Greetings from the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. The following is the monthly update for March 2006. 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 Last month, the Police Commission determined by a 4 to 1 vote that an LAPD officer’s use of force in the Devin Brown case was out of policy. In the end, I had previously reported to the Commission my determination that the officer’s use of force was in policy and recommended that finding to the Commission. Under our current system, the Commission has the authority and responsibility to make the final decision concerning policy and we must respect that decision. Because this case is so complex, and because I believe the officer and the Department have the right to directly address whether his actions rose to the level of misconduct, I have directed this case to a Board of Rights for a final ruling. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read the Police Commission’s findings and rationale on the Department’s website at www.lapdonline.org. The Command Staff, the Commission, and I are committed to helping the men and women of this Department perform their very difficult duties with the best policies, procedures, training and equipment. Additionally, we will do our best, after the fact, to fairly and comprehensively evaluate those actions. When I accepted the job to lead the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department I promised to create an environment where change would be embraced and best practices in policing would be the way we do business. We have been moving forward on a number of fronts and I want to take this opportunity to update you on several new initiatives. To move the Department toward wider deployment of TASER technology, Training Division is currently conducting a three-month field test on a vastly improved TASER device. Other law enforcement agencies around the country have moved to issuing TASERs to all field officers and have achieved dramatic results and reductions in officer involved shootings. This new TASER model that is being tested is 60 percent smaller and 60 percent lighter than the model currently in use. It can easily be worn on the belt, making it readily available to officers, reducing death and limiting injuries caused by conventional tactics. This month we will also be field testing several prototype flashlights. Based on minimum Department standards, several vendors developed prototypes that our officers will evaluate for field performance in patrol, detective, traffic, and specialized unit related functions. Once a model and vendor are selected, the Department will issue the new flashlights to officers and recruits. Speaking to training issues, new Force Option Simulators should be arriving shortly at the 19 stations and at our Department training facilities. The new state-of-the-art simulators will be installed at the stations as part of our focus on a more decentralized approach to in- service training. To update you on the Stop Stick tire deflation device training, another example of our commitment to decentralized training, every geographic Area and Traffic Division now has a trained Training Coordinator. To date, more than 3,000 officers from all 19 Areas have been trained, and each Area and Traffic Division currently has eight Stop Stick devices. Another 550 devices have been ordered from the vendor and our ultimate goal is to have a Stop Stick device in every patrol car. Because a controlled set of circumstances and a specific environment are needed, Pursuit Intervention Technique, or PIT Maneuver training remains limited to the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course in Granada Hills. Currently 1,400 officers have been trained and all recruits receive this training before they graduate. Because of recent crime-reduction successes, and our willingness to adapt to new technologies and practices, the Los Angeles Police Department is once again the organization that other agencies look to as a leader in innovative policing. As President Teddy Roosevelt said in 1906, “There is mighty little good in a mere spasm of reform. The reform that counts is that which comes through steady, continuous growth.” I am committed to doing all I can to allow our officers to police this city safely and effectively. The job is not always easy, but to remain in a leadership role, we must continue to move forward through constant reform, review and evaluation and with our eyes always on the future. CRIME STATISTICS - CITY-WIDE Year to Date as of February 25, 2006 Homicide Down -23.5% Rape Down -14.3% Robbery Up 7.8% Aggravated Assault Down -13.8% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Down -4.6% Burglary Down -13.8% Burglary/Theft from Vehicle Down -18.9% Personal/Other Theft Down -19.5% Auto Theft Down -10.0% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL PROPERTY CRIMES Down -16.0% TOTAL PART 1 CRIMES Down -13.6% 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