Response to Councilmember Parks
from David S. Cunningham, III
President, LAPD Police Commission

EDITOR'S NOTE: As was reported in the LA Daily News, Councilmember Bernard Parks, a former LAPD Police Chief and current candidate for Mayor, "... called on LAPD leaders Tuesday to explain what they are doing to reverse the city's homicide rate, which has ticked up more than 5 percent since last year."

This is the LAPD's official response, written by David S. Cunningham,III, President of the Police Commission:

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September 8, 2004

Councilmember Bernard Parks
Eighth Council District
City of Los Angeles
200 North Spring Street, Room 460
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Councilmember Parks:

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your concerns about the number of homicides in the Eighth Council District. I not only appreciate your concerns, but I share them both as Police Commission President and as a resident of the Eighth District. I am hopeful that this is an opportunity for us to jointly seek a reduction in the recent increase in homicides.

I note that throughout the City of Los Angeles, including in South Los Angeles, we have seen an overall decrease in violence and property crimes from 2003 to 2004. After seeing homicides steadily increase between 1999 and 2002 in the LAPD Areas that include your District, we are optimistic about our efforts to reduce them. Of course, one homicide is one too many, and I share your sentiments that we can do more. I welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with you at your earliest convenience.

In my conversations with community members, we have discussed the very issues you are raising. On September 1, at the Community Coalition meeting, we talked about ways for City officials and departments to accept joint responsibility for our crime trends and take action.

I agree wholeheartedly with you in placing Prevention, Intervention and Education as a priority. Programs such as L.A.'s BEST continue to positively impact our communities because they are a collaborative effort to provide our youth with alternatives to crime during the all-important after school hours.

The Police Department, however, must take the lead in reducing crime, and we have several initiatives currently underway. Among them are the following:

· Support for the Public Safety and Homeland Security Act, which will provide much needed additional police officers.

· Continued prioritization of gang investigations resulting in gang injunctions in collaboration with the City Attorney's Office. Known gangs will find it more and more difficult to submit a community to their form of terrorism. Additionally, creative deployment of enforcement resources like the Community Safety Operations Task Force proved effective in the seizure of hundreds of weapons in three LAPD Areas that cover your Council District (77th, Southwest and Southeast).

· Implementation of the Los Angeles Safer City Initiative in LAPD's Southwest Area to bring together the City Attorney's Office, Housing Authority, property owners and building managers, community organizations, schools, and probation/parole to fight crime.

Recently, the Police Commission forwarded a request to Council to seek relief to allow promotions, paygrade advancements and to backfill newly vacated positions. This is an extremely important request at a critical time of need in the Department. We have already received Mayor Hahn's support for this request, and would welcome your vote in Council.

Again, I am looking forward to meeting with you. Thank you very much.

Very truly yours,

BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
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DAVID S. CUNNINGHAM, III President