The following is the monthly update for June 2001.  I encourage you to
continue to visit our Web site at www.lapdonline.org as it is updated and
revised on a daily basis.


CRIME REDUCTION

Over the past decade, the men and women of this Department have made
tremendous strides in reducing the level of crime in the City of Los
Angeles.  Because of their hard work and the involvement of the
communities, the City is experiencing an overall reduction of crime to a
level not seen in almost 30 years.  This 10-year downward trend was
interrupted last year by an increase in crime causing the local media to
announce that the crime rate is up from the previous year.  As is often the
case, the previous 10-years of crime reduction was overlooked in reporting
the increase.

I want to reassure you that the Department has been extremely successful in
achieving an unprecedented reduction in crime over the past 10 years; that
the reduction from the last 10 years is far greater than the recent crime
spike; and finally, that the Department is taking steps to quell the recent
crime increase.  As we continue our mission to reduce the incidence and
fear of crime, I want the people of Los Angeles to know that the streets of
this City are far safer in this new century than they were in the last
decades of the past century.


SUVIVORS AGAINST VIOLENCE EVERYWHERE (SAVE) WALK FOR PEACE

The Los Angeles Police Department along with Ms. Christine Hester, mother
of fallen Officer Steve Gajda will hold the first Survivors Against
Violence Everywhere Walk for Peace on Sunday, June 3, 2001 at Hollenbeck
Park, 415 S. St. Louis Street at 10:00 a.m.  The public is invited to
participate in this 1.3-mile walk dedicated to the cause of peace and
tranquillity on the streets of Los Angeles.  Immediately following the walk
the Hollenbeck Community Police Station will hold an open house that will
include displays of LAPD specialized units, recruitment information, and a
Bar-B-Que luncheon provided for SAVE Walk participants.


OPERATIONS – CENTRAL BUREAU TOWN HALL MEETING

This Town Hall Meeting will bring people from the Central, Hollenbeck,
Newton, Northeast and Rampart Areas together with local government to
discuss community concerns.  I will be in attendance along with the
Commanding Officers from Central Bureau Community Police Stations, and
other police and City officials.  This is the forum for community input and
a vital component of the community/police partnership.

The Town Hall Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 21, 2001 at 6:00 p.m.
at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1324 S. Normandie Avenue, Los
Angeles.  Please join us.


35TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHIEF WILLIAM H. PARKER’S ON-DUTY DEATH

On Monday, July 16, 2001, at 1:00 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department
along with the William H. Parker Foundation will honor the late Chief of
Police, William H. Parker with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Los Angeles
Police Memorial, located on the lawn in front of Parker Center.  Chief
Parker’s brother, Joseph Parker, will be among the honored guests in
attendance.  The public is encouraged to attend this event as we pay
tribute to this world renowned police administrator.


JUNE SAFETY TIPS – CHILD CRIME PREVENTION

Children are our most precious resource.  Unfortunately, because of their
vulnerability, children are popular targets for molesters, drug dealers,
and other predatory criminals.  As a result, parents have teamed up with
the Los Angeles Police Department, teachers and other professionals to
focus on child crime prevention measures.  By working with children and
teaching them crime prevention measures, we can substantially reduce the
chances of child victimization.

An important tool for teaching children personal security is reinforcing
their trust in the adults who care for them, e.g., parents, police and
teachers.  To further lessen the chances of children becoming victims, the
following objectives should be stressed:

* Reassurance:  Inform your children they can be safer if they form good
habits and follow some simple rules.  One good rule for children to
remember is: never go anywhere with anyone without their parents’
permission;
* Openness:  Encourage your children to confide in you, even if the subject
feels uncomfortable;
* Strangers:  Teach your children the difference between good strangers and
bad strangers.  Good strangers are police officers, teachers and
firefighters;
* Secrets:  Discourage your children from keeping bad secrets.  A bad
secret is when an adult tells a child to keep information from the child’s
parents or guardian.  An example would be an adult offering a child candy
to get into his or her car and then telling the child not to tell anyone;
and
* Safe House Community Program:  Show your children the location of the
safe houses in your neighborhood and how to recognize the Safe House
Placards.  Safe House locations can be found through your local Los Angeles
Unified School District or your local Los Angeles Community Police Station.

We have attempted to establish a crime prevention attitude for parents and
children.  The importance of practicing a crime prevention attitude cannot
be stressed enough!  If properly prepared, your children will automatically
take the correct crime prevention action in a dangerous situation.  It is
important to practice with your children and to encourage a crime
prevention attitude in their daily lives.

For additional information or obtain a copy of crime prevention circulars,
contact the Community Liaison/Crime Prevention Unit, at (213) 485-3143, or
visit our Web site at www.lapdonline.org and open the “Building Safer
Communities icon.”

BERNARD C. PARKS
CHIEF OF POLICE