If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. ~~ ~ ~ U S Department of Justice 109144 NatIonal Institute of Justice "',' I' ~ r ~ t, MAYOR TOM BRADLEY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PAT RUSSELL PRESIDENT JOAN MILKE FLORES PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE HOWARD FINN JOEL WACHS JOY PICUS JOHN FERRARO ZEV YAROSLAVSKY ERNANI BERNARDI ROBERT C. FARRELL GILBERT W. LINDSAY DAVID CUNNINGHAM MARVIN BRAUDE HAL BERNSON PEGJ}Y STEVENSON ARTHUR K.SNYDER BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT ............. -... Cl;lfft1440IDO.~..... c:ana 180 ........ "--.,....,. .r'lPH&N C. VSLA8 ~.ucc&L..U.CA alOOf • lU.lCWilLI.LOIIEIEND.aQ VIQI .-.utOCNT IJ1'ZPHDfD.cu.VIH- "IlVAIl.~ SAJlhJn. 1.. WIUJ.I.Irf8 WJI.UoUI--G:" COWDtN January 2, 1984 Honorable To" Bradl.y Mayor, City of Los Angeles noo" 305, CI ty Hall 200 North Sprl ng Stroet Los Ange l.s, CA 90012 Oe ... Mayor Bradley: STEPHEN D. YSLAS President Hlneteen hundred eighty-three lurked a turning point for the Los Angeles Police Department. Whil. continuing to Attorney-at-Law operate wi th dlml nl.hed r.sourc •• , a four percent reduction In Part I crime "OS accomplished. The y.ar called for a number of sensitive and controversial police decision • • ffectlng Oepartment operations. Among thes. "ore .ov.ral decisions aff.ctlng th,. "ntl-terrorlst Intelligenc. function. Each decision requlr.d carefully balancing the rl9hts of Individuals with tho legitimate law .nforcement needs of the City. The Inno.atlons and advances recounted In the following plge. ore a trlbuto to the hard work and dedication of pollc. prof.sslonals, co""unlty 1.ldars, elected officials and concerned citizens. It I. with gratitude and r.n .... d confl d.nce I n apr lblll ty to protect and to serve the c I tl zens of the CI ty of Los Angel,.s that the Board of Poll ce Co"",1 .sl onors sUDlD1 ts the Department's 1983 Annual Report. Respectfull.y, ~u~ STEPHEN O. TSLAS President MAXWELL E. GREENBERG Vice-Presiden t A ttorney-at-La w 1 ! \ STEPHEN D. GAVIN SAMUEL L. WILLIAMS Consultant Attorney-at-Law 1 VIEWED FROM THE TOP We live in a fragmented society. People by the tens of thousands, drawn together by a determi­ nation to attain their own specific objectives, are organized in countless diverse causes. All are en­ gaged in struggles for recognition of one kind or another. This in no way implies disagreement with their purposes. On the contrary, it is largely through united action that progress and the cor­ rection of wrongs are achieved. What I find of in­ creasing concern is that some, in pursuit of their objectives, may fail to unite behind the larger issues that bind our City together. I encourage the participation of all responsible groups in the support of our common objective of a safe City and an ever more responsive Police Department. By far the greatest common danger threatening the safety of the people of Los Angeles is narcot­ ics and dangerous drugs. That present peril ex­ ceeds even the threat of future nuclear annihila­ tion because the danger no longer is simply a threat, but a fact of life and death. No ""ore deadly plague ever invaded our shores. We do well to thank the Lord for a government whose Constitution permits and encourages the enhancement of individual rights, but we do that government and ourselves the ultimate disser­ elementary, junior and senior high schools, vice by ignoring individual responsibilities and reaching some 550,000 youth. By its very nature, standing by with wringing hands while the the concept denies us the prospect of immediate narcotics scourge continues to devour us. success. Patience will continue to mark our There is not a single category of local crime that efforts. remains untouched by habitual users of narcotics Several of the Department's major accomplish­ or dangerous drugs. Of all murders committed in ments are disclosed in this report. Some are new our City in 1983, 55 percent were narcotics and unique, reinforcing the Department's pio­ related. There were 742 bank robberies during neer role in municipal law enforcement and im­ the year, more than in any other city in the proved service to the people. But our pride in world. Between 85 and 95 percent of those rob­ progress will never be untouched by shadows beries also were the work of users. Driving a until the containment of the narcotics problem vehicle under the influence of contraband sub­ has been secured. An aroused and responsible stances now rivals driving under the influence of public alone can help us work a miracle. alcohol and takes its own shattering toll in deaths and serious injuries. Narcotics are found everywhere from Bel Air to Skid Row, among the elite and the dregs of society alike; among profes­ sional athletes, on the campuses of colleges and public schools, in industry, government, in ele­ gant offices and in otherwise respectable homes. Cocaine, the current choice of the more affluent, now claims 20 million users nationwide. It seems to me that our external enemies can relax their ambitions. Narcotics are rapidly doing the job for them. The menace can and must be eliminated. Law en­ forcement alone, for all its back-breaking efforts, is unequal to the task. I implore every citizen, parent and businessman in Los Angeles to recognize the enormity of the problem and to help, if only by taking 60 seconds a day to ponder what can be done in assuming their just part in the eradication responsibility. DARYL F. GATES If our children are to survive, steps must be Chief of Police taken to turn them away from narcotics and dangerous drugs before they reap the whirlwind which their elders so recklessly are sowing. I readily admit to personal satisfaction in having initiated the drug resistance program now active in the City's elementary public schools. It is de­ scribed in detail on page 11. Its purpose: to teach youngsters how to remain free of drug contamination; how to create a decent future for themselves and, in so doing, awaken our City and country from its narcotics nightmare. In time, the program will encompass all our 2 TOMORROW IS TODAY In mid-October, the Department activated City­ In 1969, the City contracted with the Hughes wide what well may be the most sophisticated Corporation to develop a conceptual system communications system available to law enforce­ design. Early in 1971, the design was completed. ment anywhere in the world. Known as the The study included features such as computer­ Emergency Command Control Communications aided dispatching, mobile digital terminals, au­ System (ECCCS), it brings 14 years of planning tomatic vehicle monitoring, an automated to a successful conclusion. The system became emergency command center (ECC) and mobile functional in time to reduce the strains antic­ communications center. The City then contracted ipated prior to and during the 1984 Olympic with the National Aeronautics and Space Admin­ Games. istration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for.a more Six goals were established for and have been at­ cost effective, lower-risk design to improve the tained by ECCCS. They are: efficiency of the present communications 1) Faster response to citizen calls for service, system. After additional refinement and procure­ minimizing the ocpurrence to victims of serious ment of a $42 million tax override on May 31, injury or death and increasing the apprehension 1977, the City was ready to go out for bid. In March, 1978, the City Council approved the con­ rate of criminals. tract and System Development Corporation 2) Better management of field personnel by ac­ (SDC) of Santa Monica was chosen as the prime curately forecasting deployment needs and rais­ contractor to implement the Emergency Com­ ing availability for basic patrol functions to an mand Control Communications System. The cost optimum level. represents the greatest financial commitment 3) Greater safety to field personnel through the ever made for an LAPD capital improvement. use of emergency communications. The System is comprised of five "subsystems:" 4) Two-way digital communications eliminating (a) Area Command Center (ACC); ECCCS Radio voice congestion on radio frequencies. System (ERS); Mobile Digital Terminal (MDT); 5) Security and accuracy of communication Computer-Aided Dispatching (CAD) and Remote through the digital transmission of information. Out-of-Vehicle Emergency Radio (ROVER). 6) Dollar savings to the taxpayers through cost­ effective characteristics. CENTRAL DISPATCH CENTER (CDC) . .. located on the fourth and fifth sublevels of BACKGROUND City Hall East to consolidate Communications Division, Valley Section and Parker Center. The So complex is the System and its completion so CDC is equipped with 55 dispatch consoles with protracted that a look at its checkered history is identical computer, radio and telephone indicated. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 3,- o f1l11ff1l/J '1lf1l1J ; \\1\\\11\1'1\\\\\\\\\0\111\,11\11,'1"'"'' IlIffmlllilfflllllllllllllelJlllllfll"1l1ll1l1l11ll1J1I ' \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\Wl\\ 11/11111111111111/1 ttJ' ! I 4 \ capabilities. In addition, there are four 3. Digital messages transmitted from car­ Operations-Bureau Communications Coordina­ to-car, to the station or Communications tors (BCC), one assigned to each Bureau acting Division, and in a supervisory capacity, and one System Moni­ 4. Officer needs help, officer needs assistance, tor Operator (SMa) console designed for system and back up buttons, which signal the testing and reconfiguration. The CDC can unit's identification and last known location expand to accommodate up to 64 dispatch to Communications Division. consoles to meet the increasing demand for police service beyond 1990. COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCHING ECCCS RADIO SYSTEM (ERS) (CAD) ... is a major feature of ECCCS and is supported ... updates the City's former system by use of by the system's computers, consoles and ra~io ultra-high frequencies (UHF) on 18 channels to facilities.