Commissioner Skobin

Commissioner Alan J. Skobin LA's new Police Commissioner The forced departure of Commissioner Bert Boeckmann on Tuesday (see the article below) was described by many officials in City Hall as a loss of one of the most intergrious and knowlegable of the City's community volunteers ... but it didn't take long to appoint his successor. The very next day the LA City Council unanimously approved Alan J. Skobin as Mr. Boeckmann's replacement, 14-0.

The LA Board of Police Commissioners has five members, and is charged with civilian oversight of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Commissioner Skobin is no stranger to City Hall, having just served on the Board of Transportation Commissioners since January 2002. And he's not a total newcomer to the Police Commission either because he's been a close confidant and employee of Mr. Boechmann for many years. He serves as Vice President and General Counsel of Galpin Motors, which Mr. Boechmann owns.

Commissioner Skobin has an impressive background. He graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and received his law degree cum laude from the University of La Verne in 1987.

Mr. Skobin has spent more than 30 years in community and civic service. He is a member of the State of California New Motor Vehicle Board and has served on the Los Angeles County Institutional Inspections Commission.

Commissioner Skobin is involved with a number of community associations, including the Sheriff's Youth Foundation of Los Angeles County, the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Los Angeles Business Council and Padres Contra El Cancer.

He also has been a reserve officer in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, although the position overseeing LAPD may mean he'll need to leave that volunteer work behind.

Mr. Skobin, like Mr. Boechmann before him, have very strong ties to the San Fernando Valley, so residents in that area will continue to be well represented.

He's committed to the Consent Decree as well as to having a strong Inspector General, and was quoted as saying, "I recognize the implementation of the consent decree will have an important impact on the people who live in Los Angeles, who work in Los Angeles, who do business in Los Angeles. [And] I am very committed to the concept of civilian oversight and civilian control. I read things very carefully and try to think outside the box."

The LA Police Commission needs this kind of commitment and this kind of thinking, too, and Los Angeles Community Policing congratulates Commissioner Skobin on his appointment.

We look forward to working as well with him as we do with the rest of the Board.

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THE END OF AN ERA AT THE LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION
Police Commissioners Bid Farewell to Herbert "Bert" Boeckmann

Commissioner Bert Boeckmann was honored for 16 ½ years of public service by Police Commission Vice President David S. Cunningham, III, Commissioner Rose Ochi, and Commissioner Silvia Saucedo, during the Police Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 15 at 10:30am.

The start of the meeting was delayed a bit because the Los Angeles City Council also honored Commissioner Bert Boeckmann on the same morning at 10:00 am in the John Ferraro Council Chambers located in City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles.

During his unbelievable tenure, Commissioner Boeckmann served under three Mayors and directed six Chiefs of Police. His calm demeanor and expert leadership skills have steered the LAPD through some of its best years along with some of its most challenging. Under the new Charter of the City of Los Angeles, Police Commissioners are limited to a maximum of two five-year terms. Commissioner Boeckmann has now reached the end of his term.

Reflecting on his career with the Los Angeles Police Department, Commissioner Boeckmann stated, "I have very much enjoyed serving on the Police Commission and I appreciate the confidence expressed in me by the three consecutive mayors who appointed me. I consider myself very fortunate to have served in this capacity and have always had tremendous respect and admiration for the men and women of the LAPD. They're the best, and I will always be there in support of them."

Mayor James Hahn looked back on Commissioner Boeckmann's years of public service, "Commissioner Boeckmann has served the people of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department over the last 16 years with a steadfast commitment to department reform and equitable police deployment throughout the city," said Mayor Jim Hahn. "Bert's professionalism and his ability to work effectively has enabled the Police Commission to become a powerful mechanism for reform and have made Los Angeles a safer city."

Instrumental in many Commission initiatives, Commissioner Boeckmann took the lead on the revision of the Department-wide system of deployment to ensure all areas of Los Angeles receive equal police response; enforcement of policy matters relative to Official Police Garages; and the creation of significant personnel policies, among many other issues.

Commissioner Boeckmann is the owner and chief executive officer of Galpin Motors, Inc. Under his leadership, Galpin Ford has achieved a record of success that is unparalleled in the retail automotive industry and constantly sets new industry standards for excellence. Commissioner Boeckmann has been honored with thousands of awards, citations, certificates, trophies and medals of honor from every private and public sector, including the nation's highest award for entrepreneurs, The Presidential Citation for Private Sector Initiatives, recognizing voluntary public service.

Police Commission President Rick Caruso lamented, "Bert has been a guiding light for this Commission. His unending knowledge combined with his unparalleled common sense will be sorely missed by all of us."