Van Nuys - On Tuesday, February 27, 2001, between 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., officers from the Los Angeles Police Department will volunteer their time to serve patrons at two local restaurants to raise money for the Jeopardy anti-gang program at the 2^nd Annual "Tip a Cop" Event.

The 2^nd Annual "Tip a Cop" Event is slated to raise $10,000 for Jeopardy "Balancing the Odds" Programs in the Foothill and Van Nuys Divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department. Police officers, detectives, and command staff volunteers will assist the regular servers at the Acapulco Restaurant and Cantina, Sun Valley and Lulu's Café, Van Nuys. Restaurant patrons will pay their bill, tip their server and make an additional donation to the "Tip a Cop" program.

Sponsors for the event include Laidlaw Transit Services, A & E Development, The Home Depot, Crown Disposal, Dean Security, and the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

Jeopardy "Balancing the Odds" is a front-end gang intervention unit of the Los Angeles Police Department, Foothill Division, and sponsored by the Jeopardy "Balancing the Odds" Foundation. This multi-disciplinary approach is designed to equip families with the skills necessary to help their children avoid the lure of gangs and to make successful and productive choices. Program strategies include recreational activities in sports and the arts including an in-house family counseling center, literacy training and enrichment activities.

Participating restaurants:

Acapulco Restaurant and Cantina Lulu's Cafe

8431 Sunland Blvd, Sun Valley 16900 Roscoe Blvd, Van Nuys

818-767-4240 818-988-0707

Please direct all inquiries to Media Relation Section at (213) 485-3586. This press release was written by Officer Danielle Lee, Media Relations Section, Los Angeles Police Department.