Greetings from the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. The following is the monthly update for November 2004. We hope you find the information useful. You are encouraged to continue to visit our website at www.lapdonline.org as it has grown to over 10,000 pages since its inception in 1998. CHIEF’S MESSAGE Any organization runs the risk of becoming dated and obsolete when it holds too firmly to its past routines and systems by not acknowledging the shifts and variations that are always present with the passing of time. This organization, however, particularly over the past two years, can no longer be accused of being outdated, as the men and women of this Department have shown themselves to be dynamic and adaptable, resulting in what can only be called the metamorphosis of the LAPD. This is not to say that we are finished, or that there will ever be a final, perfect product. However, by acknowledging change, and the willingness to adjust to it, this Department remains current, competent, and credible to those we are sworn to protect and to serve. A recent change within the Department involves the way we investigate Categorical Use of Force incidents. The Critical Incident Investigation Division (CIID) has now been deactivated. In its place is the new Force Investigation Division (FID). FID has assumed investigative responsibility for all Categorical Use of Force incidents. Since my appointment as Chief of Police, I have always believed that this Department could improve on investigations of incidents where an officer used significant levels of force. This belief was reinforced over my first year and a half as Chief, as cases filtered through the system, and I was briefed on cases where I had been present at the scene. I constantly felt that the LAPD could do a better job at both investigating these cases and presenting them. My primary concern for doing this is make sure the process is fair for everyone involved, including the community and our officers. I also believe there is no more critical issue than this one facing the Department. Under the old system, CIID and Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) investigated all Categorical Use of Force incidents. CIID was tasked with the administrative investigation while RHD handled the criminal investigation. CIID would assume overall command of the investigation and interview Department employees while RHD interviewed civilian witnesses. Because we had two different Department entities investigating one use of force, the investigations were sometimes fragmented and not completed on time. Another problem was having those conducting the “administrative” investigation take charge of the crime scene. It became apparent to me that this was not so much a failure of the men and women involved in the investigations, but rather a failure of the system. Because of these problems, I directed Deputy Chief Mike Berkow to examine all the best investigative practices nationwide and develop a new system for the Los Angeles Police Department. Deputy Chief Berkow and his staff spent several months researching the “best practices” and reached out to other departments involved in use of force investigations, including the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. In the end, what was created is the new FID. The new FID has both a Criminal Section and an Administrative Section. The Criminal Section is responsible for handling the crime scene, including interviewing witnesses and canvassing the area. The Administrative Section will be assigned to interview the involved officer or officers, and be responsible for completing a final report that will be presented to the Use of Force Review Board. In staffing both the Criminal and Administrative Sections, we have selected several of the Department’s most experienced and seasoned detectives and investigators. Both of these sections will be under one command. The goal is to provide an effective and efficient investigation process for handling Categorical Use of Force incidents. We are also working hard to redefine what type of incident is considered a “Categorical Use of Force” and then would need an FID investigation. Expect to see changes in the future in the way the Department responds to animal shootings and to non-tactical accidental discharges. In the future, we expect these investigations will be done at the divisional level, rather than requiring the comprehensive, in-depth investigation that an FID call-out will bring. Efficiency is key, especially when we have very limited resources. The use of lethal force by the men and women of this Department must always be investigated in a comprehensive and objective manner. Police officers have been given the privilege and the power of enforcing the law, and any force used must be the minimum amount necessary to control any given situation. Not only is this a Consent Decree issue, it is also the requirement of a civilized society. Our Department, the community, and every employee in this organization deserve the finest, fairest, and most timely investigation possible. I truly believe that the creation of the Force Investigation Division will meet these goals, and it will become a model for law enforcement agencies nationwide. CRIME STATISTICS - CITY-WIDE Year to Date as of November 6, 2004 Homicide Down -0.7% Rape Down -6.0% Robbery Down -15.9% Aggravated Assault Down -13.4% Child/Spousal Abuse Down -14.0% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Down -14.1% Burglary Down -9.3% Burglary/Theft from Vehicle Down -10.1% Personal/Other Theft Down -6.3% Auto Theft Down -11.8% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL PROPERTY CRIMES Down -9.3% 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