Los Angeles: The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School recently announced that the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Operation Archangel is one of the top 50 programs in the institute’s 2008 Innovations in American Government Awards competition. All 50 programs will be eligible to compete for a $100,000 award that will be announced this coming September.
The LAPD was selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 applicants, with the top 50 programs representing the best in government innovation from local, city, county, tribal, state and federal levels. Each of the 50 programs had to pass several rounds of rigorous evaluation from a committee of practitioners and policy experts at Harvard Kennedy School and other renowned institutions nationwide. Selected programs cover a wide range of issues and policy areas, including transportation, infrastructure, health and social services, criminal justice, the environment and more.
The award-winning programs are replicated in jurisdictions throughout the country and serve as forerunners for current reform strategies and new legislation. They also enlighten research and academic studies in educational institutions worldwide and demonstrate that all levels of government are working to enhance the quality of life for the constituents they serve.
The LAPD’s Operation Archangel is aligned with and contributes directly to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Strategy for Homeland Security, the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and the Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan. Archangel is also a partnership among the City and County of Los Angeles, the California State Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. By fostering interagency cooperation and coordination with the Department, Archangel’s guiding principle is that local member agencies are most knowledgeable about their own critical assets. With a primary focus on threat prevention, Archangel defends likely targets against catastrophic terrorist attacks through identification and protection of critical infrastructure and key resources in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
“I’m very pleased that the Ash Institute has recognized the Department for its ongoing efforts to enhance protection for the City of Los Angeles through Operation Archangel,” said LAPD Chief William J. Bratton. “This really validates our diverse efforts to be effective in the scope of the service we provide and cooperative with vital law enforcement agencies nationwide.”
The Innovations in American Government Awards Program was established in 1985 at Harvard Kennedy School by the Ford Foundation. It is designed to improve government practices by honoring effective government initiatives and encouraging them to be disseminated across the country. Related efforts of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation advance excellence in governance and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through research, publications, leadership training, global networking and the awards program. The institutes many activities were developed in collaboration with a diverse community of scholars and practitioners and foster creative, effective government problem-solving.