Community Policing Fights for its Life in L. A.

• NCJ Number: 191683
• Journal: Community Links Dated: September 2001 Pages: 1-4
• Author(s): Arthur A. Jones; Robin Wiseman
• Editor(s): William H. Mathews
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 4 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2000CKWXK123
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article deals with the recent controversy over the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) community policing program.

Abstract

Once called an international model in the mid-1990's the LAPD’s Community Policing Program was severely weakened by 1998 when the new Chief, Bernard C. Parks, reassigned the Senior Head Leaders (SLOs) to patrol and other traditional duties. The SLOs had led community-policing initiatives. The purpose behind Parks’ move was to “depersonalize” the Los Angles Police Department and to “institutionalize” it. Not only did this cause an uproar in the policing community, but community representatives were upset as well. This opposition, aided by pressure from other political forces, including the new mayor, apparently helped persuade Chief Parks to take steps to at least partially reinstate the SLOs. This could be undermined by problems of recruitment and retention in the LAPD, which is plagued by low morale.