Community Police Relations

For hundreds of poor people in the eastern San Fernando Valley, Santa Claus arrived in a police car instead of a flying sleigh. A Simi Valley businessman spent Christmas Eve handing out thousands of dollars in $10 bills to hundreds of recipients in housing projects, at church services and in hospital emergency rooms. "I like giving money away," said Bill Baer, grinning broadly as he held up the last envelope of cash. "It's almost like an addiction; it feels so good, I just want to do it more."

Clashing yet again with Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks over the use of community liaison officers for patrol duties, a City Council panel asked Monday for a legal opinion on whether the chief may be ordered to reassign them. In a three-hour session marked by sharp exchanges, the council's Public Safety Committee also asked for a report on what other cities are doing and any changes that might improve police-community ties.

Clashing yet again with Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks over the use of community liaison officers for patrol duties, a City Council panel asked Monday for a legal opinion on whether the chief may be ordered to reassign them. In a three-hour session marked by sharp exchanges, the council's Public Safety Committee also asked for a report on what other cities are doing and any changes that might improve police-community ties.

Clashing yet again with Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks over the use of community liaison officers for patrol duties, a City Council panel asked Monday for a legal opinion on whether the chief may be ordered to reassign them to their original duties of community outreach. In a three-hour session marked by sharp exchanges, the council's Public Safety Committee also asked for a report on what other cities are doing and any changes that might improve police-community ties.

Clashing yet again with Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks over the use of community liaison officers for patrol duties, a City Council panel asked Monday for a legal opinion on whether the chief may be ordered to reassign them to their original duties of community outreach. In a three-hour session marked by sharp exchanges, the council's Public Safety Committee also asked for a report on what other cities are doing and any changes that might improve police-community ties.

The Pasadena Police Department is holding the first in a series of public forums Monday night to discuss community-police relations and the department's plan to begin community-based policing in Pasadena. The meeting will be at Pasadena's Main Library at 6:30 p.m. Police Chief Jerry Oliver will briefly explain how community-based policing works and will then invite public discussion. Those who wish to attend are asked to call Lt. Rick Law at (818) 405-4550 to reserve a seat.

The trial of a white police officer whose shooting of an unarmed black man in Cincinnati set off three nights of rioting in April is again focusing the city's attention on often-strained community-police relations. Officer Stephen Roach, 27, was indicted in May on misdemeanor charges of negligent homicide and obstruction of official business in the shooting death of Timothy Thomas, 19. His trial is scheduled to begin today.

San Fernando Valley clergy met with top brass from the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday to discuss issues of race and community-police relations. "The main topics were things like respect and building relationships," said the Rev. Dudley Chatman, president of the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council, which sponsored the meeting in Pacoima.

Re "DARE Effort Competing With Other Priorities," Oct. 17. The column heading would better read "DARE Effort Competing with Political Posturing." It is absolute nonsense to suggest that it is better to staff a school resource officer at a high school than to staff a DARE [Drug Abuse Resistance Education] officer at the elementary level. The former is reactive to the nth political degree, and the latter is pro-activity at its best. The DARE program is easily the most effective law enforcement / community program effort ever conceived.

Most people predicted that Tuesday's runoff election to replace termed-out City Councilman Nate Holden in Los Angeles' Mid-City 10th District would be close. It wasn't. Voters chose newcomer Martin Ludlow over Holden's longtime aide and designated heir, Deron Williams, by a comfortable margin, 56% to 44%.

For hundreds of poor people in the eastern San Fernando Valley, Santa Claus arrived in a police car instead of a flying sleigh. A Simi Valley businessman spent Christmas Eve handing out thousands of dollars in $10 bills to hundreds of recipients in housing projects, at church services and in hospital emergency rooms. "I like giving money away," said Bill Baer, grinning broadly as he held up the last envelope of cash. "It's almost like an addiction; it feels so good, I just want to do it more."

Sitting quietly in his cell in the South Gate Jail, Councilman Jerry Garcia contemplated his predicament. "Hearing the door slam from the outside is totally different from hearing it on the inside," he said from his bunk, trying not to breathe the rancid air of his cell. "This is a good tool. I think I can understand what it's like to be in jail."

In a recent Column Left ("Police Have Some 'Weeds' of Their Own," Aug. 10), Jorge R. Mancillas expressed reservations about the recently approved Weed and Seed program in Los Angeles. Mancillas incorrectly assumed that the Los Angeles program would begin with a massive law enforcement effort without attempting to reconcile existing difficulties with police-community relations. Mancillas also dismissed the "seed" or human services component as nothing more than "a few crumbs." Unfortunately, Mancillas was not familiar with the details of the Los Angeles program when he wrote his article.