LACP.org
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Community Safety Operations Plan
Fighting gangs in Los Angeles

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Community Safety Operations Plan (CSOP)

Fighting gangs in Los Angeles

LAPD has unveiled it's new approach to fighting gangs, the Community Safety Operations Plan (CSOP). The first of what will eventually be several regional command centers is up and running in a workspace at South Traffic Bureau. It will serve the 77th Street, Southwest, Southeast and Newton Divisions.

As Chief Bratton said, "The reality of Los Angeles last year and its anti-gang efforts -- you had approximately 300 officers in 18 very small gang units who could not work narcotics, who could not develop informants, who had to work in uniform. What did this city expect of those 300 officers? That's like asking a carpenter to build a house without a hammer and nails. That was the only police effort to deal with gangs in Los Angeles. And last year's horrific numbers were directly reflective of the fact that this department had got out of the business several years ago of effectively going after gangs."

Mayor Hahn, Chief Bratton, and Police Commission President Rick Caruso were joined by a number of high ranking police officials, members of the press corps and community members as the new program was explained.

Deputy Chief Michael Hillmann, recently designated by Chief Bratton to oversee all LAPD gang related efforts, was the principal presenter, and he introduced Commander Richard A. Roupoli who serves as Commanding Officer of this first facility. The business line at the command center is: 213 / 847-1310.

In a power point presentation we've duplicated below, Chief Hillmann outlined the mission and the plan, explaining the community component and how enforcement and prosecution will work.

After the presentation a tour of the new CSOP command center at South Traffic Division was offered. It's a decidedly no nonsense room where maps, charts and filing cabinets ring the walls.

Gathered in the center are mismatched but functional desks and office equipment where Detectives, the Special Enforcement Unit Coordinator, and personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Administration, US Marshal Service, District Attorney, City Attorney, and the US Attorney have their workspace.

In one corner sits the desk for the Crime Analyst, where a constant flow of information comes in. Beside this is a semi-private office for the Commanding Officer.

Finally there's an area reserved for the Community Impact Advisory Team Representative and deployment officers from Metro Division, Narcotics Division, South Traffic Division, Probation / Parole and others.

A quick response to gang problems will be attained through a cooperative and inclusive group of local and federal law enforcement groups, who will be staged to react to intelligence as it arrives. And intelligence gathering is a linchpin for this new effort.

To begin with, there's a new GANG HOTLINE to call: 213 / 847-1321

But beyond that the officers will seek community input through Area Commanding Officers who will invite their Clergy Councils, C-PABs, Neighborhood Watch groups, Neighborhood Councils and other Community Service Organization to the table.

In addition a Community Impact Advisory Team (CIAT) will be established, comprised of about 35 grassroots community leaders who will maintain a direct open dialogue with the CSOP itself.

Here's a version of the Community Safety Operations Plan power point presentation:

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Community Safety Operations Plan (CSOP)

Mission:

Work with the community to significantly impact the level of violent crime within South Los Angeles on both an immediate and long term basis

Community Safety Operations Plan Components ...

1. Community
2. Enforcement
3. Prosecutorial
4. Parole/Probation

1. Community Component ...

Most Significant Component
Public support is the key to long-term success
Area Commanding Officers critical in this arena to ensure Community involvement in the following areas:
Clergy Councils
Community Police Advisory Boards
Neighborhood Watch Groups
Neighborhood Councils
Public/Private Community Service Organization

Community Impact Advisory Team (CIAT)
35 Grassroots Community Leaders
Maintain Open Dialogue
Express Concerns
Exchange Information
Dispel Rumors

Community Relations Section
Media Relations
TEAMWORK LA (Mayor's Initiatives)

CIAT Sub-Committees ...

Prevention
Intervention
Clergy
Public Awareness

2. Enforcement Component ...

CSOC Mission:

Coordinate Department and outside agency resources to target areas in response to violent crime

Operational resources and deployment

Phase I - Immediate Action - Began Nov. 26, 2002

Established Community Safety Operations Center (CSOC)
Redeployed units for high visibility crime suppression
Motor Task Force Units
Metropolitan Division
Narcotics Division
Fugitive Warrant Section
Organized Crime and Vice Division

Phase II - January 3, 2003

Coordinated additional resources to target violent suspects and crime locations:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Marshals Office
United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
Los Angeles County Sheriffs Operation Safe Streets
Los Angeles Unified School Police
Probation
Parole
California Youth Authority

Enforcement continued …

Intelligence
Crime Analysis
Resource Coordination
Prosecutorial Liaison
Training Function
Intervention and Prevention
Operational Resources

Intelligence Component ...

Detectives liaison with the following entities:
Area Commanding Officers
Area Detectives Area
SEU Units
LASD
LAUSD
24-hour Gang Hotline

Intelligence continued ...

CSOC Staff
Area captains
SEU Supervisors
Community Crime Analysis
Gang Hotline: 213 / 847-1321

Crime Analysis ...

CSOC - Crime analysis personnel supply daily crime information for review
Crime information is used to develop long and short-term crime strategies for deployment of daily operational resources
Crime and Wanted Suspect information dissemination

CSOC Coordination ...

All resources are tracked for a seven-day operational period
Pre-plan coordinated activities at least one-day in advance
CSOC personnel ensure field conflicts (deployment) are avoided
Identify resources to address spontaneous events

3. Prosecutorial Component ...

Liaison with local, state, and federal prosecutors to identify strategies to combat violent crime
Provide two-way feed back for the purpose of training and education in order to improve filings and convictions

Training ...

Identify training needs of operational resources and make recommendations to the CSOC
Coordinate specialized training of operational resources

4. Prevention and Intervention Component ...

Work with the community to develop additional referrals for:
At Risk Kids (Jeopardy, etc.)
All kids (Gang Resistance Education and Training)
Mayor's Initiatives (TEAMWORK LA)

Community Safety Operations Plan - Command Center includes:

Map Wall - 77th, SW, SE and Newton
3-Day Deployment Board
Crime Analyst
Office CSOC Coordinator
Det. III, Det. II, Det. II, Det. II
FBI, ATF, DEA, USMS
DSD Intelligence Analyst
SEU Coordinator
D/A, C/A, USA
Recap
Metro Division
Probation Parole
Community Impact Advisory Team Representative
So. Traffic Division
Narcotics Division
LA Impact
DSD Surveillance
Business phone number: 213 / 847-1310

Prosecutorial ...

City Attorney
District Attorney
United States Attorney
Personal Relationship with law enforcement
Vertical Prosecution
Enhanced sentencing
Zero Tolerance

Police Officers ...

Professional
Respectful
Courteous
Community oriented
Diligent
Relentless
Thorough


Following the power point presentation a reporter said he'd hope to have seen a "more holistic approach" to solving the gang problem, and he asked if jobs and job training would be a part of the program.

Mayor Hahn replied, "Not a part of this specific program that the police are talking about. But it's part of what I'm trying to do. To make sure that we are using our workforce and investment partners ... number one is to target job training and job growth. But, a lot of this is a little bit like the chicken and the egg. And I think Chief Bratton had this experience in New York."

"If you want to bring investment," he continued, "if you want to bring jobs into communities, you have to be able to make them safe. And you can't do one without the other. Our goal is to make this community once again one that is going to be attractive for business people to invest in, and to bring jobs to this community. We're going to be working as hard as we can."

"Prevention is the key part of it. More after school programs, working with all the different agencies, and community partners is going to be a key. But if I'm going to be able to convince somebody to bring jobs to the community I'm going to have to convince them that it's safe."

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Community Safety Operations Plan (CSOP)

Business number: 213 / 847-1310

GANG HOTLINE: 213 / 847-1321

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Please see: Help needed to fight city's gang problem
by Mayor Hahn and Chief Bratton
also appeared in LA Daily News, Sunday, January 19