At times it's hard to remember that Bernard Parks was once the chief of the LAPD and a career officer himself. Now a city council member, he is often at the front in criticizing, lambasting and blaming the department for any number of woes as well as proposing cuts to finances, recruitment and other ideas for improving the department or dept morale.
His latest proposal is to take away the 3/12 plan from the LAPD and cut down on overtime. Here are the media's responses:
From the LAPPL: Police Protective League Responds to Councilmembers Perry and Parks
Los Angeles, November 28, 2007 – Tim Sands, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, today issued the following statement in response to Councilmember Parks’ and Councilmember Perry’s request to change the LAPD staffing schedule in their districts.
“We are not sure why Councilmembers Parks and Perry want to tamper with a system that is working well. Crime is down, recruitment is up and morale is up. Officers working longer shifts have more time to interact with the communities they are patrolling and more time to develop leads. Returning to a less flexible schedule will not reduce overtime, will not reduce crime, and will push experienced officers to request changes in assignments to other divisions. Once again, Councilmember Parks seems more intent on punishing the LAPD than on reducing crime or improving the LAPD.”
CBS Story: Perry, Parks Want Police Schedules Changed, in which Parks is quoted as basically saying that he doesn't care what statistics say (even though they say crime is down) but that he is more concerned with the "perception of safety."
Here is the ultimate authority (my readers know I love this guy) - Jack Dunphy's take on things in his most recent article: Penny Wise and Crime Foolish. Read the whole thing, but this graph does a good job of highlighting how the rank and file feel, I think:
"Today Parks is chairman of the city council’s Budget and Finance Committee, and it is to him that Bratton and the LAPD must now come begging for the necessary funds to keep the crime numbers falling. So bitter is Parks at having been let go from the LAPD, so resentful is he of Bratton’s achievements, that he is willing to cut the department’s budget, even if it comes at the price of rising crime. And there are those on the city council who seem only too willing to acquiesce to Park’s petulance."
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