Happy New Year from the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. The following is the monthly update for January 2005. We hope you find the information useful. You are encouraged to continue to visit our website at www.lapdonline.org as it has recently been redesigned and updated. CHIEF’S MESSAGE The sworn and civilian men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department have worked hard and made significant accomplishments during 2004. They continued to make progress on Department goals, and have been unrelenting in their fight to make L.A. the safest big city in America. Despite the fact that the Department has not grown in sworn strength, in fact, it actually shrank by about two percent since last year, their momentum, energy, and enthusiasm has garnered additional reductions in crime and response time Citywide, illustrating their resolve and commitment to the people of Los Angeles. In looking ahead to 2005, the Department will continue to focus on our three main goals of crime reduction, counter-terrorism preparedness, and Consent Decree compliance. To reinforce the momentum of the past two years, we will continue to refine our organizational structure, as I will again reassign key responsibilities in order to increase and enhance our effectiveness. The defeat of Measure A, the half-cent sales tax increase for Los Angeles County, has not altered the need for more cops in L.A., nor has it suppressed my determination to fight for additional resources. The lesson that was learned from this Countywide ballot measure is that the majority of City voters, roughly two-thirds, understand the need for more officers, and more importantly, are willing to support tax increases to hire them. Although the City Council decided not to put a half-cent tax increase on the March City ballot, the opportunity still exists for a measure on the May ballot. I will continue the fight and encourage the political leadership of this City, particularly the City Council, to fulfill their elected responsibilities and support a new sales tax initiative. I ask each and every one of you to get behind this effort. I can’t do it alone, but together we can convince the Council, and ultimately the voters, to do the right thing. In the area of personnel enhancements, we will replace the sworn positions that we lost through attrition last year, and fill the 30 new positions allowed for in the current budget. We just began new recruit classes in October and in December, and the plans are to have monthly academy classes beginning in February 2005 through the month of June, bringing our total sworn strength to 9,244 officers, up from the current 9,095. A new recruitment campaign designed with the assistance of a private consulting firm will help with that effort. The campaign features movie trailers showing what you do as LAPD officers, and directs prospective candidates to the Department’s new recruitment website, www.joinlapd.com. Now, where will we put the new officers? Well, much is planned in the area of police facilities for 2005, including the opening of the 19th station. This new station, named Mission Area Community Police Station, is in the north San Fernando Valley and is expected to be operational between February and March, taking a substantial load off of both the Devonshire and Foothill Areas in Valley Bureau. The new and greatly improved West Valley station is also expected to open around the same time. The Hollenbeck Area station is scheduled to be replaced on the existing site. Movement of personnel out of the old facility and into leased space will occur in the spring, and demolition and construction will begin in early summer. Additionally, the 20th station, currently being referred to as the mid- city station, is in the design phase with construction estimated to begin in late summer. This new Area station will be located at Vermont Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets. Groundbreaking for the new Los Angeles Regional Crime Laboratory is scheduled for mid-January. This new $130-million facility is a joint effort between the Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and California State University, Los Angeles. It will be a state-of-the-art lab and teaching facility benefiting all three organizations. Currently in the design phase is the new Parker Center building, expected to be completed and operational in five years. This new $300-million administrative building will be located on 1st Street, across from City Hall. The new year promises to be an exciting one for all of us. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead, encouraged by the enthusiasm, dedication and skill of the men and women who protect and serve, and the civilians employees whom we rely on so much. I hope that the recent holidays were healthy and enjoyable for you and your families and I look forward to serving you in the new year. CRIME STATISTICS - YEAR END - CITY-WIDE Year to Date as of December 31, 2004 Homicide Down -0.4% Rape Down -7.7% Robbery Down -15.1% Aggravated Assault Down -12.9% Child/Spousal Abuse Down -13.7% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Down -13.6% Burglary Down -8.9% Burglary/Theft from Vehicle Down -10.2% Personal/Other Theft Down -6.6% Auto Theft Down -11.8% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL PROPERTY CRIMES Down -9.4% 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