Greetings from the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The following is the monthly update for September 2004. We hope you find
the information useful. You are encouraged to continue to visit our
website at www.lapdonline.org as it has grown to over 10,000 pages since
its inception in 1998.
We are also interested in hearing from you to find out how we can improve
the Los Angeles Police Department website. A brief survey has been posted
on our website, and the information received from those participating will
be considered as we revise LAPDOnline. By taking a few minutes to fill
out the survey, your input will help us improve and refine our online
services. Your cooperation is deeply appreciated.
CHIEF’S MESSAGE
Now that we are more than half way through the year, I want to take this
opportunity to update you on where the Department is going, and to touch
on several current issues that should be of interest to you.
At the beginning of the year when the Department set its annual crime
reduction goals, I stated that we would look at them at mid-year, assess
our progress, and revise the goals based on unmet challenges. After
reviewing the progress made by the men and women of this Department during
the first half of the year, it is my belief that our goal projection from
the first of the year is on target, making any further revisions at mid-
year unnecessary. After speaking with Assistant Chief George Gasæon,
Director of the Office of Operations, we both realized that we went into
this year setting a “stretch” goal for crime reduction. Although there
are some areas that will need special attention, both Assistant Chief
Gasæon and I believe that at this time, the trends indicate that the
Department is on the right track. We will again address the crime goals
at the last quarter of the year and go from there.
Your police department is continuing to do more with less. As officers
work to reduce crime and fear in the City, they are doing it with less
back-up, with fewer sworn officers. Currently there are 9,154 sworn
personnel. That’s down 1.3 percent from this time a year ago. That
shortage is compounded by the more than 500 civilian vacancies. What is
clear is that our officers are motivated and dedicated to their mission.
Arrests numbers are a good indicator. Over the past two years, arrests
have increased by 19 percent.
I still have a responsibility to fight for as many police officers as
budgets will allow. Recognizing the critical need for more resources, the
Mayor, Police Commission and I will continue to try to find additional
revenue sources. In that regard, the best opportunity on the horizon to
help us beef up the ranks, reduce crime, and improve officer safety is the
proposed half-cent sales tax measure for Los Angeles County. The
Department stands to gain approximately $164 million dollars, money that
would be spent to increase the Department’s sworn strength. Imagine an
increase of 1,200 to 1,500 officers over a four-year hiring-up period,
increased overtime, improved technology and how that would impact crime in
this City. The Department could reduce crime, particularly gang-related
crime, by as much as 50 percent. It is my belief, that this increased
sales tax initiative would provide the tipping point that will make Los
Angeles the safest big city in America. The Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors has agreed to put this initiative on the November 2 ballot,
after making adjustments to the percentages of funds that would go to
other County justice agencies, including the District Attorney, Public
Defender, and the Probation Department. You will be hearing more about
the initiative in the coming months.
Regarding the complaint process, due to a recent change in the California
Penal Code, it’s required that persons filing complaints be advised of
their right to file a complaint against an officer, and that knowingly
filing a false complaint can result in a misdemeanor violation.
Therefore, Department employees taking complaints must assure that
complainants are asked to sign a Complaint Advisory form, stating that
they understand our policy on accepting complaints, and that the filing of
false complaints can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Finally, in addressing the issue of flashlights: I will be limiting the
use of the large metal variety in favor of smaller, custom-designed
models. I’m doing this with the patrol officer in mind, since the larger
lights have been tainted by recent use of force incidents. Now, every
time officers use a metal flashlight as an impact device, they will face
intense public and media scrutiny. Officers have a tough enough job to do
without that additional pressure. This action protects the public and
officers. It ensures the public that the Department is responsive to
their concerns. The new flashlights will be lighter, less bulky, easier
to carry, and will provide adequate illumination for officers to perform
their duties. A special task force, which includes patrol officers, has
been formed to design this “LAPD customized” flashlight. The design and
acquisition of the new flashlights will take time. In the meantime, the
current flashlights will continue to be authorized for use.
My Command staff and I are working hard looking for opportunities,
programs, and products that will help officers do their job consistently,
compassionately and constitutionally. Thanks to the commitment of all the
sworn and civilian members of this great Department, a sizable reduction
in the level of crime has occurred in this City. We are making
significant progress toward our goal and Mayor Hahn’s goal of making Los
Angeles the safest big city in America.
EDITORIAL
Assault-Weapons Ban Has Made America Safer
By William Bratton
Published in the Los Angeles Daily News
Saturday, August 14, 2004 - As chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
and a 28-year veteran of law enforcement, I have seen firsthand the death
and destruction that can be brought by military-style assault weapons.
These guns are not necessary for hunting or self-defense, but their light
triggers and rapid-fire capability make them weapons of choice for
criminals. Congress has only five working days to renew the federal ban
on 19 different models of semiautomatic assault weapons. If they fail to
do so, these killing machines will soon be rolling off the assembly lines
at major gun manufacturers and flying off the shelves of your local gun
shop.
In 1994, the nation's law enforcement community, from small towns to large
cities, rallied together in support of the assault-weapons ban for very
practical reasons. Violent criminals and thugs had weapons of war far
more powerful than our own, making it nearly impossible to protect
neighborhoods that were being torn apart by vicious assault-weapon attacks
in which hundreds of rounds of ammunition were spray-fired on innocent
men, women and children.
Our mission to rid the streets of assault weapons was buoyed by the
support of Presidents Ford, Carter and the late Ronald Reagan, who
affirmed in a letter to Congress that a ban on assault weapons was common-
sense public-safety legislation.
Thanks to their support, today police are safer and the public is safer.
This progress will be in vain if the ban is allowed to evaporate.
Presidents Ford, Carter and Clinton have now sent another letter to
Congress urging renewal of the ban.
Since enactment of the federal assault-weapons ban in 1994, the proportion
of banned assault weapons traced to crimes has dropped 66 percent. That's
why virtually every federal, state and local law enforcement association
supports pending legislation that will reauthorize the current ban. Since
its passage, this legislation has been instrumental in increasing public
safety, lowering incidents of violent crime and keeping new caches of
these dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of criminals, street
gangs, drug traffickers and terrorists.
The nation’s law enforcement agencies will face a tremendous threat on the
streets if Congress fails to renew the federal assault-weapons ban. If
the gun lobby succeeds and President Bush and Congress allow the law to
expire, then we can expect the return of military-style assault weapons
such as the AK-47 and Uzi to our streets. This would be a crushing
setback to the record-breaking reduction of violent crime in this country
over the past decade.
Renewing the assault-weapons ban is more important now than ever, since we
have evidence that it is exactly these kinds of weapons that are used and
sought out by terrorists. In fact, an al-Qaida training manual uncovered
in Kabul underscores their preferred usage among terrorists in the
following instruction to terrorist cells overseas: “In countries like the
United States, it’s perfectly legal for members of the public to own
certain types of firearms. If you live in such a country, obtain an
assault rifle legally, preferably an AK-47 or variations.”
We know that the best defense of our homeland security will depend on the
front lines of local law enforcement officers. We need our lawmakers’
help by putting obstacles, such as the assault-weapons ban, in the path of
terrorists.
It is time for the president and Congress to support our nation’s law
enforcement professionals in their fight against crime and terrorism by
showing their leadership on this issue. Now is the time to take the easy
step of renewing the federal assault-weapons ban before it is too late.
Failure to do so may prove to be a mistake that our nation will never
forget.
CRIME STATISTICS - CITY-WIDE
Year to Date as of August 28, 2004
Homicide Up 5.3%
Rape Down -6.2%
Robbery Down -17.4%
Aggravated Assault Down -14.1%
Child/Spousal Abuse Down -12.2%
---------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Down -15.1%
Burglary Down -8.0%
Burglary/Theft from Vehicle Down -8.2%
Personal/Other Theft Down -6.6%
Auto Theft Down -10.0%
---------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL PROPERTY CRIMES Down -8.2%
WILLIAM J. BRATTON
Chief of Police
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