness press on identified gang members. bring together over 100 of our most to assist in dismantling these gangs. While you are driving enforcement experienced officers and detectives, We are also parting with our long efforts on the street, we are going to three full-time assistant district held tradition of not naming gangs as drive legislative efforts by educating attorneys and ten FBI part of our public State legislators on the need for agents. planning and additional laws to back us up. Commander Pat operations. In the past Based on our success in joint Gannon has already it was felt that naming operations and task forces with other been selected as the them elevated their agencies in the Homeland Security commanding officer and stature in the warped arena, we are teaming up in is currently developing world in which they live unprecedented ways to share this entity. This and operate. information, enhance relationships, and innovative organization Our top ten list of the perform joint operations with our will focus exclusively on most active and violent partners from the L.A. County Sheriff’s gang-related murders gangs will change with Department, the FBI, the ATF, the and attempted murders some frequency as their Drug Enforcement Agency, State and use both state and activities diminish. Parole, County Probation, LA Unified federal laws to Commander Pat Gannon - Bureau Chiefs will School District Police, and other local prosecute, convict and South Bureau Criminal Gang keep the list updated to municipal police departments. Homicide Group incarcerate the gang reflect changing Since so much of our community is members who commit them. priorities. gripped with fear when it comes to the Next we have designated Deputy In addition, Operations Valley gangs in their midst, we are going to Chief Gary Brennan as the Bureau has already formed a special work aggressively to get the word out Department’s Gang Coordinator. In enforcement group of over 50 officers, through publications and seminars that addition to his Chief of Detectives motor personnel, and supervisors who this gang problem is not responsibilities, he will be the single will analyze real-time crime data and insurmountable. We can and will be point of contact for the Office of the other information to rapidly and able to work with the public to make Mayor, other partner agencies, and strategically deploy officers in crime- their lives more livable by consistently community groups. He will be ridden regions of the Valley. They will reducing the threat posed by gang responsible for bringing continuity, deploy in a variety of configurations violence in their neighborhoods and by cohesion, and consistency to the including high-visibility patrols and improving our efforts to get information 5 Continued on page 7 VOLUME LIII NO. 3 WWW.LAPDONLINE.ORG ® MARCH 2007 ON THE BEAT…PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BUREAU Bank Robbery Suspect Captured by Officer on His Way to Work n Valentine’s Day most people stomping on the package.” The man vehicle and saw the suspect running get flowers or candy. For had just stolen a bag of cash from the directly towards him. Behind the OOfficer Oscar Sapien, Bank of America next to the Los suspect was the other officer with his Professional Standards Bureau, he got Angeles Times building. firearm drawn. a bank robber, on his way to work. To Officer Sapien’s surprise, an Realizing Officer Sapien was trying On the morning of February 14, unmarked police vehicle, with a light to stop him, the suspect pretended to 2007 around 9:30 a.m., Officer and siren, cut across the street and a reach for a handgun in his waistband. Sapien, driving in his personal vehicle uniformed officer jumped out and “I didn’t have time to reach for my and wearing civilian clothes, was trained his firearm at the suspect. “The firearm, so I tackled him,” said Officer stopped at the traffic signal at 1st and suspect just ignored the other officer Sapien. “I had him pinned to the Spring Streets. He was blocks away and kept on running,” said Officer ground but he kept fighting. I was from his office when Sapien. As the worried he had a gun.” That was when he saw a man running suspect continued Officer Marco Duarte, Central Area, down the street running, the arrived at the scene and helped Officer carrying a bag, being uniformed officer Sapien handcuff the suspect, who was chased by a woman followed him in his wanted for four previous bank and a security guard vehicle and stopped robberies. with his firearm drawn. in the street to cut The uniformed officer who assisted “This guy was hoofing him off. “The in the pursuit turned out to be Chief it and leaving them suspect just ran right Lawrence E. Manion of the Los behind,” said Officer over the front part of Angeles School Police Department. Sapien. the vehicle,” said Chief Manion, a retired lieutenant with As he ran Officer Sapien, who the LAPD, was on his way to a eastbound across the was also in pursuit of morning meeting when the incident street, the man Officer Oscar Sapien the suspect. occurred. dropped the bag when smoke started Knowing well that it would be Officer Sapien, a long-time Dallas coming out of it. “That’s when I difficult to catch the suspect in a foot Cowboys fan, is proud of his tackling realized it was a bank robbery,” said pursuit, Officer Sapien stopped his abilities as it helped him apprehend a Officer Sapien, “He tried putting out vehicle one block further ahead of the felony suspect before his start of watch. the smoke from the dye pack by suspect. Officer Sapien exited his ❏ ON THE BEAT… IS AN ONGOING SERIES FEATURING OUTSTANDING ACTIONS PERFORMED BY LAPD OFFICERS. IF YOU KNOW OF AN INCIDENT IN YOUR AREA, PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR 450 WORD OR LESS SUBMISSION TO THE BEAT AT [email protected]. Community Police Aide une 2007 marks the one-year age at the time of the day-to-day anniversary of the LAPD’s CPA appointment and have ANNUAL SALARY FOR A CPA life of a police JProgram. What is a CPA? A either a high school $27,895 to $34,660 officer, an CPA is a Community Police Aide who diploma or G.E.D. invaluable is a civilian employee that performs a certification. The annual salary for a learning experience. They see not only variety of support duties in preparation CPA is $27,895 to $34,660 for full- the fieldwork but also the for a career in law enforcement. To time positions or hourly rates of $13.36 administrative responsibility of sworn gain employment in this capacity, a to $16.60 for part-time positions. personnel. Working under general CPA candidate must be 18 years of CPAs get a rare up-close look at supervision, CPAs are rotated annually

6 Continued on page 7 VOLUME LIII NO. 3 WWW.LAPDONLINE.ORG ® MARCH 2007 The LAPD Smart Car Continued from page 4 Community Police DIGITAL IN-CAR VIDEO LPR/DVS cameras to be pushed or Continued from page 6 (DVS) CAMERAS pulled to the individual Areas or Aide The DVS cameras are capable of dispatch centers. The Smart Car can to broaden their level of experience in, recording video and voice data in view/control fixed cameras throughout and promote knowledge of, the LAPD. digital quality format during any public the City, search the World Wide Web, For example, one CPA from the Air contact. Cameras placed inside the text, instant message, email, and white Support Division had duties ranging vehicle can capture images and record board with other vehicles. The Smart from researching logs, to working the the event for training, civil and criminal Car can establish a link with tower, to assisting office personnel. lawsuits, complaint adjudication, and responding air units equipped with Employment as a CPA offers both evidence/chain of custody collection. video cameras to view incidents, full and part-time work schedules and In addition, it provides another manage crime scenes, track fleeing is limited to a maximum of 5 years, opportunity to demonstrate suspects, and/or relay video feeds to after which time employees are transparency and build the public’s the geographic areas, and/or dispatch required to promote to other City trust. centers to gain better situational classes or, potentially, enter the Police FACIAL RECOGNITION awareness. Academy. With 99 currently on staff, SOFTWARE the LAPD is well on its way to Facial Recognition Software, reaching its hiring goal of 150 CPAs. ❏ utilized in conjunction with the LPR/ DVS cameras, is capable of scanning For additional information, please contact LAPD Personnel Division, Civilian facial images and accurately identifying Employment Section at (213) 485-4084 that image from a database of wanted and ask for the Community Police Aide persons, and/or active gang-members. Coordinator. The Facial Recognition Software is comparable to an electronic mug book with unlimited, precise, and up-to-date Chief’s Message Continued from page 5 information. PURSUIT MANAGEMENT from them to help us make arrests. TECHNOLOGY DELL LAPTOP We are capable of making a This is an adhesive global COMPUTERS (MDC) difference in this long-standing positioning satellite (GPS) tracking As a result of a contribution from community problem that has cost so projectile that is deployed from a Information and Communications many lives and caused so much misery police vehicle while in pursuit so that Services Bureau, mobile laptop and divisiveness over the past few the fleeing vehicle can be safely computers are going to replace existing decades. I am confident that you will monitored from any responding vehicle, Mobile Digital Terminals. rise to the occasion as you have in the local station or dispatch center. This As the Department moves forward past and deliver on the promise we are device has the potential of offering in its commitment to public/private making to the hard working law- officers another tool that may result in partnerships, new technology, once abiding residents of the City of Los bringing the pursuit to a successful only available in the private sector, will Angeles to reduce the threat of gang conclusion. now make its way into law violence that they live under each day. MESH ENABLED enforcement, providing our personnel You have reduced overall Part One ARCHITECTURE with the most up to date improvements crime and homicides by over 30% The Department is installing to keep them safe and to help them “to during the past five years and I believe wireless technology in the Smart Car protect and to serve.” ❏ we can do the same with gang related that will enable the video from the crime. Thank you for all you do for the Department and the City. ❏

7 VOLUME LIII NO. 3 WWW.LAPDONLINE.ORG ® MARCH 2007

THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL WERE COMMENDED BY THE COMMUNITY IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2007 RESERVE POLICE Richard Rogers Brandon Martin Gregory Valenti OFFICER Nehanda Sankofa Ra Robert Plourde John Engels John Talbert Juan Rodriguez DETECTIVE III Lloyd Glick Juan Topete Dondee Stout Michael Berchem John Byun POLICE OFFICER I POLICE OFFICER III DETECTIVE II Robert Holcomb Becki Jones Robert Albert Cheryl Adams Louis Koven Paul Navarro Francisco Alferez Lorraine Barrios Matthew Mahoney Daniel Nodes Christian Christensen Michael Binford Yvette Moreno Jacob Waks Petrona Cummings Hugo Cepeida Richard Munguia Marco Duarte Donald Christensen Carlos Velasquez POLICE OFFICER II Matthew Garza Victor Corella John Williams Christy Adriano Yasir Gillani Dewana Hubbard Ruben Aguirre Alberto Gonzalez Richard Jackson LIEUTENANT I Juan Amancio Daniel Healy Javier Lozano Dennis Ballas Rufo Amores Christine Labriola Alberto Marengo Sean Malinowski Richard Boyd Randall McCain Eric Mosher Scott Mallory Carl Casey Brendan McCarty Porfirio Navarro Mayda Espinoza Douglas Pierce Eleana Walters LIEUTENANT II Maria Flores Joey Rivera John Del Vecchio Alfonso Gutierrez Michael Rose SERGEANT I Kristine Kenney Shawn Hetherington Susan Carrasco Lyle Prideaux Rod Levalley DETECTIVE I Mark Durrell Daniel Martinez Maria Arce-Dominguez Andrew Mathes CAPTAIN I Josh Min Jamie Bennett Michael Montgomery Joseph Mariani Nicole Nunez Bertha Durazo Ryan Schatz Oscar Orellana James Hoffman CAPTAIN III Marco Oropeza Alex Lambert SERGEANT II Denis Cremins Clinton Popham Sherry Le Vance Bjorklund Stephen Jacobs Joseph Rich George Magallon Edmund Russell Joan McNamara Rafael Rodriguez John Manoogian John Russo Morris Smith

CRIME WATCH CITYWIDE ROLL CALL OF EVENTS YEAR TO DATE - 2/24/07 APRIL 21-22, 2007 23RD CHALLENGE CUP Homicide - 28.4% BAKER TO VEGAS RELAY Rape - 23.6% www.bakervegas.com Robbery - 5.7% Aggravated Assault - 8.3% THURSDAY Total Violent Crime - 7.8% MAY 10, 2007 11:30 A.M. Burglary - 2.5% MEDAL OF VALOR CEREMONY Burglary/Theft from Vehicle 7.3% The Grand Ballroom Personal/Other Theft - 10.4% at Hollywood & Highland Auto Theft 0.8% (213) 489-4636 Total Property Crimes - 0.9% Total Part I Crimes - 2.4% Visit us on the Web: www.LAPDonline.org®

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