LAPD Speaks at Historical Society Meeting

When Palisadian Daisy Crane organized ‘A Look at LAPD’ for the Historical Society on October 19 at Pierson Playhouse, not only did she personally present the history of the Los Angeles police, but she also introduced L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, seven high-ranking officials from the LAPD, the Police Commission vice president, and a former 911 dispatcher. One of the officials in attendance, Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz, was one of the top candidates vying to replace Police Chief William Bratton. Three hours later, the 40 people assembled in the audience left with a greater knowledge of the structure of the LAPD, as well as specific information about police recruitment and the canine bomb-sniffing unit. Rosendahl presented Crane with a certificate for her exemplary efforts and accomplishments, and thanked her for organizing the evening. The first to speak was Pacific Palisades resident Andrea Sheridan Ordin who is the police commission vice president. She explained that the commission is in the process of selecting the final candidates for the new police chief. She is one of five civilians on the board, which sets LAPD policies and oversees operations. Crane introduced the first of the police officials, Diaz, who was originally from Cuba. He received his bachelor’s degree from Cal State L.A. and his master’s degree from Cal State Long Beach. He joined the LAPD in 1977 and is currently in charge of Operations at the Central Bureau. ‘Well-trained, well-led motivated police officers make a difference,’ the bilingual Diaz said, noting that crime numbers have decreased citywide. He said typically when the economy is down; crime goes up, and he credits the number of officers on the streets as one of the reasons for the positive statistic. ‘We can’t do what you want us to when we’re in the survival mode, running from crime to crime,’ said Diaz who acknowledged that the LAPD had developed a much closer relationship with the community during Bratton’s tenure. Debra McCarthy, a commander who is second in charge of the West Bureau, is one of the highest-ranking women in the LAPD. She explained that each of the five bureaus is roughly the size of Pasadena. The West Bureau includes divisions from Hollywood, Olympic, Pacific, West L.A., Wilshire and West Traffic. Before she was hired in 1988, she asked her husband, who is also with LAPD, if he thought she could do the job. He replied, ‘You can do it, and some day you will out promote me.’ McCarthy, who is also the mother of two children, says balancing job and career is easy: ‘There’s no trick other than time management and no sleep.’ Captain Bill Murray, who is in charge of the LAPD’s Northeast Division, told the audience about the department’s hiring and training procedures. He remembers asking a candidate to tell him about a significant achievement. The candidate thought and replied, ‘Not getting arrested.’ ‘Needless to say, he didn’t make it to the Academy,’ Murray said, chuckling. In order to be hired by LAPD, one needs to pass a written exam, an interview, physical and psychological examinations, and undergo a background check in which a candidate’s financial situation and work history are closely scrutinized. About one in 14 people who apply make it to training at the Academy. ‘We attract talent from all over the country,’ said Murray, who is originally from Boston. ‘We have the best of the best.’ Captain Evangelyn Nathan, who is in charge of the West Los Angeles Division, said that her area is 65 square miles, and serves more than 237,000 residents. ‘We’re all scrambling for resources,’ Nathan said. ‘My focus is crime, traffic and quality of life.’ She has heard community complaints about the homeless, and now has two detectives assigned to that beat. West L.A.’s second in command, Ruben De La Torre, reminded the audience of the pilot who had successfully landed his plane in the Hudson River. ‘He said that all of his training and experience came together in that one minute,’ De La Torre said. ‘That’s what we use when we go on a call.’ Silvia Sotelo, a former 911 dispatcher who works with community relations in the Northeast Division, gave two reasons why residents might reach a busy signal or be put on hold when dialing 911.    ‘Kids call up and yell profanities then hang up,’ she said. ‘Many people [also] confuse 411 and 911.’ When they discover their error, they hang up in embarrassment. But when they hang up, the 911 operator calls back. If the person doesn’t answer, the 911 operator sends a police car to the address. ‘If you dial 911, your address and phone number show up on the screen,’ she said. ‘Unless it’s a cell phone.’ She noted that if a call comes from a new cell phone, an approximate address can be traced, close to the tower. The star of the evening was a 3-year-old Labrador named Nolan, who was trained to sniff out explosives at airports and buildings. The dog was partnered with his trainer, police officer Lauraine Harrington, who brought him into the theater and told him to search the space. After going through the audience, Nolan found an object on stage that had been scented with a chemical used in explosives. The dog sat when he found it and waited for Harrington, who gave him a toy and lots of attention. ‘We don’t give food for a reward,’ she said. The police department trains dogs to either patrol (get the bad guy), or find narcotics or explosives.