Greetings from the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. The following is the monthly update for April 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 I have used the term “reorganization” repeatedly over the last 16 months, but for organizations that want to remain current, timely, and competitive in an ever-changing environment, flexibility and change are inevitable, and out of necessity, constant. For this Department, the current environment is one of decreased resources in the wake of the state’s budget crisis, a public that we continue to work with to build trust, and a criminal element that is resisting this Department’s more focused and assertive style of policing. There are some referendums being proposed for the November ballot that would provide a permanent source of funding for public safety. One, created by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, would initially generate approximately $165-million dollars for the LAPD by increasing the county sales tax by one-half percent, enough money to hire 1,800 officers. While that sounds great, the simple truth is, we would not be able to significantly increase the Department’s strength and add officers for at least one to two years after that referendum passes, if it passes. Despite the current resource limitations, we will not be satisfied with just holding the line and maintaining the status quo. Therefore, we must further refine and adjust the organization to run at peak efficiency, address issues of officer safety, and meet our crime reduction goals for the year. By maximizing the Department’s potential, we show you, the people, and the politicians of this City that when given more resources we will use them wisely. We also enhance the image of the Department by showing everyone that we are capable of learning from our past mistakes. To reach our stated goals of a 20 percent reduction in Part 1 crimes, a 20 percent reduction in homicides, a reduction in response time to 8 minutes Citywide, an increase of our clearance rate to 25 percent and improved officer safety, the command staff and I have identified ways to make the Department operate more efficiently. It will require change, but the changes are designed to get more officers out on the streets. The bottom line, in order to continue the momentum and continue to reduce crime, we need more bodies in blue out on the streets. To do that, we will be meeting and confering with the various unions relative to reducing, eliminating, and streamlining several organizational entities. Several other changes will directly improve operational efficiency as it relates to patrol and ultimately to officer safety. First, we will be expanding the Reserve Officer Program. Reserves are a cost efficient way to build the Department’s administrative support and operational strength. There is also now a plan to retrain and assign sworn administrative personnel to patrol positions for two days each deployment period. We will work to improve recruitment by increasing our efforts with the Magnet School, Student Intern, Explorer, and Cadet Programs. Our goal is to establish a pipeline to the Academy of the most qualified applicants available. This will put us ahead of the curve when large numbers of personnel retire around the same time. Another change will be the review of all Injury-on-Duty (IOD) cases and the I.O.D. system that is currently in place. We need to find out how many personnel who are on I.O.D. status, can be returned to patrol duties. Hopefully, with the focus on officer safety, the end result will yield fewer officer injuries and fewer I.O.D. claims, and more officers available for patrol and enhanced officer safety. To work smarter and to bring the Department into the 21st century, the command staff and I will be working to obtain and implement newer technologies to help officers be more efficient and productive. The savings in time and the increased productivity that technology purchases provide invariably pay for the initial expense. It’s smarter policing and for the average officer, a more stimulating and satisfying way to work, minimizing paperwork and increasing time in the field. We are looking to replace the aging MDTs in the patrol cars. We are close to finding a source of funding for the CopLink technology that will dramatically improve our crime reduction efforts. It will help us to substantially reduce the number of detective-hours needed to investigate crimes. As a result of the Consent Decree, the Personal Data Assistants or PDAs will soon be in use to assist in the collection of traffic stop data, eliminating hundreds of thousands of paper forms currently being completed. The Department was recently given Blackberry communication devices for all Senior Lead Officers through a donation to the Police Foundation by Cingular Wireless. The Blackberries provide cellular phone and e-mail technology. We will continue to work with the Foundation to secure additional technologies and replace aging systems, ensuring that officers will have state-of-the-art equipment and support. I will also be looking at the way the Department does things and why. Yesterday’s policies and practices may no longer meet today’s critical needs. That is why I have gone to bat over issues like the burglar alarm policy, the vehicle pursuit policy, and the priority Code-3 call changes. This Department must continually refine its tactics, procedures, and policies for the sake of efficiency, officer safety, and to protect you, the public. I am asking a lot of the men and women of the LAPD, but I have no doubt that they will deliver. By giving our maximum effort, with minimum resources, we will make the strongest case for additional support. CRIME STATISTICS - CITY-WIDE Year to Date as of April 10, 2004 Homicide Up 2.8% Rape Down -1.3% Robbery Down -13.5% Aggravated Assault Down -13.9% Child/Spousal Abuse Down -15.4% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Down -13.1% Burglary Down -8.4% Burglary/Theft from Vehicle Down -2.5% Personal/Other Theft Down -8.9% Auto Theft Down -6.1% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL PROPERTY CRIMES Down -6.1% NATIONAL POLICE MONTH – MAY 2004 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, and concurrently May as National Police Month. The Los Angeles Police Department will commemorate National Police Month with the following events that the public is invited to attend: * 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. * LAPD Memorial Ceremony on Monday, May 3, 2004, at 11 a.m. 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 honors every fallen officer who wore the LAPD badge. The public is welcome to attend this event as we remember our past heroes. * Interfaith Day of Prayer on Sunday, May 23, 2004, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 6020 Radford Avenue in North Hollywood at 5 p.m. 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. The public is invited to 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.” * The LAPD Annual Memorial Run at Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey on Saturday, June 26, 2004 beginning at 8:15 am with a series of foot races. This event helps to raise money for the LAPD Support Group. The Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club present this 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