Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
'This Is Big.' LAPD Will Expand Its Community Policing Program Into A Permanent Citywide Bureau
The Los Angeles Police Department will create a permanent bureau to expand on its community policing program, the Mayor Eric Garcetti announced tonight.
The Community Safety Partnership Bureau will make permanent and citywide the program of the same name, which was established in 2011 and focused on the housing developments of Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts and Ramona Gardens. That program requires officers to commit to remaining in one community for five years and attend meetings with residents.
A study from UCLA recently concluded that the CSP program could take credit for "seven fewer homicides, 93 fewer aggravated assaults and 122 fewer robberies than would otherwise have been expected to occur in Jordan Downs and Nickerson Gardens," according to the L.A. Times.
Support for LAist comes from
The new bureau will continue the tradition of placing officers in five-year assignments in one place, Garcetti said, "to develop relationships with the people that they serve."
"The police officers and community members know each other's names, so that they can sit down together and talk about their neighborhood. So that a police officer looks at her assignment not as an assignment."
Garcetti said it was part of a shift in policing "from a warrior mentality to a guardian mentality."
Prominent civil rights attorney Connie Rice said, "This is big, and in police world this takes courage."
"A chief of police doesn't just get up and stand up a bureau for guardian policing, and for Chief Moore to do this, it sends a message across the country — and at a time when it's risky to do so."
The new bureau will be led by Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides. She said one of the keys to the initial program was to avoid using "police" in the title.
Support for LAist comes from
"This isn't an LAPD program," Tingirides said. "This is a community program. This is about understanding the cultures of the communities and adjusting how we work and respond to conflict within communities."
The community safety approach involves building understanding, she said, with strategies that include:
- Having teenagers attend gang intervention training to explain to officers why they fear the police
- Role playing where children and residents feel what it's like to be a police officer, and vice versa
"As we can see across the country, our nation right now, people are hurting," Tingirides said. "One of the important components of this program is understanding our history and what has occurred in the past, and not being afraid to say, I'm sorry and we recognize it, but to work together to change it."
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist