~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION

NEWS BRIEFINGS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on December 15, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner Alan Skobin stated that the LA LEY Foundation is going to be assisting the new cadet program (yet to be named) by providing scholarships to each Geographic Division and also to the top cadet in each class. This additional funding assists with getting the new program off to a healthy start.

Chief's Report – Police Chief Charlie Beck reported that, in conjunction with 25 other local agencies, LAPD is participating in the CRIME STOPPERS program which allows individuals to report information on crimes anonymously via telephone, text message or internet. Total violent crime is down by 8.4% compared to this time last year. He also said the Department currently has 9,982 sworn employees, 3200 civilian employees with 387 vacancies. Chief Beck thanked the Council for allocating funding for a new recruit class in January.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank noted that on Agenda Item 8(c), the project number should be reflected as BPC #090282B.

Report of the Inspector General – André Birotte, Jr., stated that he and Assistant Inspector General Nicole Bershon were pleased to provide an overview of their duties and responsibilities to the Inglewood Police Commission.

The Supply Procurement and Disbursement Audit was approved, however management was asked to return in February with a status report on the implementation of the recommendations proposed in the internal audit and an earlier audit of the City Controller. This audit reviewed 102 samples of purchase transactions during the Fiscal Year 2007/2008. There were no findings of misconduct in any of the transactions. However, there were areas of concern with documentation, specifically in the competitive bidding process, confirming the receipt of products, obtaining approval for orders, lack of clear policies and rules, and overall supervision.

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner Robert Saltzman stated that he would like to see a report on how the early release of prisoners due to the budget crisis will impact the Department. Commissioner John Mack was very pleased, as all Commissioners were, to participate in the Swearing-In Ceremony for Chief Beck last week. He was equally pleased to attend the Recruit Graduation where Chief Beck's son, Martin, graduated.

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger reported that Part One Crimes are down by 8.4% compared to this time last year. He also noted that the LAPD's homicide clearance rate is currently 83%, while the national average is 65%. He added that both the Hollywood and Olympic Area holiday parties are sold out, speaking to the health and morale of the Department at this time.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank stated that the Commission Investigation Division Activity Report for October, 2009, was presented for review. He noted that there will not be a Police Commission meeting on December 29 th or January 5 th . Also, Agenda Item 10(a)(1), should be corrected to reflect an Officer Involved Shooting report.

Report of the Inspector General – André Birotte, Jr., stated that a new Special Investigator will join the Office of the Inspector General in January. She is Sue Stengal, formerly with the Office of Council Member Jack Weiss.

Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger reported on the program that will replace the Law Enforcement Explorer program . The name of the new program will be presented to the Commission shortly, after it is presented to the Chief. Funding is going well. The David Bohnett Foundation, Wells Fargo, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, and Former Police Commissioner Shelley Freeman have already pledged funding, and the Dodgers and Weingart Foundation may do so in the future. The 3,000 youth involved in the program have accepted the changes and have not offered any push back whatsoever. While it is harder for the staff members to change, they have also been accepting and understanding of the need to change to a new program. When Commissioner Saltzman asked if the Department can commit to the December 31 st cut-off date with Learning for Life, Assistant Chief Paysinger stated that the relationship has basically already ended. Commissioner Skobin offered that it was the Commission that directed the Department to move away from Learning for Life to form a new, independent program.

Van Nuys Community Police Advisory Board Co-Chairs Captain Tia Morris (for Captain Bill Eaton) and Jean Sinatra presented their annual report. Captain Morris provided an overview of the area highlighting some of the gang issues along with the aggressive crime reduction goals that she and Captain Eaton have developed. Van Nuys has several active and large youth programs including Explorers (soon to be renamed), Jeopardy, and Boot Camp. They work closely with Grant and Van Nuys High Schools. Ms. Sinatra stated that the 24-member CPAB is currently focusing on three issues: pedestrian safety, youth, and the rejuvenation of Van Nuys Boulevard. They are also focusing on developing additional Neighborhood Watch groups.

Police Administrator Gerald Chaleff presented the Hunter La-Ley Consent Decree Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2008-2009 , which was approved. Mr. Chaleff stated that while this report has reflected ups and downs, in terms of promotions reflecting diversity, the overall success is very good. Commissioner Ordin asked that an additional report be submitted reflecting the information every five years. She added that this report and verbal presentation were very clear and well-done.

Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur presented the Department-Wide Training Content Inspection report, which was approved. Commissioner Skobin asked that all future reports reflect the Reserves as part of the Department's strength.

The Department's and the Inspector General's reports relative to the Ethics Enforcement Section Quarterly Report, Second Quarter, 2009 , were approved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on November 10, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner Robert Saltzman stated that he attended a meeting related to an exhibit featuring the history of the LGBT community in Los Angeles. Deputy Chief Michael Downing, Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur, Captain Bea Girmala, Captain Tina Nieto, Sgt. Lisa Phillips, and Officer Patricia Luevanos were also in attendance. He also asked the Department to report to the Commission by December 1 st on the rape kit backlog, subsequent to the Controller's audit. Commissioners Alan Skobin , Andrea Sheridan Ordin , and John Mack all attended the Police Foundation's True Blue event and praised the Foundation's outstanding work in providing financial assistance to LAPD. Commissioner Skobin commented that this was a very special event as it was held at the new Police Administration Building and it was also a farewell to Chief Bratton. Commissioners also attended various meet and greet venues with the Mayor and Chief Designate Charlie Beck.

Chief's Report – Chief Michael Downing stated that on Sunday, the first American Muslim began serving as a Department Chaplain. He was pleased to mention this historic event for the Department. Total Violent Crime is down by 9.3% compared to this time last year. There are currently 249 recruits in the Police Academy.

Report of the Inspector General – Andre Birotte presented the video public service announcement for the Office of the Inspector General. The video will be used for various public meetingsas it provides an overview of the Inspector General's responsibilities and services.

Mission Area Community Police Advisory Board Co-Chairs Captain Bill Scott and Melanie McShane presented their annual report. The Mission Area CPAB maintains three goals this year: increased community involvement, illegal vending, especially surrounding schools, and ongoing education of the CPAB members on the functions and capabilities of the LAPD. The CPAB is very involved in problem solving, and to that extent, has addressed graffiti issues in the area.

Commander Patrick Gannon presented the Department's response to City Council's Motion relative to Automated Teller Machine (ATM) security, which the Commission approved.

The Inspector General's and the Department's Quarterly Discipline Reports, Second Quarter, 2009, were approved. Six of the 20 cases reviewed by the Inspector General posed some concern. Assistant General Susan Hutson felt that more interviews could have been conducted in these cases. The Commissioners asked when the new Biased Policing Protocols would be reflected in these reports. The protocols should be reflected in the report which will be produced in April, 2010. Commissioner Mack and Ordin will follow-up on the Biased Policing issue further, as it is an important part of the Consent Decree Transition Agreement.

Captain Joan Wakefield presented the Audit Recommendation Status Report, First Quarter, 2009/2010 , which was approved by the Commission. This report highlighted the ongoing problem of a backlog of FI (Field Investigation) cards that need to be entered into the computer system. While there is an intense effort to clear the backlog, staffing issues have proven problematic. The Commission asked that this item be reviewed again by December 1.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on November 3, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner John Mack announced that the Commission would recess to attend the Mayor's press conference announcing his choice for Chief of Police. The meeting will reconvene at 12:30 pm. Commissioner Alan Skobin stated that the In-Car Video Cameras have been up and running for one week now with the South Bureau Senior Lead officers. The program is going well.

Chief's Report – Chief Michael Downing stated that he was quite honored and surprised to be named the Temporary Chief of Police. While the duration of the position is brief, he takes the responsibility very seriously. He observed Hollywood Division on Halloween night, and with the exception of just a few minor incidents, the evening went very smoothly. A very large event at the Coliseum also went well. He also reported on crime statistics which reflected homicide rates similar numbers to 1967. Total violent crime is down by 9.5% compared to this time last year. There are presently 251 recruits in the Police Academy.

Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger and Sergeant Joe Kuns presented a new youth program which would replace and improve the current Law Enforcement Explorer Program . They discussed a detailed timeline with cost estimates. The plan included branding the new program, advertising, uniforms, logistic planning, and progress monitoring. While the majority of the costs are absorbed outside of City funds, the Commissioners felt that total cost of $480,480.00 could be reduced. The Police Commission approved the transition to the new program, ending the contractual agreement with Learning for Life on before December 31, 2009, ensuring a smooth transition for all youth involved, requesting that the costs be reduced, and requesting a status report on December 8, 2009.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on October 27, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner John Mack commended management, rank and file, and the Los Angeles Police Protective League for working in unison to approve a new contract. He stated that this partnership benefits the City in many ways. He also asked the Department to work with the Protective League in addressing the issue of personnel files and records being stored inappropriately at various police locations. Commissioner Mack asked that the Department return in 30 days with corrective steps that have been taken to resolve this issue.

Chief's Report – Chief Bratton stated that it has been an honor to have worked with this Commission, as well as the previous Commission. He reported that total violent crime is down by 9.5% compared to this time last year, and down 53% compared to seven years ago. Chief Bratton was also pleased that the officers' contract was agreed upon with such a spirit of unity.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank noted that Item 8A was pulled from the Agenda, and Item 10B was continued.

Report of the Inspector General – Andre Birotte, Jr., reported that he and some of the Assistant Inspector Generals will be in Austin, Texas next week to attend and participate in the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

The Police Commissioners honored Chief Bratton with a certificate of appreciation. President Mack stated that Chief Bratton has been an outstanding Chief and simply put, has left the Los Angeles Police Department better than he found it.

The Department's and the Inspector General's reports relative to the Non-Categorical Use of Force Investigation Audit , were approved.

The report relative to Criminal Case Filing Rates of Individuals Arrested – 3 rd Quarter, 2009, was approved. Questions related to the actual filings will be addressed at a future meeting by Detective Bureau.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on October 20, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner Mack welcomed all to the new Police Administration Building and the new Police Commission hearing room. Commissioner Ordin also expressed a welcome to all and added that it was a marked improvement in terms of working conditions. Commissioner Alan Skobin visited a three day detective training symposium attended by numerous LAPD detectives, as well as those from other agencies. Commissioner Robert Saltzman stated that he was pleased to attend the most recent recruit graduation, which was also Chief Bratton's last graduation ceremony. Commissioner Saltzman also attended a panel discussion on United States/Mexico border issues and gun violence. In addition, he had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Learning for Life which allowed the understanding of diverse opinions.

Chief's Report – Chief Bratton congratulated the Commissioners on their new room. He stated that violent crime is down by 9.5% compared to this time last year. He welcomed all to attend the grand opening of the new Police Administrative Building this Saturday at 10:00 am. Detective Jeff Godown presented a brief overview of statistics.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank stated that Item C in closed session was to be continued. He thanked Police Administrative Officer Thom Brennan and his outstanding staff, Chief Information Officer Tim Riley, ITA and Channel 35 for their professional assistance in getting Commission staff situated in the new building.

Report of the Inspector General – Andre Birotte, Jr. reported that he and his staff participated in two training days, one at the Museum of Tolerance, and one at the Davis Training Facility. He thanked all who facilitated the training.

Sr. Clerk Typist Cathy Edgington , from Charitable Services Section was honored upon her retirement from the City after 25 years. Cathy's life experiences included a tour of duty in the Army, being a “flower child” of the 60's, and serving the City with total dedication and devotion.

The Commission received the presentation on the status of the Law Enforcement Explorer Program . Assistant Chief Paysinger began his presentation praising the successes and attributes of the Explorer Program. Currently, the LAPD has approximately 1,000 Explorers who are spread out in all 21 Divisions. Chief Paysinger believes that the program must continue on as it is extremely beneficial to so many youth in the community. However, the City Attorney has now opined that the City cannot continue its contractual relationship with Learning for Life due to its relationship to the Boys Scouts of America, which has a written policy outlining discrimination. Representatives from Learning for Life suggested that an arrangement could be made where the local Learning for Life that works with LAPD, could be separated from Boy Scouts of America. Commissioners commented that this arrangement would not be acceptable. Assistant Chief Paysinger was asked to return in two weeks with a specific timeline and budget to begin a new, independent youth program.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on October 6, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioners noted that this was the last Police Commission meeting to be held in Parker Center. Commissioner Andrea Sheridan Ordin offered a memory of when she was with a group of young lawyers with the State Attorney General's Office. The group visited the Parker Center jail in 1966, yet Commissioner Ordin was asked to wait outside as she was the only female in the group. She noted that much has changed since then and she was pleased that now individuals of color and women are integral components of the Department. Commissioner Robert Saltzman attended the Explorer Orientation event last Saturday morning and was very impressed with how the program is managed and how beneficial it is for the young men and women who are involved. He also stated that the City Attorney's Office has now issued an opinion on the issue of the Explorer Program, which is that it is not in compliance with City's non-discrimination policy. Approximately two years ago, the Commission asked the Department to develop programs or plans to either continue or replace the Explorer program in the event that the relationship with Learning for Life would need to be severed. Commissioner Saltzman has asked Assistant Chief Paysinger to present those options to the Police Commission at the October 20 th meeting. Commissioner Saltzman also added that this opinion is an opportunity for the LAPD to demonstrate best practices to maintain and perhaps expand on an excellent program yet stay within City guidelines. The Fire Commission is also addressing this issue with its own Explorer program.

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief James McDonnell stated that he, and other members of command staff, attended the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference in Denver, and a great deal of information was shared. The Motor Officers celebrated 100 years of service in an event over the weekend which was well-attended. He also reported that violent crime is down by 9.0% compared to this time last year.

The new Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security and Public Safety, Eileen Decker, was introduced. She stated that she was very pleased to be in her new position and that she looks forward to working with the Police Commission.

The Modification and Extension for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Interoperable Communications Technology 2003 Grant Program, was approved. This program allows the purchasing of 444 additional hand-held radios and 300 mobile radios.

The Field Training Officer Inspection report was continued. Issues raised in this report included the need for a sound system of ensuring that Field Training Officers are receiving the appropriate POST certified and mandated training. The Department will return to the Commission with a plan to reach 100% compliance in this area.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on September 29, 2009

Commissioner Comments – All Commissioners welcomed new Police Commissioner Debra Wong Yang. She stated that she was pleased to be with the Police Commission and back in the law enforcement fold. Commissioner Yang is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher's Los Angeles office. She is also a former United States Attorney for the Central District of California, as well as a former California state judge.

Chief's Report – Chief William Bratton reported that violent crime is down by 8.7% compared to this time last year. There are currently 9,982 sworn employees and the Department continues to hire. Last week, Chief Bratton was in Washington D.C. testifying before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce discussing the need for national interoperable broadband network for law enforcement.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank stated that due to the move to the new Police Administration Building, the public counter for Police Commission permits will not be open for service from October 8 th to October 13 th . Service for Police Commission permits will resume on October 14 th in the new building at 100 West First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012-4112.

Report of the Inspector General – Andre Birotte, Jr. added that he was very pleased to be working with Commissioner Yang again, as he did at the United States Attorney's Office. He also reported that the Office of the Inspector General has produced a short video which describes the activities and responsibilities of the OIG. The video is viewable on OIGLAPD.org. It will also be shown at a future Police Commission meeting.

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck and Chief Information Officer Tim Riley provided a status report on the In-Car Video project. The first set of cameras, which will be for the Southeast Senior Lead Officers, will be live on October 20th . By the end of the year, the entire South Bureau fleet of patrol cars will be functioning with cameras. A considerable amount of testing has occurred to ensure the cameras will function as desired upon roll-out. The Commissioners reiterated that this project is a priority and will continue to be monitored closely.

Commander Jeff Greer and Captain Clay Farrell outlined the staffing issues at the new Metropolitan Detention Facility. The facility is set to open on February 1, 2010, yet it will require the hiring of 100 additional Detention Officers, 81 being new positions, and 19 being current vacancies. The current budget has approved the hiring of 31 Detention Officers, still leaving the new facility significantly understaffed. The new facility embodies a pod system, whereas the old facility operates on a linear system, requiring less staffing. The Commission asked that Commander Greer and Captain Farrell return with alternate solutions on how to staff the facility including the “pay to stay” option.

Co-Chairs Cheri Uno and Captain Bill Murphy, and Assistant Co-Chair Bradley presented the Northeast Community Police Advisory Board update. This active CPAB is currently focusing on three priorities: graffiti, auto-related crimes, and surveillance cameras. To address auto-related crimes, Northeast Area Explorers place flyers on the windshields of parked cars. These flyers look like a parking citation yet they contain useful information to prevent auto thefts. Northeast has also initiated a Teen CPAB which has been very active in the prevention of drinking and driving among teens.

The Newton Area Gang Enforcement Detail Command Accountability Performance Audit was approved. Although there were some areas of concern, significant improvement has been made since previous CAPA audits at Newton.

The Inspector General's and the Department's Discipline Reports for the First Quarter, 2009, were approved. For this review, the Inspector General audited seven Domestic Violence cases and found all investigations to be complete. While the Inspector General disagreed with the adjudications on three cases, the investigations were still sound.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on September 22, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner John Mack was pleased to attend the opening of both the Regional Crime Center and the new Hollenbeck Community Police Station. He was very impressed with both facilities and added that the Hollenbeck Station embodied a strong sense of community. While Commissioner Andrea Sheridan Ordin was not able to attend the Hollenbeck grand opening, she commented that she saw it on television, and it looked remarkable. Commissioner Robert Saltzman stated that he attended the final community meeting to obtain public input on the selection of the next Chief of Police, and the public provided valuable insight. Commissioner Alan Skobin asked Executive Director Richard Tefank to put an update on the status of the In-Car Video Cameras on the agenda for next week.

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief James McDonnell reported that violent crime is down by 8.1% compared to this time last year. He also commented on the significance of the two grand openings and how important these facilities are to the Department and the community. He added that the memorial to fallen officers would be delivered shortly to the new Police Administration Building. The memorial displays the names of all LAPD officers who have died in the line of duty. Also this morning, a major task force delivered search warrants to numerous members of the Avenues Gang. Several arrests and seizures have been made so far.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank announced that Ms. Deborah Wong Yang's nomination to the Police Commission will be discussed in City Council on September 23 rd .  He also stated that due to the move to the new Police Administration Building, the public counter for Police Commission permits will not be open for service from October 8 th to October 13 th . Service for Police Commission permits will resume on October 14 th in the new building at 100 West First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012-4112.

Police Officer II Luis Garcia was named the Police Commission Employee of the Month for September, 2009. Luis is a Veteran from military service and is an outstanding employee in Commission Investigation Division. He is consistently pleasant and eager to assist co-workers in any way that he can, and he is always professional in all that he does.

Captain Ann Young provided a presentation regarding the recent Teen Community Police Advisory Board Summit at the Museum of Tolerance . Teen CPABs now exist at several community police stations and this is the first time they have all convened. The Museum of Tolerance provided a five-day intense learning experience for the 26 attending teens. All attending adults agreed that much could be learned from the teens as well. Captain Young stated that it is hoped that the teens will return to the Museum in November and then develop a program for Department-wide training.

Police Administrator Thom Brennan provided a status report on the new Police Administration Building, Metropolitan Jail, and other Police construction projects . Mr. Brennan was commended for his effort in bringing the new buildings to fruition on time and on budget. Mr. Brennan reported that once the fence came down around the new Police Administration Building, it became a public space for the community. The building will be officially opened on October 24 th , however several Divisions have already moved in. He was pleased to report that there have not been any substantial surprises, and the move is going as planned. It is anticipated that the Metropolitan Jail will be operational in the beginning of the new year. Commissioner Skobin asked if there is any clarification on the staffing issues in the jails. Assistant Chief Sharon Papa explained that some the confusion stemmed from the fact that narcotics registrants will be checking in with Police Officers in the new Police Administration Building. This does not mean that Police Officers will be taking over any other Detention Officer duties or working in the jails. She suggested that Captain Clay Farrell report to the Commission next week on the actual number of Detention Officers available to staff the Metropolitan Jail.

Inspector General Andre Birotte, Jr. presented his Follow-Up Review to the Training Evaluation and Management System II Audit . He stated that since the new Standards Based Assessment Annual Review program has been initiated, compliance for annual sworn performance review has significantly improved.

The Department's Quarterly Discipline Report, Second Quarter 2009 , was forwarded to the Inspector General for review and analysis. The term “Biased Policing” will be reflected in these reports in approximately six to nine months.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on September 15, 2009

Commissioner Comments – President John Mack invited all to the final community meeting on September 17 th , at the Kedren Center.

Chief's Report – Chief William Bratton reported that Part One crime is down by 7.5% compared to this time last year.

The Northeast Area Gang Enforcement Detail Command Accountability Performance Audit was approved. Of the five objectives, three were met with a compliance rate of 95% or better. The two objectives that were not in compliance were in the area of arrest reports and the criminal complaint process. Captain William Murphy stated that while he was pleased with the general improvements of the CAPA results, he has aggressively addressed the two objectives that were non-compliant. He immediately met with the auditing staff to discuss the findings and then met with his supervisors to ensure training of each officer. He is confident that these audit categories will greatly improve in the future.

Deputy Chief Michael Downing presented the Grant Application for the Fiscal Year 2008 Competitive Training Grant Program, which was approved. This grant funds a program which was initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department to provide cross training and intelligence gathering in Anti-Terrorism for local law enforcement agencies. The training takes place in five cities in the West Coast, and in Los Angeles, the training takes place at the Ahmanson Recruit Training Center. Deputy Chief Downing, Commander Joan McNamara, and Captain Horace Frank were all commended for their outstanding work in bringing this program to fruition.

Andre Birotte, Jr., presented the Office of Inspector General's Post-Consent Decree Tentative Audit and Review Plan. The aggressive plan outlines numerous audits that will be accomplished by the Inspector General along with the work that is now being produced. Sufficient staffing continues to be an issue in this office. The Commissioners will be visiting the Office of the Inspector General to learn of the best ways the Commission can provide assistance and support.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on September 8, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioners John Mack, Andrea Sheridan Ordin, and Robert Saltzman all participated in the Chief of Police selection community meetings last week and were impressed with the comments received thus far from the public. Commissioner Mack invited the public to attend the three remaining meetings. Commissioner Saltzman added that he observed a SWAT training session and was more than impressed with the skill and leadership displayed by the participating men and women.

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief James McDonnell announced that the 10 th Annual Women's Leadership Conference would be held on September 9 th . This event has grown every year and has become one of the Department's most significant training events. He also reported that violent crime is down by 7.7% compared to this time last year.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank reported that the Commission Investigation Division Activity Report for July, 2009, was provided for review.

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck provided a verbal briefing of the status of the DNA backlog . From the time the backlog was aggressively addressed, it has been reduced by 57%. At this time, there are now 3,266 untested DNA kits, which is down from the 7,550 kits 11 month ago. He anticipates the backlog will be gone by July of 2011. Staffing of criminalists remains a priority of the Commission and the Department, and by next year, a total of 36 criminalists will be hired.

Deputy Chief Mark Perez presented the MacArthur Park, May 1, 2007, Investigation – Disciplinary Investigation and Summary Report . In his summary, he stated that there was no delay in the investigation following the incident, the evidence collection was thorough, witnesses who did not come forward were pursued for any additional information, all officers at the incident were identified, interviews with officers were held with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the reconstruction of the incident was completed, all information was digitized, and adjudications were administered by three commanding officers.

Captain Ann Young and Sergeant Charles Dempsey provided the Semi-Annual Consent Decree Mental Illness Project Status Report – January through June 2009 . There is now a satellite office of Mental Evaluation Unit in each Bureau, which assists greatly with the Unit's ability to respond to calls for service. The computer tracking system has also been improved and the Unit continues to grow. All Commissioners agreed that the strength of the Mental Evaluation Unit was critical, even though the Consent Decree mandates are gone.

Inspector General Andre Birotte, Jr., presented his report relative to the Transition Agreement Implementation Plan . The Inspector General's Office will accept the role of monitoring the Consent Decree Transition Agreement on behalf of the Police Commission. The Inspector General will monitor and report on four main categories: biased based policing, TEAMS II financial disclosure, and gang units. The Inspector General will present a report in the future of all responsibilities related to the spirit of the Consent Decree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on September 1, 2009

Commissioner Comments – Commissioner Alan Skobin attended a meeting of the Citizens' Academy and commented on the benefits of the program. He commended the officers who teach the program and the citizens who donate their time and effort to participate.

Chief's Report – Chief William Bratton reported that total violent crime is down by 7.5% compared to this time last year. The Department is aggressively addressing the uptick in homicides in the South Bureau and flooding the area with additional resources. Chief Bratton stated that economic conditions have yet to impact overall crime statistics in Los Angeles.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank reported that the Commission offices are scheduled to move to the new Police Administration Building on October 9 th . Therefore, it is probable that there will not be a Police Commission meeting on October 13 th , and the first meeting in the new building will be on October 20 th .

Personnel Department General Manager Maggie Whelan and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Executive Director Chuck Wexler provided an overview of the Chief of Police selection process . The application window is now open until September 23 rd . There are numerous sites and associations which will distribute the job announcement. An online survey for community input has been developed and is now functioning at www.lacity.org/per until September 17th. The information from the survey, along with the input from the community meetings, will be used during the Police Commission's selection process of a new Chief of Police. It is anticipated that the Personnel Department will provide the Police Commission with at least six highly qualified candidates by October 9 th , the Police Commission will interview those candidates during the week of October 19 th . The final three candidates, ranked in order, will be forwarded to the Mayor during the week of November 16 th . While these dates are not definite, they provide a guideline which will allow a thorough yet timely selection process.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on August 11, 2009

Election of Officers – Commissioner John Mack was elected President of the Police Commission and Commissioner Andrea Sheridan Ordin was elected to the Vice President post. Both commented that it was honor to hold these positions and work with their fellow Commissioners. President Mack commented that his highest priority will be working on the selection process for a new Chief of Police, noting that the first meeting with the Personnel Department would be occurring following the meeting. He and Vice President Sheridan Ordin will be participating in that meeting and others to follow.

Commissioner Comments - Commissioner Alan Skobin met with Department staff to review the new in-car video system. He said the system was almost ready for field testing with Senior Lead Officers and stressed the system was very important to the Department and was a high priority.

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger reported that total violent crime is down by 6% compared to this time last year. He also commended the men and women of the LAPD for their part in reducing the crime in Los Angeles.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank outlined the City Charter process which will be used to select a new Chief of Police. The process is as follows: The recruitment and selection of qualified candidates for the position of Chief of Police shall be administered by the General Manager of the Personnel Department, in cooperation with the Board of Police Commissioners. The General Manager of the Personnel Department shall refer a group of at least six highly qualified candidates to the Board of Police Commissioners. After an in-depth analysis and interview of the candidates, the Board of Police Commissioners shall provide a list of three candidates, ranked in order, to the Mayor. The Mayor may select any of the three candidates or request that the Board of Police Commissioners provide another list of three candidates. The Mayor's final selection is subject to city Council approval.

Report from the Inspector General – André Birotte, Jr. introduced a new member of his staff: Special Investigator Robert Leinweber.

Pacific Area Community Police Advisory Board Co-Chairs Captain Joe Hiltner and Pat Karasick presented their annual report. Pacific Area is unique in that it is host to a large number of tourists and it includes significant attractions. The policing issues that are associated with the tourist influx are a challenge, yet Pacific handles it well. The CPAB's priority is education for the community. This is achieved through the creation of numerous Neighborhood Watch programs and an extensive networking program. Enhanced communication has been the key in creating mutually beneficial relationships with entities such as Loyola University. Pacific has a consistent number of active CPAB members who are all quite active and have dedicated themselves to numerous projects including National Night Out , Big Sunday, and the recent Pacific Open House. Youth programs are a priority at Pacific with a large cadre of Explorers and an active DAPS program. The Commissioners commended Captain Hiltner and Ms. Karasick for their outstanding work. Community members from the Pacific Area added that the Division does a good job, but would benefit greatly with additional officers.

Employee News

Special Investigator Robert Leinweber has joined the Office of the Inspector General. He worked for 31 years at the Torrance Police Department and retired as a Captain in 2005.  He has also worked as a Background Investigator at United States Investigations Services for about two and one half years before coming to the Office of the Inspector General.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chief Bratton Steps Down

On August 5, 2009, Chief William Bratton announced that he would be ending his service at the Los Angeles Police Department on October 31st. The Commissioners commended Chief Bratton on the outstanding job he has done in crime reduction in Los Angeles and turning the LAPD into a premiere law enforcement agency with a greatly enhanced relationship with the community.

Chief Bratton's resignation triggers the Police Commission's responsibility to conduct a search culminating in the appointment of a new Chief of Police by the Mayor and confirmation by the City Council. As per the City Charter, the process is as follows:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on August 4, 2009

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger reported that total violent crime is down by 5.3% compared to this time last year. He noted that homicides were up during the month of July, however, in historical perspective, the numbers were still relatively low. Commissioner Ordin commended the Department on moving officers to various locations when the need arises.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank reported that ten proposals were submitted in response to the Request for Proposals for the Hollenbeck Area Official Police Garage contract.

Report from the Inspector General – André Birotte, Jr. introduced a new member of his staff: Special Investigator David Andrews.

Inspector General Andre Birotte presented the Training Evaluation and Management System II Audit, Phase II. He reported that there was a 61 % compliance rate on the action items generated by the automated system. Commissioner Mack asked Police Administrator Maggie Goodrich what could be done to achieve a higher compliance rate. She stated that the TEAMS II system itself is fully functional and is working well, yet the training regarding the system has not been sufficient. To that end, Ms. Goodrich organized a task force to address the training issue. Additional training has now occurred in all areas and future reports should reflect compliance improvements.

Deputy Chief Mark Perez presented the Final Disciplinary Summary Report for the MacArthur Park, May 1, 2007 incident. The Commissioners expressed concern over some descriptive terms used in the report and some generalization of the event. They felt that the summary was not an adequate review to serve as the final report of the incident. The report will be resubmitted in four weeks with the different language and also with some corrections related to the discipline received.

Commander Rick Webb outlined the Disciplinary Settlement Process, which emphasizes strategy over penalty. The plan mandates that accused sworn personnel must accept the fact that they had acted against Department policy and agree to not violate that policy again. While this plan is initially less stern, it does not allow for third, fourth, or fifth chances.

Employee News

Special Investigator David Andrews has joined the Office of the Inspector General. David joined LAPD in September, 1990. He worked patrol for the most part with stops in CRASH and CECATS. He served as a Field Training Officer in Foothill Division, then promoted to Sergeant I at Central Division. He retired as a Sergeant in 2005. He then worked private investigation for a firm specializing in insurance fraud and workers compensation cases. Welcome, David!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on July 28, 2009

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger reported that total violent crime is down by 5.6% compared to this time last year. Chief Paysinger commended the Central Homicide team who worked diligently in quickly identifying and apprehending the suspect in the murder of Lily Burk. He added that this extraordinary work was a good example of what all LAPD personnel are capable of when the need arises.

Report of the Executive Director – Richard Tefank reported that the Commission Investigation Division Activity Report for June, 2009, was included in the Commissioners' packages for review. He also met with Controller Wendy Greuel to discuss the status of two audits involving Police Commission functions.

Report from the Inspector General – André Birotte, Jr. thanked Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur, Captain John Incontro, and Sgt. Stacy Lim for a special training session for Inspector General staff on the new Use of Force policy.

Co-Chairs Captain Joe Curreri and Vicki Burch presented the annual report from the Foothill Area Community Police Advisory Board. Captain Curreri outlined the significant decrease in gang activity in Foothill due to a concentrated effort, however gangs continue to be of concern in the area. He discussed several successful programs in Foothill, including a Predator Apprehension Detail, Jeopardy, a program where CSUN students tutor at-risk youth, and an active Explorer program. Ms. Burch stated the CPAB currently has 47 members and is always looking for new members. They work closely with the Area Senior Lead Officers and Neighborhood Prosecutor on various quality of life issues. They have been working on the Zero Waste Program with the Department of Public Works, setting up new Neighborhood Watch programs, and they have an active Youth CPAB program. This year, for National Night Out, Foothill will be hosting four events.

Police Administrator Thom Brennan presented an update on police facility construction projects. At this time, the only remaining project to be completed is the Police Administration Building, which will be ready for moving-in on September 8 th . Mr. Brennan introduced members of his staff who are responsible for the phenomenal job of delivering these large construction projects: Sgt. Pat McAree, Grace Hsieh, Officer Chris Carson, Juana Riley and Bill Dolan.

Deputy Chief Richard Roupoli, Sgt. Matthew MacWillie, and Assistant City Attorney Terry Martin Brown outlined the status of the City's contract for Photo Red Light services. Currently, Nestor, Inc., the company which the City contracts with, has filed for Receivership, meaning that a court appointed Receiver will be operating the company to either prepare to sell the company or liquidate assets. During this transition, the installed cameras are functioning and being maintained as usual. Nestor's contract expires in 2011. Commissioner Skobin suggested, and the Commission approved, that the Request for Proposals process begin now as a precautionary measure, although the RFP will not be released without further action.

The Commission approved the selected vendor, Cel Mark, for the Valley Bureau Wireless Camera Surveillance System.

Employee News

Management Analyst II Teresa Espinoza has joined Commission Investigation Division's Advocate Section. She has been with the City for 24 years and has spent most of her career as a Crime Analyst at the Police Department.  Her last assignment was at Force Investigation Division where she was an auditor in the Administrative Section.  She has also worked in the Investigative Support Unit preparing Power Point presentations for the Use of Force Board and Police Commission depicting Categorical Use of Force incidents

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on July 21, 2009

Commission Comments – Commissioner John Mack commended all command staff, rank and file, and everyone involved in the successful completion of the Federal Consent Decree. He stated that it was a challenging eight years that has resulted in the LAPD being an agency for others to follow. While extraordinary progress has been made, work still remains, which will fall on the Inspector General and Police Commission to monitor. He thanked Inspector General Andre Birotte, Jr. and Police Commission Executive Director Richard Tefank for all the work they have and will do regarding the Consent Decree. Commissioner Andrea Sheridan Ordin added her congratulations to the Department for a job well done, yet work still remains to be done.

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief James McDonnell also thanked all for the outstanding work on the Consent Decree. He and Chief Bratton met with United States Attorney General Eric Holder while he was in Los Angeles last week. Attorney General Holder was particularly interested in and commended the relationships that LAPD has developed and maintained with other agencies to maximize public safety. He reported that violent crime is down by 5.8% compared to this time last year.

Report from the Inspector General – André Birotte, Jr. followed up on the theme that was presented at the press conference commemorating the closure of the Consent Decree: the critical and monumental work done by individuals behind the scenes. While Mr. Birotte normally stays away from the limelight by design, he took the opportunity to take note of the work accomplished by the team at the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In the past eight years, the OIG has prepared more than 1,400 case reviews, taken more than 1,600 complaints, produced 30 Quarterly Discipline Reports, reviewed and provided analysis on 870 Categorical Use of Force cases, and prepared 130 audits and audit reviews for the Police Commission. He feels that the work of the OIG team speaks for itself and has obviously earned the trust of Judge Gary Feess, the judge overseeing the Consent Decree, who placed significant responsibility on the Office of the Inspector General to continue monitoring the LAPD's adherence to the Consent Decree. Mr. Birotte thanked his team for their extraordinary work in the past and for their work in the future.

All items, including the Amendment to the Annual Audit Plan, Fiscal Year 2008/09 and Notice Regarding the Annual Audit Plan, Fiscal Year 2009/10, the Quarterly Status Report, Fourth Quarter, Fiscal Year 2008/09, and the Request for Approval of Letter of Agreement – Oak Tree Gun Club were approved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission meeting on July 14, 2009

Commission Comments – Commissioner Robert Saltzman stated he was pleased to observe the planning and execution of the arrangements of the Michael Jackson memorial service. He commended the Department on a job well-done. Commissioner Andrea Sheridan-Ordin complimented Central Area detectives on the arrest stemming from the double murder which occurred on Skid Row on Easter weekend. She also reminded all of the work that HALO continues to do in the area along with the lawyers who volunteer their services on a regular basis to assist individuals in the area. The free legal assistance that is provided to Los Angeles Skid Row residents was reported in the national magazine, American Lawyer . Commissioner John Mack added his compliments to the LAPD for the flawless planning of the Jackson memorial service.

Chief's Report – Assistant Chief James McDonnell also commended officers and the entire City family who worked the Jackson Memorial service and added that an event such as this usually takes many months to plan, yet this was done in less than four days. He was pleased to report that the first roll call in the new Hollenbeck station occurred over the weekend and the officers of Hollenbeck are very grateful for the new station. He closed by stating that violent crime is down by 5.6% compared to this time last year. 

Report from the Inspector General – André Birotte, Jr. also observed the planning and execution of the Jackson memorial service and was impressed with the Department's performance. He recently joined an Urban Roundtable discussion organized by Earl Ofari Hutchninson and was pleased to share a dialogue with attending community members.

Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese, Captain Phillip Tingirides, and Commander Michael Williams outlined the Operations New Horizon program which is an Area-specific plan to target gang activity. Captain Tingirides discussed the most recent Operations New Horizon program which took place in Southeast Area last week. The “Bounty Hunter” gang in Nickerson Gardens was targeted for a two-day operation. Search warrants were issued resulting in significant narcotics seizures and 21 felony arrests and 53 misdemeanor arrests. Commander Williams stated that there have been nine Operations New Horizon events throughout the city this year. The successful program has resulted in a total of 353 arrests. While the program successes are shared with each Area, Commanding Officers develop their own plan to suit gang activity in their Area.

Captain Joan Wakefield and Sr. Management Analyst Kate Reyes-Moore presented the Hunter - La Ley Quarterly Reports for the first and second quarters of fiscal year 2008/2009. While the reports were approved, there was much discussion regarding the figures not meeting the goals in some categories. Overall, the Department is doing well, and generally serves as a mirror to the City's ethnicity mix, yet there are somewhat significant fluctuations during each quarter. Ms. Reyes-Moore explained how the numerical goals change each year based on a numerical calculation.

Inspector General Andre Birotte outlined his review of the Department's Complaint Form 1.28 Investigations Audit, Phase II, fiscal year 2008/2009 . He stated that 24 investigations were randomly reviewed for compliance in 32 objectives. The result was 95% compliance.

Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur, Commander Rick Webb, and Captain Scott Sargent presented the new Use of Force Policy – Revised . The new policy is quite clear, concise, and enables the officer to avoid hesitation to act within policy. The new policy also requires officers to articulate their justification in using force by not using standard phrases, such as aggressive and combative. The new policy allows each case to be viewed with its unique circumstances. The learning component is being implemented and is being rolled out on several levels including a Code 20 video, E-Learning, and simulation training. The new document will also be a clear definition of the Department's policy that is readily available for the public. All were thanked who worked on the new policy including Commissioners Skobin and Pacheco.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on March 31, 2009

Commissioner Pacheco reminded all of the upcoming Police Commission community meeting at the Galen Center on the University of Southern California campus.  The meeting will be on April 7th, at 6:30 pm.

Commissioner Comments - Commissioner Robert Saltzman commented that he was pleased to be able to attend the most recent police recruit graduation.  He also stated that was very saddened over the fatal hit and run incident at the University of Southern California over the weekend.  He met with Deputy Chief Albanese following the incident and attended the press conference to ask for the public's help in identifying the driver of the fleeing vehicle.

Report of the Chief - Chief William Bratton reported that crime continues to decline in Los Angeles. Overall violent crime is down by 4.9% compared to this time last year, and overall gang-related crime is down by 11.4%.  Last week, he attended the Police Executive Research Forum's annual conference where presentations were offered on the grant opportunities available to law enforcement.  He was also pleased to attend the swearing-in ceremony for United States Attorney General Eric Holder while he was in Washington D.C.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank stated that the February 2009 activity report from Commission Investigation Division was included in the Commissioners' packages for review.  He also reminded the public that there would be no regular Police Commission meeting on April 7th , as the community meeting will take place that evening.

Ms. Veronica Toledo and Mr. Nick Rath from Los Angeles Unified School District, along with Captain Jim Miller presented an outline of the Juvenile Impact Program (JIP), also known as the “Boot Camp.”  This 12-week program for at risk youth and their parents has thrived since 2001.  It is a para-military style training course for youth that encourages strong self discipline to the youth while also training the parents on issues such as conflict reduction and negative peer associations.  Approximately 500 youth have completed the program with notable differences in their lifestyles.  While co-presented by the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Police Department, it is made operational through grants from the Police Foundation and the Weingart Foundation.  Commissioner Saltzman offered to assist in any way he could to obtain funding for the program.  Commissioner Pacheco stated that he was quite impressed with this program.  After seeing a graduation and the dramatic transformation in so many lives, he commended all who have made this significant positive impact on the City's future by working with these students.  All Commissioners were invited to attend and observe the next JIP session which will begin on April 11th, at 8:00 am in the Quad Area of the Van Nuys High School.

Police Administrator Rhonda Sims-Lewis presented the report relative to the number of sworn officers filling civilian vacancies.  After conducting a review of all positions where some civilian work is being conducted by sworn personnel, she reported that there are 65 sworn personnel who are currently working desk jobs, however they are fully able to be placed in the field.  She obtained this number by looking at sworn personnel who are working civilian positions on a full and part time basis.  For the future, it is possible that this number will increase as the civilian hiring freeze is not expected to be lifted and the only current positions that are not frozen are Detention Officers and some Scientific Investigation Division positions.  Ms. Sims-Lewis added the furloughs are being discussed as a means of addressing the budgetary shortfall.

Commissioners applauded the efforts of Commander Rick Webb and Captain Carol Aborn for their work in completing the Revised Policy Prohibiting Racial Profiling.  The policy was approved.

Commander Stuart Maislin and Captain Carol Aborn presented the Revised Code Three Response Policy.  The revised policy changes consist of giving the officers the discretion to respond to a call Code Three, multiple units can now respond Code Three, “Assistance” calls are eliminated, and now serious crimes can be responded to Code Three, not just violent crimes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on March 24, 2009

Commission President Anthony Pacheco opened the meeting with a moment of silence in remembrance of the Oakland Police Department officers who lost their lives in the line of duty over the weekend: Sgt. Mark Dunakin, Sgt. Ervin Romans, Sgt. Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege.

Commissioner Comments - Commissioner Robert Saltzman commented that he attended the Shomrim Society's Installation Banquet where fellow Police Commissioner Alan Skobin and Assistant Sheriff Paul Tanaka were honored.  He added that Commissioner Skobin has been promoted to the rank of Chief in the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Reserves.

Report of the Chief - Assistant Chief Sharon Papa reported that crime statistics continue to trend downwards, with the exception of robbery, which is 2.5% higher than at this time last year.  She added, that in honor of the Oakland officers, a contingent of LAPD officers will be present at the memorial service this Friday.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank reminded all that there would not be a regular Commission meeting on April 7th, as the Commission will be holding a community meeting at 6:30 pm on that evening, at the Galen Center at the University of Southern California.

Report of the Inspector General - Andre Birotte was pleased to participate in the Captain Mentoring Program and share information to the new captains about the functions of his office.  He also introduced Dave MacIntosh and Gregory Sims from the Jamaican Police Civilian Oversight Authority, who are here to observe police oversight bodies throughout the United States.

Captain Joan Wakefield and Police Performance Auditor Erin Kenney presented the Department's report relative to the Categorical Use of Force Systems Audit.  The most notable decrease in compliance from the previous year was regarding submission of Categorical Use of Force reports to the Commission 60 days prior to statute.  However, this is a low risk issue due to the substantial management controls and oversight for the process.  Captain Chris Pitcher added that now that the home garaging authorities have been removed for his detectives, he fears that he will not be able to maintain compliance should there be three or more incidents within a 24 hour period.  In addition, budgetary issues with other entities are beginning to negatively impact the timeliness of the reports.

Commander Rick Webb reviewed the Initiation of Complaints Audit.  The audit, which used a sample of 1,395 complaints taken from July 1, 2008 to September 30, 2008, found the Department to be in compliance with Paragraph 74 of the Consent Decree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on March 17, 2009

Report of the Chief - Chief Bratton reported on crime statistics which continue to trend downwards.  He announced the promotions of Commander Kirk Albanese to Deputy Chief, Captain Jeff Greer to Commander, and Captain Dennis Kato to the Commanding Officer position at Metropolitan Division.  Captain Kato will be the first Asian American to lead Metropolitan Division.  Chief Bratton joined the Mayor for a visit to Washington D.C., where he met with Department of Justice officials regarding Consent Decree issues along with the possibility of Los Angeles receiving federal funding for the in-car video cameras.  He asked the Commission to provide its support for this effort.  He reported that the financial disclosure component of the Consent Decree will begin in the next deployment period and that periodic updates will be provided to the Commission.

Report of the Inspector General - Andre Birotte stated that he continues to work on staffing issues and he was pleased to announce that he was able to obtain an exception to the freeze for a Senior Clerk Typist position.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank sadly reported on the passing of Commission Executive Assistant Darlene Goya.  Ms. Goya had a long and courageous battle with cancer.  She had served the City for 28 years, the last year and a half being at the Police Commission.  She is survived by her husband Tom, son Kyle, and daughter Katlyn.  Her services will be this Saturday at the Calvary Chapel South Bay in Gardena.  Commissioner Ordin added that while the Commissioners were only able to know Darlene for a short time, they will deeply miss her hard work, dedication, and beautiful smile. 

Commissioner Ordin asked an update from the Ombudsman regarding ongoing projects in terms of improving workplace issues.  Commissioner Pacheco added that he and Commissioner Mack will work with City leaders in the prioritization of federal grants.

Chief Information Officer Tim Riley provided a status report of the Digital In-Car Video System.  Phase One, or the pilot phase, includes the use of cameras in all cars of the South Bureau.  At this time, cameras have been installed in all South Bureau cars and the stations have been prepped to receive the feed from the cars.  While the project is taking longer than expected, it is now going well and all of South Bureau should be operational by the early fall.  The Commissioners asked to each have a demonstration of the cameras in use when the time is suitable.

Executive Director Richard Tefank presented the report relative to the Controller's Review of Auto Impound Contracts at the Los Angeles Police Commission.   The only unresolved issue in the report is the inclusion of processing fees from the lien sales of vehicles. Commission staff is awaiting the opinion of the City Attorney to determine if these fees should be included in the audit, or not. Staff will continue to work on this remaining issue.  The report was approved for transmittal to the Office of the City Controller.

The meeting was closed in memory of Darlene Goya.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on March 10, 2009

Commissioner Comments - Commissioner Robert Saltzman noted the poignant and fitting memorial service for Deputy Chief Kenny Garner and thanked the staff who worked so hard to make it possible.  He then introduced his special guests, father-in-law Webster Pierce and nephew Kyle Pierce. Mr. Webster Pierce is the former Mayor of Buchanan, New York. Commissioner Saltzman also asked Mr. Tefank to work with the Department in identifying possible opportunities in the Federal stimulus package. In addition, he would like updates on the status of the special order related to back up assistance calls, and also on the Task Force 800.

Commissioner Anthony Pacheco reminded the audience of issues to be addressed at upcoming Police Commission meetings: March 24 – status of in-car video cameras, and April 14 – status of personnel complaints from the MacArthur Park May Day, 2007 incident. Commissioner Pacheco also asked for a report on the status of off/duty and retired officers working on film productions.  He also invited the public to join the Police Commission for its next community meeting on April 7th at the Galen Center at USC. 

Commissioner John Mack asked that the in-car video camera item be continued to a later date as he will not be present at the March 24th meeting and he is very interested in the topic.

Report of the Chief – Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger also thanked staff and especially Commander Kirk Albanese who worked on the fitting tribute to Deputy Chief Kenny Garner.  He reported that part one crime is down by 7% compared to this time last year.

Report of the Inspector General – André Birotte stated that he was pleased to speak at a Public Defenders Association meeting, and that he continues to work on achieving and maintaining appropriate staffing levels in his office.  Commissioner Saltzman offered to join Commissioner Ordin in supporting that effort.

Southeast Community Police Advisory Board Co-Chairs Captain Phillip Tingerides and Theresa Martinez presented their annual report to the Commission.  This CPAB has been very successful in combining cultures and achieving large audiences for their meetings.  They attribute some of their success to the fact that they hold their meetings in a church and the pastor announces the meetings to the entire congregation. Captain Tingerides stated that the Southeast Area has been transformed, as there have been significant drops in crime.  Quality of life issues, such as illegal dumping and poor lighting are being aggressively addressed.  Juvenile programs, including Jeopardy, are stronger than they have ever been.  These accomplishments have been made due to enhanced relationships with the community and other agencies. Commissioner Pacheco reiterated Southeast's successes by saying that the Area is a model of the “new LAPD,” and complimented the Co-Chairs for their outstanding work.  Ms. Martinez closed by adding that in memory of Deputy Chief Kenny Garner, the Southeast CPAB donated $517 to the 77th Street Jeopardy program.

The Department's Internal Investigations-Unlawful Search Follow-Up Report as presented by Commander Richard Webb was approved.  As is the case with biased policing complaints, there is a new format used in investigating these cases.  Commander Webb was complimented on his proactive approach.  Commissioner Skobin was pleased that the availability of the Legal Source Book has been helpful and he thanked Assistant Chief Paysinger for making that possible.

Captain Dennis Kato and Lieutenant Robert Arcos presented the 2008 K-9 Platoon Annual Summary Report.  They are working on the possibility of camera and audio transmitters for the dogs.  Commissioners Mack and Skobin will be working more closely with the K-9 Unit. Commissioner Pacheco asked that the K-9 Unit return to the Commission with a full report on the incident involving the rescue of a Autistic young girl using the dogs.

Employee News

Management Aide Rangi Gnanapragasam has joined Charitable Services Section.  Rangi has been part of the City family for twenty- two years and has worked at the Department of Public Works, Recreation and Parks Department and the Police Department, including West Traffic Division and Valley Traffic Division.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on March 3, 2009

Vice President John Mack opened the meeting expressing the Commission's deepest sympathy to the family of Deputy Chief Kenny Garner following his untimely death.  All Commissioners shared their esteem and appreciation for Deputy Chief Garner, not only as an outstanding representative of LAPD, but as an outstanding person. He was as devoted to the needs the community as he was the Department, and managed to benefit both effectively.

Report of the Chief - Chief William Bratton reiterated the Commissioners' sentiments regarding Deputy Chief Kenny Garner saying that his death is an enormous loss for both the LAPD and the community. Deputy Chief Garner made significant contributions in all areas where he served, one of which was Personnel Group, where he was responsible for the growth in the number of sworn personnel.  Chief Bratton also reported on crime statistics which reflect a 1.7% drop in overall violent crime compared to this time last year.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank reported that the Commission Investigation Activity Report was included in the Commissioners' packages for review.

The Commission approved the awarding of 16 sworn personnel with the Medal of Valor, for outstanding heroic, life-saving acts. Commissioner Mack stated that these awards will be presented on May 28th, at an inspiring ceremony at the Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Complex.  Commissioner Skobin added that these individuals faced extreme situations with amazing courage, and that is what he has come to know of all LAPD officers on a daily basis.

The Proposed Request for Proposal for the Hollenbeck Area Standard Duty Towing and Storage Services Official Police Garage Contract was approved for transmittal to the Mayor and City Council.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Los Angeles - The decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to deny the Los Angeles Police Protective League's motions to prevent the implementation of Financial Disclosure was not unexpected.

The Los Angeles Police Department will fulfill its obligation, under the Consent Decree, to fully implement Financial Disclosure within the next 30-days.  During that time, personnel who will be affected by Financial Disclosure will be fully briefed on the new policy and procedures that will need to be followed to ensure full compliance with the Consent Decree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Police Commission Statement Regarding Financial Disclosure Ruling

Los Angeles - Police Commission President Anthony Pacheco issued the following statement today regarding the Ninth Circuit, United States Court of Appeals, decision on the financial disclosure of police officers in specialized units:

“I am pleased that the Ninth Circuit upheld the decision of US District Court Judge Gary Feess.  The Police Commission now looks forward to the implementation of this procedure, meeting the mandates of the Consent Decree.  This is one of the last areas of non-compliance and we look toward its full and timely implementation.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on February 24, 2009

Report of the Chief - Chief William Bratton reported on the crime statistics which reflect a 5.4% decrease compared to this time last year
in Part One crime. 

Report of the Inspector General - André Birotte stated that he was honored to lecture to a class at Loyola Law School last week about his role at the Police Commission.

The Executive Director's and the Department's reports related to the Department's Efforts Regarding the Prevention of Biased Policing and the Response from Analysis Group to the ACLU of Southern California Report Entitled, “A Study of Racially Disparate Outcomes in the Los Angeles Police Department,” were approved. 

Executive Director Richard Tefank reported that he and Commissioner Saltzman had met with Department staff to discuss the level of training time that is now devoted to the prevention of biased policing, along with the TEAMS II component.  Commissioner Saltzman was complimentary of the staff who has been working on this difficult project and asked for a briefing for the public record.  Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur stated that now, the prevention of biased policing is infused throughout Academy training instead of a one-hour time block.  For in-service personnel, e-learning has been used since 2006. 

Much emphasis has been placed on investigating the post-stop activity, not just the pre-stop intentions. This kind of investigation provides a more complete review of the incident.  Police Administrator Maggie Goodrich added that she is working on having information from arrest reports added to officers' TEAMS II reports. 

Commander Rick Webb stated the Special Order regarding the use of the term “Biased Policing,” is either being distributed Department wide or will be shortly.  All Commissioners expressed their gratitude for the progress made and attention paid to this issue by Department staff.  Commissioner Pacheco concluded by stating that the Department and the Commission have taken tangible steps in striving for fair and impartial policing in Los Angeles.  In doing so, LAPD is becoming a model in identifying and implementing training to address biased policing.  He added that the Department is now in a place that it has not been before in terms of self-analysis for best practices, and the systems are in place to move forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on February 17, 2009

Report of the Chief - Chief William Bratton reported on the crime statistics which reflect a 5.4% decrease compared to this time last year in Part One crime.  Gang-related crime is down by 9.7%. Recruitment is going well as LAPD continues to hire even during economic tough times. He also commented that he would be traveling to Washington D.C. later in the month to meet with the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napoliteano.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank noted that agenda item #7E has been pulled from the agenda.

Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security Arif Alikhan and Deputy Mayor of Gang Reduction and Youth Development Reverend Jeff Carr presented the Gang Strategy Initiatives for prevention, intervention, suppression, and re-entry.  It is agreed that the suppression component of gang control is already in place and emphasis needs to be placed on the prevention aspect along with the re-entry time when individuals are released from custody.  The Initiatives target areas based on gang crime statistics and use the Community Law Enforcement and Recovery (CLEAR) model, which is an inclusive approach combining multiple agencies along with the community itself.  There are currently eight models throughout the City, with plans to add three more.  The statistics are positive thus far as the gang-related crime is lower in the model areas.  Funding for these programs is from Federal grants along with revenue from the General Fund.  Reverend Carr stated that Requests for Proposals for prevention and intervention programs will be out by April 1.  L.A. Bridges is being slowly phased out.  This summer, there are plans to expand the Summer Night Lights program from eight to 15 sites, as it was very successful in providing alternatives to gang activities.  While budget issues are difficult, the Mayor has committed to these programs and they are ensured a future.

Assistant City Attorney Bruce Riordan outlined the City Attorney's Gang Prosecution Plan.  So far, 20 individuals have applied for a gang removal petition, and one has been successful.  Applications are being distributed widely, including when an injunction is served.  It was suggested that Community Relations staff could assist in getting applications out also.

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck reviewed the status of the DNA processing backlog.  Commissioner Saltzman commended Chief Beck on his commitment to providing as much information to the public as possible and on the successful first meeting of the DNA Task Force.  He attended the meeting and felt that it was inclusive and productive.  Deputy Chief Beck dedicated 50 detectives and 2,000 hours to review the contents of 7 freezers containing 53,368 items of DNA evidence.  Of those items, 11,077 are sexual assault kits.  And of that number, 6,132 kits have not been analyzed.  Deputy Chief Beck is now in the process of prioritizing the sexual assault kits, however all kits will be analyzed.  To further assist the analysis process, processing of the DNA backlog is now a COMPSTAT item.

Police Administrator Yvette Sanchez-Owens and Deputy Chief Charlie Beck outlined the status of the Latent Print Task Force.  Five print examiners have been relieved of their duties and their work for the last three years is being re-examined.  At this time, one third of their work has been reviewed with no variations in outcome.

Captain Kevin McClure reported on the Hunter-La Ley Quarterly Reports for the first and second quarter of fiscal year 2008/2009.  Improvements have been made in reaching promotional goals.  The Hunter-La Ley Consent Decree will now be tracked as part of COMPSTAT.

Inspector General Andre Birotte presented the Complaint Investigations Audit for fiscal year 2008/2009.  He commented that the audit revealed that there are always areas of concern, but he was pleased overall with the outcome.

Captain Gregory Allen presented follow-up information regarding TDD Devices and Video Phones for Hearing Impaired.  He reported that the Department has ordered 10 TDD devices and 25 video phone devices.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on February 3, 2009

Commissioner Comments -  Commissioner Anthony Pacheco expressed the Commissioners' concern for Officer Tony Razo, Hollenbeck Division, who was shot and injured during an off-duty assault.  He wished Officer Razo a speedy and full recovery.

Report of the Chief - Chief William Bratton reported on the crime statistics which reflect a 2.9% decrease compared to this time last year in violent crime.  He noted that gang crime is down by 2.7%, but is down by 32.9% compared to 2002.  He joined the Mayor and Commissioner Pacheco to present the Gang Initiatives, which is a multi-agency, and multi-discipline approach to the issue of gangs in Los Angeles.  Upon invitation, Chief Bratton and Deputy Chief Mike Downing traveled to Jordan and met with King Abdullah to discuss anti-terrorism efforts.  On that same topic, the Department will be sending a delegation of officers to Mumbai, India in the near future. Chief Bratton concluded by introducing Rigoberto Lizarraga, the community member who pursued the vehicle that hit the mother and two children in a crosswalk. Mr. Lizarraga safely obtained the license plate number of the fleeing vehicle and gave it to the police, leading the way to the suspect's arrest.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank noted that the grand opening for the new Police Administration Building will be on Saturday, November 7th.

The Commission acknowledged the Los Angeles Police Foundation's generous support of several important programs and projects, including the Harvard research proposal entitled, “Improving Policing Under a Consent Decree: A Case Study of the LAPD.”  Due to the delay in actual presentation of donations to the Commission for approval, the Department was asked for a status report of all pending donations.  All agreed that the Harvard study will be a valuable tool in assessing the value of the Consent Decree.

Captain Kris Pitcher presented the Department's 2008 Officer Involved Shooting Report.  There were 42 Officer Involved Shootings in 2008, compared to 50 in 2007, 46 in 2006, and 48 in 2005.  Captain Pitcher attributed the increased number of hits versus non-hits with the enhanced level of training.  The most prevalent days for an Officer Involved Shooting continue to be Thursdays and Saturdays, however there is no immediate reason as to why this is the case. While the statistic of a 500% increase in off-duty shootings appears alarming, it is actually the number five, as opposed to zero off-duty shootings in 2007. Commissioner Pacheco praised Captain Pitcher and his staff in the quality of the Use of Force reports received and reviewed by the Commission.

Police Administrator Sue Gordon outlined the issue of sworn officers performing functions of vacant civilian positions within the Department. She stated that a survey has been sent out Department-wide to obtain the number of vacant civilian positions that could be filled by sworn personnel.  She has received approximately one-third of the surveys back and plans to return to the Commission when she has all surveys and can provide accurate numbers.

Employee News 

Commission Executive Assistant I Maria Silva has joined the Police Commission staff.  Maria has been with the City for 14 years and has worked at Community Development Department, LAPD's Public Information Office, and the Department of Water and Power.

Community Police Aides Melissa Infante and Dennis Bennett are both assisting in the Commission office. Melissa joined the program in 2006 and has worked at Southeast and Harbor Divisions. She plans to work with at-risk youth.  Dennis also began the program in 2006 and has worked at Southwest and 77th Street Divisions.  Dennis plans to be an LAPD officer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on January 27, 2009

Commissioner Comments - Commissioner Andrea Sheridan Ordin reported that she was pleased to be in Washington D.C. during the Presidential Inauguration.  Commissioner Alan Skobin reported that there has been a strong outpouring of support from both officers and the public for the creation of the Purple Heart or Purple Shield Award by the Police Commission.  He stated that there has been more spontaneous support for this project than any other issue he has been involved with over the past 5 1/2 years.  Commissioner Robert Saltzman welcomed back Commissioners Mack and Ordin after their trips.  Commissioner John Mack stated that it was nice to be back after both his health challenges and after having the opportunity to witness history at the Presidential Inauguration.

Report of the Chief - Assistant Chief James McDonnell commented on the LAPD's participation in the 2009 Global Law Enforcement Torch Run, which is a component of the Special Olympics. He apologized for the temporary glitch in the COMPSTAT system as it is being re-tooled to accommodate the two new stations.  Crime statistics will be available next week.  Chief McDonnell and Commissioners again commented on the success of the first LAPD Martin Luther King Breakfast held at USC prior to the Kingdom Day Parade.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank noted that the verbal presentation relative to the Department's 2008 Officer Involved Shootings, is continued for one week.  Also, the report relative to Revocations and Updated Home-Garaging Authorities - Fiscal Year 2008/2009, was removed from the agenda.

Report of the Inspector General - André Birotte, Jr. commented that he is continuing his effort to keep the level of staffing up in the Office of the Inspector General during the current fiscal difficulties.

The Police Officer Selection Process was presented by Assistant Chief Sharon Papa, Commander James Cansler, and from the Personnel Department, Chief Personnel Analysts John Dunlop and Gail Thomas, and Assistant General Manager Gloria Sosa.  Details were given on the numbers of individuals who apply to be a police officer, and at what stages they are eliminated, if at all.  The ethnic and gender breakdown was also provided at each stage.  Concern was expressed over the number of females who do not pass the physical evaluation.  The issues of “late hires” was also raised, meaning that individuals are told that they are hired on a Friday and need to start on Monday.  Acknowledging these issues, the hiring process is still going very well.  The Personnel Department has become the first non-law enforcement agency to offer a hiring process which is POST certified.  A follow-up report addressing some of the issues raised will be presented in the near future.

Assistant Inspector general Susan Hutson and Commander Rick Webb reviewed the Inspector General's and the Department's Discipline Report for the 3rd Quarter, 2008.  For this report, the Inspector General looked at Racial Profiling, or Biased Policing, cases.  Since the Commission's approval of the Biased Policing Investigation Protocols, Ms. Hutson noticed improvement in the quality of investigations.  All investigators are familiar with the protocols and are using the checklist. On February 10th, the issue of Biased Policing will return for further discussion.  The Inspector General's report was approved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on January 20, 2009

Commissioner Comments - Commissioner Robert Saltzman attended the Olympic Area grand opening as well as the first annual Martin Luther King Breakfast and the Kingdom Day Parade.  He commended those who worked on all of the events as he thought they were outstanding.

Report of the Chief - Assistant Chief James McDonnell reported on the recent Religious Forum at Trinity Community Church.  He reiterated that the forums serve as an excellent way to obtain and disseminate information to the various communities throughout Los Angeles.  The Martin Luther King Breakfast was extremely well-attended, especially considering that much of the City's leadership was in Washington D.C., attending the Presidential Inauguration.  Crime statistics were not available at the moment due to the creation of the two new stations, however the statistics would be available later in the day.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank noted that the online system of retrieving agenda documents is now working.  Information may now be retrieved on LACity.org.  He thanked Sr. Management Analyst I Stacy Rafter, Commission Executive Assistant II Isabel Rosas, and Systems Analyst II Nancy Godfrey for their great work on this accomplishment which will greatly assist the community in accessing Police Commission documents.

Report of the Inspector General - André Birotte, Jr. also attended the Martin Luther King Breakfast and stated that it was an outstanding event.  Mr. Birotte is attending the meetings where criteria is being developed for the exemptions for the managed hiring program.  The inability to hire civilians would greatly impact the operations of the Office of the Inspector General.

Management Analyst II Corey Blake, Charitable Services Section, was named the Police Commission Employee of the Month for December 2008. Corey consistently provides outstanding service to his customers and co-workers alike.  He recently prepared a complete guide to Charitable Giving in Los Angeles, which was distributed Department-wide.  This guide is a valuable tool in providing up to date information on the do's and don'ts of giving.

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck and Police Administrator Yvette Sanchez Owens presented an update on the Latent Fingerprinting Task Force.  Commissioner Robert Saltzman expressed his disappointment in the fact that the Police Commission is not notified prior to stories on this topic appearing in the news media.  Deputy Chief Beck apologized for this situation and offered that, at times, information is given to the media from sources other than the Los Angeles Police Department.  At this time, there are 1,139 cases that are being re-examined as they were completed by the analysts of concern.  He feels that in two months, he will be able to explain the depth of the problem, and the cause of the problem.  The Latent Fingerprinting Task Force will meet officially for the first time on February 12th, however communication has been ongoing with all members for some time.  The Commission asked that all documents referenced in the media articles be provided to Executive Director Tefank for consideration of either public or closed session review. Deputy Chief Beck will continue to provide updates to the Commission.

The report relative to Sworn Classification Essential Job Functions, was approved.

The report on Detective Bureau Operations Relative to Supervision, Audits, Promotions and Productivity Tables, was continued for 30 days so that additional information can be provided on how the Commission will be apprised of all internal audits.

The preliminary response to the “Audit of the Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Grant Program Awards,” was approved.

Employee News

Kenneth Sinclair has joined the Commission Investigation Division's Alarm Section as a Management Analyst I.  Ken was a Management Assistant at the Cable Division in the Information Technology Agency.  He holds a B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Welcome, Ken!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on January 13, 2009

Commissioner Alan Skobin asked that the Commission begin the process to create the equivalent of a"Purple Heart'' medal for the Los Angeles Police Department.  In his discussions with a number of officers who have survived gunshot wounds, they told him how the emotional trauma is often much worse and lasts far longer than the physical trauma, and that there is no formal recognition for officers who experience such life threatening and life changing trauma while protecting the public against dangerous and violent offenders. They also discussed the need to provide similar recognition for the families of slain officers. Commissioner Skobin announced that he and Commissioner Pacheco will lead a committee to develop criteria for the awarding of this medal, which would be a small but important way to recognize those who not only placed their safety in jeopardy for the sake of others, as all police officers do, but who actually suffered traumatic injury or death in doing so. Commission Skobin thanked both President Pacheco and Chief Bratton for their immediate and unwavering support for this project, and expressed confidence that the entire Commission will support it when the guidelines are presented for formal adoption.  

Report of the Chief - Chief William Bratton announced the opening of the Topanga and Olympic Community Police Stations. He stated that he is going to meet with the Mayor in the next few days to discuss gang crime strategies for the year.  

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank noted that the online system of retrieving agenda documents should be functional in a day or so.

Report of the Inspector General - André Birotte, Jr. commented that he is continuing his efforts to maintain a staffing level during the current civilian hiring freeze.

Police Administrator Thom Brennan outlined the status of ongoing police construction projects.  Two new stations have just opened: Topanga and Olympic.  The new Hollenbeck station and Jail facility will open shortly and the Emergency Operations Center will open by May.  Staff will begin moving into the new headquarters facility in July.  Mr. Brennan expressed his gratitude to the many other City departments that have played integral roles in the completion of these projects.

Police Administrator Gerald Chaleff, Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur, and Commander Rick Webb presented the LAPD's response to the ACLU's report, “A Study of Racially Disparate Outcomes in the Los Angeles Police Department.” The Department is committed to eliminating any form of biased policing and much improvement has been made in this area in terms of training and approaches to adjudication, such as the possibility of mediation.  This topic has been integrated into more than 200 courses of both Academy and In-Service training. That being said, the Department acknowledges that the discussion is not over.  Beginning with the South Bureau, in-car video cameras will be a new tool the LAPD will have in preventing and monitoring the possibility of biased policing.  Peter Bibring, from ACLU, reviewed the organization's previously submitted report.  The report assesses that much progress has been made, yet there is still a disparate number of stops and subsequent actions among individuals of color.  Twenty-one individuals spoke, the majority of them expressing concern over this issue.  The item was continued for 30 days allowing the department to return with specific answers related to line supervisors' responsibility and the implementation of an early warning system.

Police Administrator Rhonda Sims-Lewis outlined the impact of the citywide civilian hiring freeze.  The Mayor has provided correspondence stating that all City departments must now follow a hard hiring freeze due to the budget shortfall.  Now, all blanket exemptions to the freeze are revoked meaning that a Managed Hiring Committee will have to consider any hiring exemption, and justification for positions will have to be significant.  LAPD has developed a list of priority positions.  Ms. Sims-Lewis will return with information on the number of civilian jobs that could be done by light-duty sworn personnel.

Employee News

Management Analyst I Michele Hagerty has joined Commission Investigation Division, Permit Section.  She started with the Department in 1998 as a Police Service Representative at Communications Division. She has also worked at TEAMS II as an instructor, the Special Events Permit Unit at Emergency Operations Division, and lastly, at Narcotics Division.

Senior Clerk Typist Teresa Alvarez has joined Commission Investigation Division.  She has been with the City for 22 years. She served as a Property Officer for 20 years, and then transferred to a Senior Clerk Typist position and worked Public Information Office and Records and Identification Division, Warrants and Teletypes Section.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Police Commission Meeting on January 6, 2009

Commissioner Comments - Commissioner Andrea Sheridan Ordin noted the passing of former United States Attorney General Griffin Bell.  She commented on his significant reforms, progressive approach, and many"firsts" for the Department of Justice.  Commissioner Anthony Pacheco commented on the opportunities and challenges that come with a new year. He was pleased to join the Mayor and the Chief to announce the
Department's significant achievement of decreased crime during tough economic times. While the LAPD is being fiscally impacted, the commitment to hire additional officers is unchanged.  This fact is proof that there is great support from the Mayor, the City Council, and the people of Los Angeles for the outstanding work being done by the men and women of this Department.   

Report of the Chief - Chief William Bratton reported on crime statistics.  Year to date statistics are somewhat skewed as the data only compares the first few days of the new year.  More significantly, Chief Bratton talked about the total decline in crime during the last seven years, which is when he took office and when the crime began a downward trend.  He feels that much of the success can be attributed to the Department's relationship with outside agencies, such as the Department of Justice.  On the Martin Luther King holiday, LAPD will be hosting the first Community Breakfast at USC's Town and Gown facility. This year marks the 140th anniversary of the LAPD, and there will be numerous events, such as the breakfast, to commemorate the milestone. For the first time in the Department's history, two new stations opened simultaneously: Topanga and Olympic.  Other new facilities to open this year include Hollenbeck and Harbor Areas, the Emergency Operations Center, and the new Headquarters facility.  This year will also mark the end of the Consent Decree.  He noted that there will be challenges this year, such as the hard hiring freeze directly impacting the Department's ability to hire and promote civilian employees.

Commissioner Pacheco added that it is important that the statistics are down, but it is more important to reflect on what these statistics mean: less death, less injuries, less fear, and less loss of property.

Report of the Executive Director - Richard Tefank stated that he had previously stated that the first Commission meeting in 2009 would reflect the beginning of agenda materials being online.  Unfortunately, a glitch occurred for this meeting but he is hopeful that the problem will be resolved for the next meeting and supporting documents will be available online.

Report of the Inspector General - André Birotte, Jr., noted that he is concerned over the hiring freeze as he has two civilian openings that will be difficult to fill.  He will keep the Board updated on the vacancy status.

Police Auditor IV Erin Kenney presented the Quarterly Status Report for the Second Quarter, Fiscal Year 2008/2009.  Commissioner Pacheco commented on the marked improvements of the Command Accountability Performance Audits, now that each Division attends the presentation.

Captain Todd Chamberlain provided an overview of the Emergency Supplies Protocol for Police personnel.  He stated that if the Mayor declares an emergency, there are protocols in place for the purchase of supplies and equipment. 

Police Administrator Yvette Sanchez-Owens and Deputy Chief Charlie Beck presented the Backlog of Processing Forensic Evidence Other than DNA. The backlog in serology, firearms analysis, and latent prints is going down.  A large database is being developed which will assist in prioritizing and processing all cases.  All agreed that there is a definite need for additional resources in this area.  Staff will return with specific numbers of cases pending when available.

Inspector General André Birotte, Jr., presented the Annual Categorical Use of Force report for 2007.  This comprehensive report reviews all adjudicated categorical uses of force including officer involved shootings.  Commissioner Pacheco commented on the value of this report to the public as it openly discusses issues of community concern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~