Greetings from the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. The following is the monthly update for May 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 Consent Decree Update In June of this year, we will reach the initial expiration date for the Consent Decree. At the time the City of Los Angeles entered into this agreement in June 2001, it was understood that the Decree mandated that the Department reach substantial compliance for each of the provisions as outlined in the settlement agreement. Substantial compliance for most provisions requires a 95 percent accuracy rate and must remain at that rate for two years. Now, as we approach the initial expiration date, we know that the Decree will be extended primarily due to delays in designing and implementing the TEAMS II computer systems. Because of this, we have been working with the Department of Justice since January analyzing the 18 quarterly reports submitted by the Monitor thus far to identify additional provisions that may need to be extended. Both the Department of Justice and the City believe that the Department has reached substantial compliance in over 70 percent of the individual paragraphs of the agreement. I don’t know yet what the extension will entail. That will be decided this June in Federal court. What I do know is that the Los Angeles Police Department is in far better shape than it was five years ago, and it has gained a phenomenal amount of renewed respect from those we serve and from other law enforcement organizations. This is a direct result of the hard work of the men and women of this Department. Despite continued limited resources, Department employees continue to rise to every challenge before them in a professional manner. I believe that ultimately, the Consent Decree will significantly benefit the Department. It has required us to pursue, and oftentimes create, the best practices in law enforcement. The Consent Decree has helped in numerous ways to restore and improve the reputation of the Department, while supporting our constant goal of being second to none. It also complements my desire for the Department to be as transparent as possible in all that we do, as we are a Department that has nothing to hide. In our constant search for the best practices, we are networking with other service organizations and other law enforcement agencies in unprecedented ways. This is illustrated by the partnership we forged with the County Mental Health Services in our efforts to deal with the mentally ill. As a first responder, we are no longer merely arresting away a problem, we are working with mental health clinicians toward more permanent solutions. The Consent Decree has required us to take a critical look at the way we train our officers. As a result we are focusing on practical, field-applicable training rather than solely relying on classroom instruction. The Consent Decree has also provided the opportunity for this Department to be seen frequently as innovative and a national leader in the area of law enforcement auditing. Our nationally recognized audit course is now highly sought out by other police agencies around the country, and is approved by the State of California. The Consent Decree has also given more authority to the position of the Inspector General, demanding that the civilian oversight responsibilities and critical analysis of certain Department operations be increased. We are proud of our actions and are not afraid of professional and objective outside review. Finally, funding for many critical Department issues was accelerated because of the Consent Decree. Because the issues were mandated in the agreement, money that normally would not have been appropriated, especially during lean budget years, was available for technology, equipment, training and additional personnel. Once the Department ultimately meets all of the Consent Decree provisions and is found to be in compliance, that’s not the end of it. Essential components of the agreement will remain. The Decree is about police reform and we will always be trying to make our Department more successful and admired. The auditing systems will continue. No world-class organization can remain at the top of its game without critical review and assessment driving continuous improvement in the pursuit of the best practices. I firmly believe that we can expect what we inspect. Along those lines, training – also important to best practices – will continue to be constantly refined and improved. And so will the oversight, monitoring, and investigative functions of the Office of the Inspector General to reinforce that we are a truly transparent Department. In closing I would like to share a quote from Mark Twain that I think is very applicable. “I’m glad I did it, partly because it was well worth it, but chiefly because I shall never ever have to do it again.” We at the LAPD think of the Consent Decree as we would a college diploma - hard work to achieve it, but it better prepares us for all that is to come. CRIME STATISTICS - CITY-WIDE Year to Date as of April 29, 2006 Homicide Down -14.4% Rape Down -0.7% Robbery Up 3.5% Aggravated Assault Down -13.1% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES Down -5.5% Burglary Down -9.9% Burglary/Theft from Vehicle Down -14.6% Personal/Other Theft Down -17.6% Auto Theft Down -11.8% --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL PROPERTY CRIMES Down -13.9% TOTAL PART 1 CRIMES Down -12.1% 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