Greetings from the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. The following is the monthly update for March 2004. We hope you find the information useful. You are encouraged 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. CHIEF’S MESSAGE What a Difference One Year Can Make I asked the men and women of this Department for a story to tell, and they delivered. Their story is the story of success, a story of the Real LAPD. I am telling it to the decision-makers, and to the communities of Los Angeles. There are very visible and positive signs that people are listening. Take for example a recent editorial in the Los Angeles Times, a newspaper that in the past has been extremely critical of the Department. The editorial titled, “A Blue Line Stretched Thin,” acknowledges that while the Department don’t have the number of cops needed, we are reducing crime, we’ve set some ambitious goals for this year, and more gang bangers are shooting at police officers. Quoting the editorial: “The city cannot tolerate attacks on its police force. Nor can the City Council abandon its efforts to hire more cops.” This positive response by one of the largest media outlets in the City truly recognizes all of the hard work performed by Department personnel in the past year. In 2003, gang-related homicides were down 30 percent. There was nearly an eight percent reduction in total gang-related Part One crimes. L.A. police officers are putting the heat on the gangs…and they don’t like it. Last year, there were forty incidents in which 84 officers were shot at… compared to 33 incidents in 2002. Eighty-four officers’ lives on the line… fortunately no police officers’ lives were lost to this mindless violence. But that 21 percent increase in shots fired at officers caught the attention of City lawmakers. The Council has increased the reward from $25,000 to $75,000, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who shoots at an LAPD officer. Another example of support comes directly from those we are sworn to protect and to serve, the people of the City of Los Angeles. More murderers are behind bars and more gang members are off the streets thanks to the community’s commitment to help the LAPD by providing information and tips, often anonymously. This is a direct result of the Department’s continued efforts, over the past year, to improve the relationships with the communities we serve. This year, we will work even harder to gain more trust and give residents a reason to be proud of “their” Department. These three examples best illustrate that the men and women of this Department have made a tremendous impact. What a difference one year can make. Focusing on 2004 we want to continue the momentum. While the goals may seem a stretch…reducing homicides by another 20 percent and Part One crime by 20 percent, I firmly believe this Department is capable of making that stretch. We will also attempt to improve clearance rates on overall Part One crime by 25 percent. We expect to reduce response time Citywide to eight minutes and to achieve full compliance with the Consent Decree. These ambitious goals will require a more assertive and focused policing style. So as officers work harder, I’ll be doing all I can to improve officer safety. There will be enhancements in tactics and training and an ongoing push to increase the ranks and get more officers on the streets. During the ongoing budget debates, the command staff and I will use the reduced crime rate to illustrate the direct economic impact gained from last year’s hard work. Based on calculations of the actual cost of crime to a city, the savings last year from our efforts in reducing homicides by 21 percent represents $462 million dollars. Add to that the reductions in rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the savings increases by another $31 million. With the goals we have set for crime reduction this year, the financial benefit to the City could be close to $1 billion dollars. That’s equivalent to the entire Police Department’s budget. With this information, the people of this City are shown that although the Police Department is one of the most heavily funded of all the City departments, it is also “the” best investment. When crime is down, the savings to a city are monumental. Many people believe that the Department can’t have an impact on crime during a poor economy. Just the opposite is true. If crime is down, the economy improves. That is why adequate funding for law enforcement is so important. The outstanding efforts of the members of this organization during 2003 have helped the Department make a dramatic impact that is being felt by all of the City’s stakeholders, many of whom are now partnering with us like never before. I will admit that the goals we have set for 2004 are ambitious, but based on the caliber of the members of this Department, the Real LAPD, I believe that these goals are attainable – and sustainable. Improved officer safety, reducing crime and fear, and improving trust and cooperation from the diverse communities we serve…our focus is to do it all in 2004. CRIME STATISTICS - CITY-WIDE Year to Date as of February 28, 2004 Homicide Down -5.9% Rape Down -2.4% Robbery Down -7.7% Aggravated Assault Down -16.7% Domestic Violence Down -20.5% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Down -14.2% Burglary Down -8.0% Burglary/Theft from Vehicle Down -2.3% Personal/Other Theft Down -9.9% Auto Theft Down -6.1% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL PROPERTY CRIMES Down -6.2% LOS ANGELES POLICE-CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT Preparations are underway for the 33rd Annual Los Angeles Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2004, 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 Kelsey Grammer, the Emmy-winning star of the current hit television series “Frasier.” Aside from just golf, this tournament serves as an LAPD open house event that features displays and demonstrations from 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 $5 and are available at all Los Angeles Community Police Stations and at the gates at the day of the event. WILLIAM J. BRATTON Chief of Police To unsubscribe from this newsletter please click on this link http://listserv.lacity.org/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=lapd_monthly&A=1