Los Angeles: On Friday, November 18, 2005, at 10 o'clock in the morning, the Los Angeles City Council will present a resolution to Chief of Police William Bratton, acknowledging the LAPD's receipt of a National Community Policing Award.

The Community Policing Award, sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and ITT Industries Night Vision, was conferred at a special ceremony in Miami on September 25, 2005 as part of the IACP's annual conference. The award was presented to five agencies from across the United States and eight other countries that serve populations above 250,000. The LAPD was selected because it has demonstrated positive change in the department and community by actively adopting a community policing philosophy.

Beginning in 2001, the LAPD initiated a new approach to countering gang violence in the San Fernando Valley. The Department brought together police resources with other service organizations, politicians, community leaders and business leaders and titled the organization the San Fernando Valley Coalition on Gangs.

The San Fernando Valley Coalition of Gangs is a multi-disciplinary partnership focused on prevention, intervention and suppression of gang activity. Its goals have been to:

• Reduce violent gang crime
• Empower neighborhoods and the community, through education and increased awards, to reduce fear of crime and strengthen neighborhood cohesion.
• Increase community and interagency awareness of available, appropriate resources.
• Provide a partnered approach to address issues that promote and enhance lifestyle changes.

Prior to the Coalition implementation, 65% of all homicides in the San Fernando Valley were gang related. Since implementation, the number has dropped to 40%, along with an overall reduction in gang crime during this period. Three and half years after the implementation of the San Fernando Valley Coalition on Gangs, the Coalition is stronger than ever and continues to be a community-driven model that others agencies strive to emulate.

The involvement of community members and organizations outside of the Los Angeles Police Department is significant in developing a true community-policing model to combat the growing rise of violent gang crime and rise in gang membership. Educating the public as to anti-gang resources and making those resources more available have been an invaluable accomplishment.

For further information contact the Los Angeles Police Department, Media Relations Section, at 213-485-3586.