Greetings from the Los Angeles Police Department. The following is the monthly update for May 2002. I hope you find the information useful. I encourage you to continue to visit our Web site at www.LAPDOnline.org as it has grown to over 10,000 pages since its inception in 1998. EXPLORER ACADEMY GRADUATION The Los Angeles Police Explorer program educates and involves youth, ages 14 – 21, in police operations, broadening their understanding of the challenges, skills and responsibilities associated with police work. During their 12-week Academy, Explorers take classes in report writing, ethics, radio communications, criminal justice, desk procedures, human relations and physical training. The 77th Law Enforcement Explorer Academy Graduation Ceremony will be held at the Los Angeles Police Academy gymnasium on Saturday, May 4, 2002, with approximately 100 Explorer recruits graduating after completing over 96 hours of training. This event begins at 11 a.m and concludes at 1 p.m. LAPD CENTURIONS FOOTBALL The LAPD Centurions Football team, formed in 1978, is made up entirely of Los Angeles police officers who play and practice on their own time to be part of the team. In 2001, the team won the Nation’s Public Safety Football League Championship defeating the “Gunners” from the Houston, Texas Police Department. The LAPD Centurions play football for kids, as proceeds from the season go to support the Blind Children’s Center of Los Angeles. The next game takes place in Houston, Texas as the Centurions take on the Houston “Gunners” on Saturday, May 4, 2002. We invite you to come out and support our football team and the Blind Children’s Center at our next local game as we play against the Los Angeles Fire Department and their team the “Heat” on Sunday, May 19 at 2 pm. The game will be played at Serra High School, 14830 South Van Ness Avenue in Gardena. NATIONAL POLICE WEEK – MAY 11 THROUGH MAY 19 In October 1962, a joint-resolution became public law authorizing President John F. Kennedy to proclaim May 15 of each year, as Police Officers’ Memorial Day and the calendar week of each year which May 15 occurs as National Police Week. The Los Angeles Police Department will commemorate National Police Week with the following events that the public is invited to attend: * LAPD Memorial Relay at Dockweiler Beach on Saturday, May 11, 2002 beginning at 8:15 am with a series of foot races. This event helps to raise money for the LAPD Family Support Group and will feature a memorial service. The Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club present this event. * LAPD Memorial Ceremony on Friday, May 17, 2002, at 1 pm. The ceremony takes place at the Los Angeles Police Memorial in front of Parker Center, 150 North Los Angeles Street in downtown Los Angeles. This somber ceremony of remembrance will include a roll call of the names of every fallen officer who wore the LAPD badge. The public is welcome to attend this event as we remember our past heroes. * Los Angeles Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament. Preparations are underway for the 31st Annual Los Angeles Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament scheduled for Saturday, May 18, 2002, at Rancho Park Golf Course in West Los Angeles. More than 30 movie, television and sports stars will play golf to raise money for the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation. This year’s host will be Joe Mantegna from the new television series “First Monday.” Celebrities that have agreed to play this year include Joe Pesci, Chad Everett, Eddie Van Halen, Craig T. Nelson, Thomas Gibson, Shawn Parr, Michael De Lorenzo, and Gordon Clapp, just to name a few. Aside from just golf, this tournament serves as an LAPD open house event that features displays and demonstrations of the various police units. Anyone interested in the Los Angeles Police Department will not want to miss this day of family fun. Tickets are available for $4 and are available at all Los Angeles Community Police Stations and at the gates at the day of the event. * Interfaith Day of Prayer on Sunday May 19, 2002, at the First AME Church, 2270 South Harvard Boulevard, Los Angeles, at 5 pm. This non- denominational service will again be held to acknowledge and support the commitment to public service that the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department uphold daily. This grateful expression of appreciation will continue to focus on enhancing the faith and trust between the Department and the greater Los Angeles community. Please join us on this momentous occasion as Department members affirm our mission to “enhance public safety while working with the diverse communities to improve their quality of life.” MAY SAFETY TIPS – IDENTITY THEFT The crime of Identity Theft is on the rise and has become a significant problem for the LAPD and for people who reside in the City of Los Angeles. This is partially due to an increase in the number of reported identity theft incidents, and in the level of fear within the community. Additionally, the identity theft issue continues to receive considerable media attention. To more effectively coordinate identity theft investigations, the LAPD now investigates these crimes through the Financial Crimes Division. Anyone victimized by identity theft is encouraged to contact the LAPD or their local law enforcement agency to report the incident. It is important to remember that the victim of identity theft is a person whose identity has been fraudulently assumed by another with the intent to obtain credit, goods, or services without the victim’s consent. No financial loss is necessary. Identity theft includes the criminal assimilation of someone’s name, address, credit card information, driver’s license, social security number and other personal data. Criminals use this information to impersonate their victims, spending as much money as they can in as short a time as possible before moving on to impersonate someone else. The victims of credit and banking fraud will usually be liable for no more than the first $50 of the loss. In many cases, victims will not be required to pay any part of the loss. However, victims are supposed to notify financial institutions within two days of learning of the loss, although this is often waived. Even though victims are usually not required to pay their imposters’ bills, they are often left with a bad credit report and must spend months and even years regaining their financial health. In the meantime, they have difficulty writing checks, obtaining loans, renting apartments, and even getting hired. Stealing wallets used to be the best way identity thieves obtained credit card numbers and other pieces of identification. Now more sophisticated means are commonly used: * Accessing your credit report fraudulently by posing as an employer, loan officer, or landlord and ordering a copy; * Stealing mail from your mailbox to obtain newly issued credit cards, bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, or tax information; and * Dumpster diving in your trash containers for discarded credit card and loan applications. When identity theft occurs, you need to act quickly, know what to do whom to contact, and fully understand your rights under the law. Identity theft exerts great emotional distress on its victims. Damage containment in each fraud case depends on how deeply the imposter has invaded your personal, professional and financial life. There are many preparatory actions one can take to prevent identity theft. For additional information or to obtain a copy of crime prevention circulars, contact the Crime Prevention Unit at (213) 485-3134, or visit our Web site at www.lapdonline.org and open the “Crime Prevention Tips” icon. CHIEF’S FAREWELL In closing, as I leave the Los Angeles Police Department, I want to assure the community that the citizens of this great City should have no concerns about their safety. The Department is in very good hands and will respond to all of their needs. I want to thank the City of Los Angeles for providing me a rewarding and fulfilling career which gave me the means to raise my family in the City, and accomplish so many of my personal goals. BERNARD C. PARKS Chief of Police