Los Angeles: Today, in a unanimous vote, the five members of the Board of Los Angeles Police Commissioners elected Rick J. Caruso as President and Rose Matsui Ochi as Vice President. The election was the first official action by the new Commissioners who were confirmed by City Council last week. Commissioners Bert Boeckmann, David S. Cunningham, III, and Silvia Saucedo were pleased to lend their support to the leadership of Caruso and Ochi. The Police Commission is the civilian head of the Los Angeles Police Department and is responsible for setting all policy.

"The Police Commission has an immense responsibility to the communities of Los Angeles to ensure the public’s safety," stated Commission President Caruso. "I believe our immediate task is to build a solid organization foundation. From this, we can ensure that the mandates of the Consent Decree are implemented as well as any additional solutions that will improve officer morale and strengthen recruitment and retention – the critical components for an effective police force."

Caruso is widely regarded for his leadership role in the turnaround of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Caruso chaired that board beginning in 1997 and guided the agency through a critical time, leading it from a utility on the brink of bankruptcy to one which is now a model organization.

Caruso is a prominent Los Angeles business leader as founder and president of Caruso Affiliated Holdings, a real estate investment firm that specializes in retail development. An award winning developer, the company is currently under construction on The Grove at Farmers Market, the new open-air retail center adjacent to the historic Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax. The firm is well-known for its high standards of quality and commitment to public art and architecture as exhibited in its other Los Angeles-area centers The Commons at Calabasas, The Promenade at Westlake and Encino Marketplace. A native of Los Angeles, Caruso received a B.S. degree with honors from the University of Southern California in 1980 and a Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1983 where he was a Brock Scholar.

Vice President Rose Ochi is an attorney who served as the Director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service from March 1997 to March 2001. A former teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Ochi was the first Asian American to serve on the Los Angeles County Bar Association Board of Trustees (1978 – 1979). Her distinguished career also includes serving as an Associate Director in the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Director of the City of Los Angeles’s Criminal Justice Planning Office under Mayors Tom Bradley and Richard Riordan.

Commissioner Bert Boeckmann, a previous Police Commissioner, is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Galpin Motors, Inc. Commissioner David S. Cunnigham, III, is an attorney specializing in redevelopment and land use. Commissioner Silvia Saucedo is an attorney with the law firm Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & Elliott.

While all Police Commissioners share an equal voting power, the President and Vice President accept additional responsibilities in chairing meetings and setting agendas. It has been estimated that Commissioners donate approximately 20 hours per week to this non-paying position, however, the President and Vice President often donate much more.

The Los Angeles Police Commission meets publicly every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., at Parker Center, 150 North Los Angeles Street, Room 150.