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