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Reflections on My First Year as Chief of Police
by Charlie Beck (see Crime Report below)
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LAPD Chief of Police
Charlie Beck |
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Reflections on My First Year as Chief of Police
by Charlie Beck
November 22, 2010
One year ago I was sworn in as the 56th Chief of Police in Los Angeles. Much has happened in this short period of time.
Overseeing the third largest police department in the United States, managing roughly 10,000 sworn officers and 3,000 civilian employees, in a city comprised of 473 square miles, over 4 million people and an annual budget exceeding a billion dollars is a daunting task. |
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Amidst much change, the mission of the LAPD remains the same - to safeguard the lives and property of the people, to reduce the incidence and fear of crime, to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life for the diverse communities we serve.
When I was sworn in, I said my top goal was to extend the reforms begun by Chief William J. Bratton and move them down into the rank and file of the Department. I concentrated on continuing Chief Bratton's reforms, reminding officers that we are not only a law enforcement institution, but we are an institution that can bring society together. It is the mandate of this Department to continuously improve on community and racial harmony through an unrelenting commitment to transparency and constitutional policing. We cannot break the law to enforce the laws. Our commitment and loyalty of our officers should not be to each other, nor the Department, but to the citizens of this City. Since addressing the very first graduating recruit class, as Chief of Police, I have remained committed to reaffirming this mantra each time I speak to every sworn and civilian member of the Department.
In this first year I have given greater authority to the captains who run the Department's 21 Areas. I have moved hundreds of officers out of specialized assignments and back into patrol.
But I can't just do this job from a headquarters office. So I make it a point as often as possible to work patrol shifts in a black and white alongside the men and women of the LAPD all over the City. Besides the fact that I love being on the streets with my officers and the people of our town, nothing gives me more satisfaction and useful information than spending time in the field with the great people on the LAPD.
One of my major priorities is forming and strengthening close working relationships with community and government leaders from every area of society. I regularly meet with political officials, social and community activists, business leaders, victim advocacy groups and other major local stakeholders in all areas of the City. I believe one of the keys to a successful police organization is making myself easily accessible to the public in a way that genuinely opens honest communications, particularly with people who have disagreements with the LAPD.
The LAPD cut spending by approximately 60 million so we had to reprioritize. Doing more with less is our new motto at the LAPD.
Even in the face of major budget cuts and resulting changes that upset longstanding working situations, the men and women of the LAPD have done a remarkable job. The amount of Violent Crime citywide is down nearly 12%. Homicides are down 10.1%. Good news, for sure, but for anyone who has been the victim of a crime, crime can never be too low. We will continue to work toward a day when every person in Los Angeles feels safe.
This past year has not been without its challenges. The most significant issues I had to face have dealt with officer- involved- shootings and the split-second, life-or-death decisions officers have to make under stressful situations. The Department must continue to evolve and move forward as a result of lessons learned from these occurrences. In the wake of the 6th and Union shooting in Rampart Area, I learned very quickly – alliances must be formed between officers and the community we serve, and if left unattended, these alliances are not what you thought they were. This is true in any partnership or relationship and deserves the commitment of this Department to build open dialogue and transparency to work towards the common goal.
This was also a year of tragedy within the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department. We lost two brave officers, who were also Marines, to roadside bombs in Afghanistan. Two officers were killed in tragic and avoidable traffic accidents and seven sworn and civilian members of the Department passed as a result of cancer. The personal toll that this took on me was one of the unexpected consequences of my first year as Chief.
But so much of this first year was positive. I witnessed the centennial celebration of women in policing in the LAPD. We had the eyes of the nation on us during the Lakers victory celebration and thanks to some relentless investigative work; we identified and arrested those who celebrated unlawfully in our City. We also identified a serial killer, the “Grim Sleeper”, and put him behind bars, giving the many families of the victims a sense of closure and peace of mind. We celebrated the one year anniversary of our new home at the Police Administration Building and we integrated 21st Century technology into our units by adding digital in-car video surveillance systems. Our critical incident training methods remained cutting edge with the unveiling of the “HYDRA” Simulation System, the first of its kind in the United States ,a complex computer program designed to test, evaluate and hone officers' decision making skills in the event of a serious event or disaster. We have also virtually eliminated our backlog of untested Rape Kits.
My first year as Chief vastly exceeded my personal expectations. As I move forward, I remain sharply focused on making LAPD the best municipal police agency in the world, measured by efficiency in fighting crime, integrity, courtesy, accountability and professionalism in everything we do and say. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to serve our City and am looking forward to yet another productive year.
http://lapdblog.typepad.com/lapd_blog/2010/11/reflections-on-my-first-year-as-chief-of-police.html
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Here's the Chief delivering his one year Crime Report:
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Chief Becks delivers crime report on his one year anniversary
November 24, 2010
Please click below to listen to the podcast of the news conference. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chief Beck Mayor Villaraigoza
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chief Charlie Beck and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa highlighted the achievements of the hard working men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department on Chief Beck's one year anniversary as Chief of Police on Wednesday, November 17, 2010, in the CompStat Room of the LAPD Administration Building. In November 2009, Chief Charlie Beck was appointed Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, overseeing the third largest police department in the United States. Under Chief Beck's leadership and management, crime has continued to drop to historic lows throughout the City.
Over the past year, Chief Beck has redeployed officers from specialized units to local divisions to enhance patrol capabilities throughout the City. This reallocation of officers has been a key factor in the continued reduction in crime during a time of budget constraints that has halted the Department's growth and removed officers from the street.
In addition to reducing crime, Chief Beck has stepped up the City's counter terrorism efforts, has reduced the DNA backlog, and has expanded the Police Cadet program. Chief Beck has also established the first ever Biased Policing Unit--a unit that is solely dedicated to investigating biased policing complaints.
http://lapdblog.typepad.com/lapd_blog/2010/11/chief-becks-delivers-crime-report-on-his-one-year-anniversary.html
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