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:

Community Safety Operations Plan Components ...

1. Community Component ...

CIAT Sub-Committees ...

2. Enforcement Component ...

CSOC Mission:

Operational resources and deployment

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

Phase II - January 3, 2003

Enforcement continued …

Intelligence Component ...

Intelligence continued ...

Crime Analysis ...

CSOC Coordination ...

3. Prosecutorial Component ...

Training ...

4. Prevention and Intervention Component ...

Community Safety Operations Plan - Command Center includes:

Prosecutorial ...

Police Officers ...

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