Asian Pacific Islanders Come Together to Discuss Issues with the Los Angeles Police Department

"Asian Pacific Islanders Come Together to Discuss Issues With the Los Angeles Police Department"
 

Los Angeles: On May 28, 2003, Los Angeles Police Commissioner Rose Ochi convened a meeting with representatives of the Asian Pacific Islander community to discuss ways in which the community and the Los Angeles Police Department can work together on current issues. Held at the LAPD Communications Center in downtown Los Angeles, the meeting was attended by LAPD Chief William Bratton and his Command Staff and numerous Asian Pacific Islander community leaders. Topics included leadership and recruitment, language accessibility, community-based policy issues, hate crimes, and the placement of the new police administration building.
"I feel that we made real progress in hearing and addressing issues in the Asian Pacific Islander community," stated Police Commissioner Rose Ochi. "We were also able to address misunderstandings such as the notion that the new Parker Center would require executing eminent domain over the parking lot adjacent to the Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo. That is not going to happen and I am glad we were able to clear up that misunderstanding."
Improving language accessibility to the LAPD has been a desire of the Asian Pacific Islander community. With the community’s assistance, the LAPD has made significant improvements in this area. Internal foreign language audits are now part of the Annual Audit Schedule, meaning that each station is tested on its ability to service non-English speaking people.
Commissioner Ochi and Chief Bratton both expressed their commitment to ethnic diversity within the Los Angeles Police Department. The best way to serve a diverse community is with a diverse police force. LAPD continues its efforts in recruiting a diverse mix of highly qualified candidates to be police officers.
Also discussed at the meeting was the issue of hate crimes. On one side, the community needs to be more forthcoming in reporting hate crimes, and crimes in general. On the other side, the community would like to see the LAPD provide more in-service training for officers so they may identify hate crimes more readily.
Commissioner Ochi reflected on the event, "I think we all left with a better understanding of our common goal: improved public safety for the Asian Pacific Islander Community."
For more information on this press release, please contact Tamryn Catania at 213-485-3531.