Data-Informed Community-Focused Policing in the Los Angeles Police Department PDF

Data-Informed Community-Focused Policing in the Los Angeles Police Department CHIEF OF POLICE MICHEL R. MOORE To the people of Los Angeles: [we are] committed to deepening your trust by ensuring we are a department that is highly visible, accessible and responsive-policing with purpose, compassio...

Data-Informed Community-Focused Policing in the Los Angeles Police Department CHIEF OF POLICE MICHEL R. MOORE To the people of Los Angeles: [we are] committed to deepening your trust by ensuring we are a department that is highly visible, accessible and responsive-policing with purpose, compassion and partnerships. Editorial AUTHORS Michael Hackman Police Officer III Office of Operations Stephanie Briano Police Officer III Office of Operations Daniel Medina Police Officer III Office of Operations Michael Boylls Detective II Office of Operations Michael P. Rimkunas Commander Assistant to the Director Office of Operations Brittany Elenes Police Officer III Office of Operations Christine Stout-Guttilla Sergeant II Office of Operations Hayley Smith Lieutenant II Office of Operations Brent Maranto Police Officer II Office of Operations Monique Valenzuela Sergeant II Office of Operations Kelly Muniz Lieutenant II Office of Operations Albert Hoang Police Officer II Office of Operations David Gamero Detective I Office of Operations Michel R. Moore Chief of Police Robert N. Arcos Assistant Chief Director Office of Operations GRAPHIC DESIGN Boris Quintanilla Police Officer III Information Technology Bureau PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Pellon Police Officer II Critical Incident Review Division Chief Michel R. Moore Upon appointment to position of Chief of Police of the Los Angeles Police Department, June 28, 2018 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 3 Our Mission The Department’s mission is to safeguard the lives and property of the people we serve, to reduce the incidence and fear of crime, and to enhance public safety while working with our diverse communities to improve their quality of life. Our mandate is to do so with honor and integrity, while at all times conducting ourselves with the highest ethical standards to maintain public confidence. 4 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T Contents 6 Foreword: From the Chief 7 Chapter 1. Purpose 10 Chapter 2. Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to building off the successes of Data-Informed, CommunityFocused Policing in order to build trust and confidence while advancing public safety for all Angelenos. Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing focuses on police officers working closely with the community members to identify problems, solve them, and assess our success. 20 Chapter 5. Responses 25 Chapter 6. Assessment 27 Chapter 7. Strategic Plan 29 Community Safety Operations Center (CSOC) Guide Through strong relationships with community members and the increased trust that results from it, the Department will be better-equipped to reduce crime and keep citizens safe. 11 15 Chapter 3. Acquire Data & Analyze Information and data flow into the Department through 9-1-1 Calls for Service, investigative reports, the crime tipline, and many more channels. Chapter 4. Partnerships Steady relationships across the City will aid the Department in pinpointing and mitigating underlying causes of crime. Once a problem has been analyzed and partnerships established, the Department addresses crime and disorder through various internal and external programs. Every SARA problem-solving effort undertaken by an Area requires assessment to determine successes. LAPD data will be used to determine whether changes in crime occurred as a result of the overall responses implemented. Area-level planning sessions are necessary and should include the main components of Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing: Neighborhood Policing, Location-Based Enforcement, and Focus on Victims. The CSOC Guide serves to maintain consistency throughout all CSOCs while still remaining capable of addressing fundamental community issues and crime trends in specific parts of the City. 41 Area Crime & Community Intelligence Center (ACCIC) Guide The ACCIC Guide serves to maintain consistency throughout all ACCICs, and to ensure each ACCIC functions at its maximum potential. D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 5 Chapter 1 Foreword: From the Chief Policing strategies that focus solely on proactive suppression may reduce crime, but often leave neighborhoods feeling over-policed, singled out, and unnerved. Chief Michel R. Moore The legitimacy of a police department is dependent on a community’s trust in its police officers. Our ability to fight crime is enriched through the development of meaningful and sustained relationships formed with the communities we serve. The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to building off the successes of Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing in order to build trust and confidence while advancing public safety for all Angelenos. While the reduction of crime remains a top priority for the City of Los Angeles, our vision for the Department goes beyond the traditional notions of policing. We are embarking on a new chapter of renewed community engagement, enhanced community safety partnerships, and cuttingedge, data-informed crime prevention programs. We are redefining American policing to include an expanded focus on key organizational performance metrics, including fair enforcement, reducing victimization, ensuring procedural justice, and improving the confidence the people we serve have in us. We have begun a new journey towards a safer, more effective, and more collaborative LAPD. As technology transforms globally, it continues to revolutionize the world of law enforcement. Technological advancements are changing the way we police when it comes to safety, accountability, and the reduction of crime. We are constantly conducting critical analyses of our systems and philosophy regarding data-informed and smart policing strategies, to ensure that we are adhering to our Core Values and meeting our unwavering commitment to constitutional policing. It is our belief that these improvements will dramatically increase the level of service we provide to the public. As part of our ongoing effort to improve the Department and the service we provide, we will continue to implement systems that measure results, improve efficiency, and provide overall accountability. The Department is committed to fostering safe, vibrant, and healthy neighborhoods for all community members. We perform our jobs with purpose, compassion and in partnership with our communities and with each other. To successfully drive public safety, we must continue to form relationship-based policing to ensure we are providing the highest quality service. Further, we remain committed to the development of programs for all community members, businesses, as well as community-based organizations, to consistently improve understanding, communication, and relationships between the Department and the community. We will rely on a shared responsibility between the Department, community, and other City entities, to achieve these goals. Our City and its stakeholders deserve and expect that we fulfill our mission while holding ourselves to the highest ethical standards to maintain public confidence. Through innovative prevention programs and community outreach, the Department will remain a national leader, while continuing toward our goal of becoming the safest big city in America. To accomplish this goal, we will maintain a singular focus on improving this organization so it can continue to set an unparalleled standard of excellence in the daily pursuit of the Department’s mission to safeguard the lives and property of the people we serve, to reduce the incidence of crime, and to enhance public safety while working with the diverse communities we serve, to improve quality of life. Purpose Background on Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing means that police officers will prioritize working with people to build trust, using information that’s accurate and fair, and focusing on solving crime problems in specific places. Importantly, officers will increase their assistance to crime victims and those who are most at risk of becoming victims. Based on input from the public, the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC), the Mayor’s Office and the Chief of Police, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD or Department) is embarking on major improvements to better balance trust and public safety. This change will involve the development of more precise actions and measures based on research and evaluation. It will involve working closely with the community to identify problems, solve them, and assess our success. Although LAPD has been successful in driving down crime in recent years—as opposed to other major cities that have found it more challenging—the idea of striving for improvement and maintaining a high-quality service will permanently be one of our core values. To that end, Chief of Police Michel Moore has requested, as part of his reexamination of the Department, that we take a hard and intensive look at the research literature and at best practices in policing across the country.1 Chief Moore has challenged all employees to find and develop a resilient program that will allow us to maintain public safety by addressing crime and disorder while ensuring that those being served do not feel alienated, marginalized or over-policed. In policing, we know that results matter, but unlike numerous other fields, the focus on how we specifically get to these results holds even more importance. As noted by the Director 1. For a comprehensive view of best practices and evidence-based policing and crime policy see https://cebcp.org/ evidence-based-policing/what-works-in-policing/resource-library/ 6 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T of Operations, Assistant Chief Robert Arcos, “If trust erodes, public safety suffers. As police legitimacy is questioned, communities become less stable.” Evolution of Crime Analysis As technology has emerged and computers have evolved, so has the Department’s ability to analyze crime data and develop strategies to reduce crime and disorder. Beginning in 2009, with funding from the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), specifically the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Department implemented data-driven crime fighting strategies. The initial program led to the development of a strategic plan to move the Department towards a Data-Informed, Community-Focused approach to crime prevention. Over the past ten years, the Department experienced decreases in homicides and other serious crime categories by adopting this approach. At the same time, community members wanted more uniformity in community engagement efforts, as programs across the City varied in intensity and method. The Department seeks to finetune and harmonize our community engagement and crime fighting efforts in an attempt to strike a balance between effective policing and meaningful collaboration between the police and the people whom we have sworn to protect and serve. Policing in Los Angeles has benefited from a long history of civilian oversight, which has enabled police to function with legitimacy in the eyes of the community at large. In fact, recent surveys indicate a high level of support and satisfaction with the police in Los Angeles.2 Still, that sentiment is not universal and does not appear to be equally distributed among our many and diverse neighborhoods. The Department believes that we can do even better. 2. ELUCD Weekly Sentiment Reports 2018-2019 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 7 SARA: Problem-Solving Model Restoring Trust Through Procedural Justice Procedural justice is based on four central principles: (1) treating people with dignity and respect; (2) giving citizens a voice during encounters; (3) being neutral in decision-making; and, (4) conveying trustworthy motives.3 Procedural justice has become an important focal point in the strategy of policing in recent years. Procedural justice focuses on the way police interact with the public and how the characteristics of those interactions shape the public’s views of the police, their willingness to obey the law, cooperation with the police in fighting crime, and actual crime rates. Increasingly, studies have revealed that community perceptions of procedural justice, through their influence on these aspects of people’s relationship with the law and the police, can have a significant impact on public safety. Specifically, research demonstrates that these principles contribute to relationships between police and the community in which (1) the community has trust and confidence in the police as honest, unbiased, benevolent, and lawful; (2) the community feels obligated to follow the law and the dictates of legal authorities; and, (3) the community feels that it shares a common set of interests and values with the police. Procedural justice, public sentiment, and appropriate measures of community perceptions are integral parts of Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing. Department leaders will be held accountable for procedural justice and public sentiment in their Areas, with equal importance as has traditionally been given to crime statistics. Reducing Crime and Assisting Victims Through Problem Solving and Collective Efficacy The Department has historically used the problem-solving model “SARA” (Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment) to address problems in the community. In training the next generation of both sworn and civilian police professionals, the LAPD adopted a “values-infused” model – CAPRA (Clients, Acquiring & Analyzing Information, Partnerships, Response, and Assessment)— that integrates critical thinking and problem-solving skills and is grounded in the core value of Service to Our Communities. This change emphasizes that the client or community is at the center of every situation trying to C A be resolved and to working closely with them as partners in the overarching public safety mission. To ensure our problem-solving efforts are compatible with neighboring agencies and are easily understood by academics and research partners, the Department will report problem solving on a Community-Focused SARA Project Form. As our Department relentlessly places the community at the heart of everything we do, the traditional SARA elements will be coupled with an initial assessment of the “Clients.” Officers should consider the two types of clients in their problem solving: • Direct Clients: Those who you interact with directly at various points during service delivery or in the work team/unit. • Indirect Clients: Those not directly involved in an incident but who have an interest in its outcome. Considering both client types will ensure the Department provides quality service, protection, enforcement, and prevention in partnership to obtain collective efficacy. Every problem we encounter can be solved through this framework. The solutions lie not only with the police however, but also with the criminal justice system, residents, businesses, community organizations, activists, social services agencies, elected officials, and those who are concerned about crime, disorder, and safety in Los Angeles. For every problem we face, we need to identify root causes, acquire and analyze data from multiple sources, work with partners and stakeholders, come up with solutions and responses, and then assess and evaluate those solutions. By following this model we will meet the goals of improving trust between the police and the public, reducing crime, and assisting victims. Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing To change the paradigm in the LAPD, we turn to a new definition and emphasis: Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing means that police officers will prioritize working with people to build trust, using information that’s accurate and fair, and focusing on solving crime problems in specific places. Importantly, officers will increase their assistance to crime victims and those who are most at risk of becoming victims. P R A Clients Acquiring & Analyzing Partnerships Response Assessment Every member of the LAPD serves multiple and diverse communities which may include callers for service, participants in incidents, bystanders, victims, witnesses, sources, suspects, offenders and involved officers. Critical thinking requires the acquisition of the necessary information to identify if there is a problem and then to define it before an analysis of that data. Anyone who, at any time within the process of problem solving, contributes to the finding of a solution with the police is a partner. Every situation is unique and will draw upon the utilization of individual skills, creative problem-solving and community strategies. To improve and build upon our future goals and community expectations, we must continuously assess our own performance. 3. Legitimacy and Procedural Justice: A New Element of Police Leadership, Police Executive Research Forum, (March 2014) 8 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T S A R A Scanning Analysis Response Assessment Identify issues contributing to crime and poor quality of life within a neighborhood Determine the causes of the problems by observing the area, engaging the community, and using appropriate data analysis (walk, talk, and analyze) Use different tools to solve the problem – For example, prevention (be there – use foot and bike patrols, and officer presence); intervention (work with community organizations to work with at-risk youth); enforcement (surveillance, interdiction, and arrests, if necessary) Determine successes by walking, talking, and analyzing (measure the results of the response through calls for service, incidents, public perceptions) For the LAPD, Data-Informed Community-Focused Policing is a framework that incorporates meaningful collaborations between the police and neighborhoods, in addition to analysis of crime reports (crime data). Police legitimacy and trustbuilding are at the heart of patrol work and are not viewed as additional functions. This concept ensures that police use community engagement more than enforcement and, when enforcement is necessary, it is accurately focused. Ideally, Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing makes every police-citizen interaction an act of collaboration. We need to create stronger bonds between police and community, as this combination of unifying forces and collective energy can lead to safer neighborhoods. The spirit of unification, the blending of informal (citizen-based) and formal (policebased) social controls, and the building of trust between police and people counterbalances the effects of crime and disorder. gathering and using information to allocate an appropriate amount of police resources to a specific problem or area. A core principle of Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing is the idea that communities are comprised of various people with sometimes competing interests, issues, political viewpoints, and crime related problems. This strategy emphasizes the idea that programs and policies should be tailored to the precise requirements of each respective community. To effectively solve community problems, the Department must implement accountability systems that allow police to track crime and respond to trends with procedurally-just resources. The two themes are intrinsically linked, and therefore, while reacting to crime problems and other associated complaints within the community, police must view that as an opportunity to carry out community engagement efforts to build trust and work towards long term community benefits. There are two overarching themes -- the first theme focuses on neighborhood policing, especially in terms of collective efficacy, with the residents of the community making it robust and resilient. Policing with shared responsibility focuses on the way in which police work alongside the community. The second theme is crime-and-disorder enforcement which involves A practical example is LAPD’s Community Safety Partnership Program (CSP) that began in 2011 and involves a collaboration between the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and the Department. The program focuses on officers working with kids and their families in places such as Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts, Pueblo Del Rio, South Park, Harvard Park, and Ramona Gardens. With the help of civic partners and community activists these housing developments have transformed from crime areas to safe havens. Through youth programs, safe passages to and There are three basic goals for Data-Informed, from school, and relationship-building with residents, crime Community-Focused Policing: has diminished significantly. The program is expanding to Goal 1 Increase trust between the police and the public; other areas of the City, particularly in and around parks and 4 Goal 2 Reduce crime, including gun and gang-related crimes; and, residential neighborhoods. Goal 3 Assist victims of crimes, including residents, businesses, and those who are vulnerable to crime and disorder. 4. See http://lapdonline.org/newsroom/news_view/57887 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 9 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 17 16 19 21 10 9 15 6 8 7 Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing 11 20 2 1 4 3 13 12 14 Communities and Clients Los Angeles is a multi-cultural, highly-diverse urban center. Spread across 472 square miles, the City’s people, communities, businesses, sports teams, and tourist attractions are recognized across the globe. More than four million people live in Los Angeles and many more work, visit, and play here. Keeping people safe through enforcement, prevention, and mitigation are the primary methods of the Department. Indeed, the Department’s policing effort will serve all its communities and clients via the following goals and objectives. Goals • Increase trust between the police and the public; • Reduce crime, including gun and gang-related crimes; and, • Assist victims of crimes, including residents, businesses, and those who are vulnerable to crime and disorder. Objectives 1 Use crime and other data for analytic purposes that identify neighborhoods experiencing crime and low community engagement within the last year. These areas, after identification by an Area Crime & Community Intelligence Center (ACCIC), will be deemed the Neighborhood Engagement Areas (NEA) where police, residents, businesses, stakeholders, and other partners seek to reduce crime and disorder. 18 Valley Bureau Van Nuys Area (9) West Valley Area (10) Foothill Area (16) North Hollywood Area (15) Devonshire Area (17) Mission Area (19) Topanga Area (21) West Bureau West Los Angeles Area (8) Hollywood Area (6) Pacific Area (14) Wilshire Area (7) Olympic Area (20) 2 Build trust in the NEAs, CSP locations, and throughout the City by engaging in relationship building; working with youth; and actively engaging residents and businesses to assist in the effort. 3 Forge community cohesion within NEAs with stakeholders, partners, and community organizations to solve problems. 4 Solve ‘big’ and ‘small’ crimes and problems within the NEAs. 10 Information, through the collection of data and careful analysis, is necessary to understanding problems Central Bureau Central Area (1) Rampart Area (2) Hollenbeck Area (4) Northeast Area (11) Newton Area (13) South Bureau Southwest Area (3) Southeast Area (18) 77th Street Area (12) Harbor Area (5) D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T Acquire Data & Analyze and providing solutions to them. In major cities and law enforcement agencies throughout the country, the requirement for quick and efficient answers has grown steadily with the advent of social media and the demand for real-time information. The LAPD has not ignored that need for information and has ensured that valid and reliable data are accessible to the public through the City’s open data portal (https://data.lacity.org/). 5 The Flow of Information Information and data flow into the LAPD every day through 9-1-1 Calls for Service, investigative reports, the crime tipline, and many more channels. A community member is at the center of every data element the Department acquires because the community member is the source of crime reports. The Department received over 1,000,000 Calls for Service in 2018 from people requesting assistance regarding a crime or a disorder problem. Although not every service call results in a report, many times officers complete a crime report in order to investigate an incident. In addition, the community may also file a desk report at any Area community police station or use the Community Online Reporting Service (CORS) to file certain report types. Whenever a crime report is taken—through a Vehicle Report or Investigative Report (IR)—the information on the report flows to multiple places. A copy is distributed to the entity responsible for investigating the crime, such as the detectives in community police stations or a specialized unit. From that point, detectives investigate the offense, gather evidence to support the case, identify the offender, and work towards apprehending the offender. If property is involved, the detective’s goal is also to recover and return the property to its rightful owner. In addition to the copy sent to the investigating entity, a copy of the report is sent to the Area Crime & Community Intelligence Center (ACCIC). These police and civilian analysts are responsible for using data to determine trends in crime, informing Area commanding officers of locations to focus resources, and recommending ways to reduce victimization through targeted prevention efforts. Measuring Crime: LAPD Data To measure crime in the City, the Department, like 18,000 other law enforcement agencies across the country, uses a uniform set of statistics that first reports to the California Department of Justice (CalDOJ). Those statistics are verified and validated in the Department and at the state level and then forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI has compiled national statistics since 1930 and published the data as Crime in the United States since 1958. Crime statistics for the LAPD are available on the City of Los Angeles’ Open data portal: https://data.lacity.org/browse?DataOwner_Department=LAPD. Anyone can download the data and conduct independent analyses. D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 11 For other law enforcement agencies, data are available from the FBI’s and Bureau of Justice Statistics’ websites: https://www.bjs. gov/ucrdata/Search/Crime/Crime.cfm and https://crime-dataexplorer.fr.cloud.gov/. Crime Data for LAPD Analysis The data used to measure crime follow the specific definitions mandated by CalDOJ and the FBI and include “Part I Crime” incidents reported to the LAPD. These Part I offenses include homicides, robberies, rapes, aggravated assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, and arson. In addition, offenses that involve guns, gangs, victims of shootings, and other high-importance occurrences are routinely analyzed by police and crime analysts in the Department. In any crime incident, the variables analyzed—or the factors that receive attention—consist of the following: • Type of crime; • Time of the occurrence (date, hour, and day-of-week); • Location of occurrence (address, geo-coordinates, reporting district, and Area); • Modus operandi (MO); and, • Any other necessary elements for investigations or operations (e.g., suspect or vehicle information). These data elements are extracted from the same database used by the LAPD on a daily basis for Compstat and other strategic crime control efforts. The Department’s civilian Crime and Intelligence Analysts (CIANs) routinely validate the data to ensure accuracy. Calls for Service Calls for Service (CFS) data are used routinely to help determine where and why community members request police service. CFS data are divided into five (5) types of calls: 1 2 3 4 5 Personal (e.g., robbery, assault); Property (e.g., burglary, auto-theft); Public order offenses (e.g., disturbances, drugs/prostitution); Traffic-related incidents/crimes (e.g., DUI, traffic collision); and, Other miscellaneous types of calls (e.g., 311 [non-emergency municipal services], forgery, alarm). The supplemental data associated with Calls for Service include the ‘priority levels’ of calls – those that are of high importance and require ‘lights and sirens’ (Code-3 calls), moderate importance (Code 2 calls), and standard priority (non-coded calls). These data (from 2014 to 2018) are available on the City’s Open Data Portal at https://data.lacity.org/browse?Data-Owner_ Department=LAPD. 12 Automated Officer Location Capture Data from Automated Officer Location Capture (AOLC) are used to track and log an officer’s position throughout the day. Preliminarily, AOLC allows supervisors and commanding officers to ensure that adequate time is spent in focus areas to modulate otherwise inviting situations for criminal activity. Additionally, location capture allows the Department an information repository to use in later analytics for evaluation purposes. Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing Process Daily Crime Information Gathering Area Crime & Community Intelligence Center (ACCIC) Assess and analyze Analytical Tools and Processes To analyze these data, the Department uses its Crime Analysis Mapping System (CAMS), existing off-the-shelf software like STATA or SPSS and their data platforms, ArcGIS and Palantir. CAMS has been used for over a decade on a daily basis throughout the Department. Through this system, daily crime maps, missions, and statistics are generated. Additionally, CAMS allows crime analysts to query for certain crime elements to detect early patterns (e.g., crime analysts can display robberies and aggravated assaults where a weapon was a firearm). Area Each Area is held accountable for reducing the fear and incidence of crime. This flow chart depicts the daily process for crime reduction and community engagement strategies. Mission Deployment & Community Engagement Crime Control Discuss missions, resource deployment and community engagement strategies Crime Maps In addition to algorithm-generated density maps for property crimes, purely statistical crime maps continue to be a necessary tool for tackling all location-based crime and disorder. Crime maps, depicting the location of crimes that are reported, can be generated in real-time by using CAMS or ArcGIS. Real-Time Crime Maps For real-time information, maps are displayed on television terminals in the watch commander’s office and are used routinely by them. Dissemination of Information Bureau CSOC Information sharing This practice allows for an up-to-the-minute look at potentially emerging crime trends and rapid response deployment of resources to address emerging crime problems. Crime maps are also the basis for daily crime-control meetings and should be distributed in the roll call room. Near Real-Time Maps (PDFs and Printed Maps) Near real-time crime maps are beneficial for investigators, officers, and the community. Investigators may gain insight into problem locations through a visual depiction of recent crimes and can use the location information to assist in planning canvassing. Perhaps more significantly, crime maps are distributed and posted on the LAPD website and the Area pages so that residents and businesses have access to the information. Compstat Future Strategies Accountability Compstat inspection meetings take place throughout the year to hold commanding officers accountable for crime that takes place within their Area and discuss future strategies for crime reduction. OO CSOC Support Monitor Oversight As the Department redoubles its efforts for policing, sharing D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 13 Did You Know? Chapter 4 A B O U T C O M P S TAT In 2003 Chief William Bratton introduced his model of Compstat (comprehensive computer statistics) to the LAPD. Based on the New York Police Department’s model that he began in1994, Chief Bratton emphasized this performance management tool as a method of accountability and one that could lead to crime reduction. Four principles guide the LAPD method: 1) accurate and timely intelligence; 2) effective tactics; 3) rapid deployment; and 4) relentless follow-up and assessment. Today, using technology and computer generated mapping, Compstat generates crime statistics daily, weekly, monthly, and annually for command staff and Area commanding officers. Each LAPD Office (Operations, Support Services, and Special Operations) is held accountable for crime, risk management, and other Department goals. The most widely recognized element of Compstat is its regularly occurring meetings where LAPD’s executives and officers discuss and analyze crime problems and the strategies used to address those problems. From an administrative perspective, LAPD’s Compstat is a unique system for internal and external accountability. As a measurement system, it drives the Department in the following ways: • It is aligned with organizational units that hold leaders and managers accountable for performance; • The measures are simple and continuously used so that performance can be observed over time; • The measures are aligned with those who oversee the Department externally; • Accountability is frequent, so that leaders and managers are attentive; • Leaders and managers recognize that Compstat affects their current and future standing and promotional opportunities; and, • Comparisons can be made across Areas, situations, and people. 14 this information with the community stakeholders can work towards engaging them to address the problem. Partnerships Already, many Areas are sharing daily crime maps with the community through social media and the Department supports Citywide crime mapping projects (such as through crimemapping.com). Officers who engage with the community also provide crime prevention information specific to recent crime dots. Effective partnerships between law enforcement and community stakeholders are essential to public Example: A crime map shows three home burglaries on culde-sac locations in a basic car boundary. Along with sharing the crime map, the officer notes that the burglaries occurred from rear-sliding door smashes. As a result, residents are reminded to trim overgrown hedges, ensure adequate lighting, and to make their home appear occupied, when possible. Analysis of Crime Report Data The Department will leverage new mapping and crime databases to allow Area Crime and Community Intelligence Centers to perform crime spike analysis and use historical crime data to detect temporal trends in violent and property crime. Using CAMS and other analytics software, crime hotspots— such as those from a sudden crime spike—can be detected with heatmapping or kernel density estimates, and resources can be redeployed to precisely address emerging crime problems. Similarly, manual or computer-aided reviews of historical crime data may be performed to determine temporal crime trends, such as seasonal property crime increases during summer months. For either method, the Department will focus on using only the following four data elements: • Type of incident (e.g., burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft); • Location of incident; • Date and time of incident (e.g., January 1, 2019 at 1400 hours); and, • Day of the week. • Any other necessary elements for investigations or operations (e.g., suspect or vehicle information). D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T safety. As the Department implements the SARA process, partnerships are essential in understanding the problem, providing responses to the problem, and assessing or evaluating the problem. As we have discussed, the community-focused goal is meant to address problems of disorder and neglect with stakeholders throughout the City. The LAPD and the greater community become partners in addressing problems of violence, abandoned cars, quality of life, burglaries, thefts, and other major crimes. the collaborative bonds needed to maintain order, provide a sense of security, and control and reduce crime. Police must build lasting relationships that encompass all elements of the community and center around the fundamental issues of public safety and quality of life. As we have discussed, the key to managing this difficult task is trust. As we build relationships and linkages across the City, those partnerships will be strengthened over time, and we will be better suited to pinpoint and mitigate the underlying causes of crime. Establishing and maintaining mutual trust is a central goal of Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing. This is accomplished, in part through community partnerships. The LAPD recognizes the need for cooperation with the community. In the fight against serious crime we have encouraged community members to come forth with relevant information. In addition, we have spoken to neighborhood groups, participated in business and civic events, worked with social agencies, and taken part in educational and recreational programs for school children. Our partnerships consist of more than just our local government offices and neighborhood residents. Churches, schools, hospitals, social groups, private and public agencies, and those who work in the area are also vital members of the community. In addition, those who visit Los Angeles for cultural or recreational purposes, or provide services to the area are also concerned with the safety and security of the neighborhood. We must also keep in mind that concerns and priorities will vary within and among these communities. Some communities have been established over the years and were formed around racial or ethnic lines, or through a common history, church, or school. Others form and re-form as new problems are identified and addressed. Interest groups within communities can be in opposition to one another—sometimes in heated opposition. With changes in demographics, economic development, gentrification, and other factors, intracommunity disputes emerge. The conflicts within communities are as important as the commonalities. The LAPD must be cognizant and sensitive to the existence of a myriad of opinions and beliefs while building But we need to do more. The fundamental distinction is that in Data-Informed, Community-Focused Policing, we become an integral part of the community culture, and the community assists in defining future priorities and in allocating resources. Community partnership means adopting a policing perspective that exceeds the traditional law enforcement emphasis. This broadened outlook recognizes the value of activities that contribute to the orderliness and well-being of a neighborhood. Toward these ends, the Department will incorporate important components of community engagement that include Community Safety Partnerships, collective efficacy, and many other programs geared not only at crime reduction but at building trust. Partnerships are key to making these work. D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 15 Instead of suppression units, community advocates and Department leaders envisioned a concept of creating a dedicated group of police officers who would embrace new, trust-building policing methods and work collaboratively with the community to achieve long-term solutions to crime and quality-of-life concerns. Community Safety Partnerships The Community Safety Partnership program is the keystone of the Department’s partnership strategy, supported by its four pillars: Community Outreach, Youth Programs, Public Safety, and Safe Passage. Started in early 2011, the program was developed as an alternative to enforcement-driven overtime details to combat crime in housing developments. Instead of suppression units, community advocates and Department leaders envisioned a concept of creating a dedicated group of police officers who would embrace new, trust-building policing methods and work collaboratively with the community to achieve long-term solutions to crime and quality-of-life concerns. Beginning in October of 2011, after months of specialized training in the areas of interpersonal communication, psychology, sociology, leadership, Constitutional policing, cultural policing, de-escalation techniques, and dispute resolution, four CSP sites opened. Three were centered in the Department’s Southeast Area (Jordan Downs, Imperial Courts, Nickerson Gardens) while one opened in the Hollenbeck Area (Ramona Gardens). Not only has the program become a nationally recognized success story—with significantly improved crime rates in CSP areas along with record community trust and support—but 16 scores of civil rights leaders have championed the Department’s efforts. Notably, community leaders have written to executive and political leaders about the outcomes observed within CSP locations. In fact, Community Safety Partnerships were identified as a nationwide best practice in the Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, convened by President Barack Obama. The Department is doubling down on its commitment to this community collaboration. The Department has expanded the CSP program to ten locations, as of the first quarter of 2020. Beyond the original sites, the Department now has two locations in Newton Area (South Park and Pueblo del Rio), two more in Southeast (Avalon Gardens and Gonzaque Village), and one each in 77th Street Area (Harvard Park) and Foothill Area (San Fernando Gardens). In these locations, as in the original four, the officers in the program are tasked with (1) developing positive policecommunity relationships through education and sports programs; (2) addressing crime trends in collaboration with community leaders; and (3) exercising their law enforcement duties and responsibilities through a long-term, problemsolving approach. D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 17 Going forward, the heart of the four pillars serve as guide for successful community partnership. Community Outreach ensures the Department understands what the community needs from their police department, as well as strengthening bonds by offering community clean-up days, education and job fairs, holiday events, and “foot beats” alongside community volunteers. Youth Programs and Safe Passage ensure positive activities exist for youth, to avoid gang membership and pressures of delinquency—especially on routes to and from school. The Public Safety component ensures necessary enforcement activity exists to uphold a high quality-of-life, balanced with an understanding of a need to do so with compassion and understanding. Four Pillars of Community Partnerships Community Outreach Youth Programs Safe Passage Public Safety ensures the Department understands what the community needs from their police department, as well as strengthening bonds between the community and the Department. ensure positive activities exist for youth, to avoid gang membership and pressures of delinquency. These programs also build trust by developing relationships and providing mentoring. involves police, parents, grandparents and neighbors to deter crime by being available to assist children and ensure crime-free routes to and from school. component ensures necessary enforcement activity exists to uphold a high quality-oflife, balanced with an understanding of a need to do so with compassion and understanding. 18 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 19 Chapter 5 These patterns were identified during the conference calls and shared with the various enforcement units which contributed to the quick apprehension of dangerous suspects. As a result of these successes, CSOC has been established in Central, Valley, and West Bureaus. The Community Safety Operations Center Guide serves as a guideline to maintain all CSOCs consistent in structure and implementation while still capable of addressing fundamental community issues and unique crime trends and various levels of disorder (quality of life concerns) in different parts of the City. Neighborhood Engagement Areas Neighborhood Engagement Areas (NEA) are locations identified by an Area ACCIC where crimes have increased over the past year and where Senior Lead Officers (SLO), patrol officers, residents and businesses begin to take more responsibility for reducing crime. The Department will use the well-established academic principles of “SARA” (Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment) problem-solving techniques to address issues within NEAs; implement location-based solutions; provide services to those who need assistance; and, engage the community to assist with education and prevention. Responses Once the problem has been analyzed and partnerships with other community members and organizations have been established, the Department responds to address crime and disorder. In this section, we describe a variety of programs within the Department that have internal and external components. Community Safety Operations Center In the Department, one of the key successes to crime reduction has been the use of the Community Safety Operations Center (CSOC) in South Bureau. Since 2016, the activities of CSOC have assisted in reducing crime, notably homicides and gunrelated violence. For the past three years, CSOC has been coordinating crime reduction efforts within Newton Area, Southwest Area, 77th Street Area, and Southeast Area. Together, these four Areas accounted for approximately 48% of the City’s violent gun crimes. CSOC has been assisting the commanding officers of Operations-Central Bureau (OCB) and Operations-South Bureau (OSB) with reducing the incidence of crime in the designated Areas. 20 To accomplish their mission, CSOC staff analyze crime data and assist the commanding officers in the coordination of deployment of officers across the region. Timely coordination resulted in the rapid apprehension of many suspects of crime across all focus areas. The CSOC day shift provided crime analysis, investigative support, prepared crime maps, and allocated Metropolitan Division and motor officer resources. The night shift provided field investigative support, monitored Calls for Service in the focus areas, and allocated resources based on emerging incidents, if necessary. In essence, police and crime analysts worked together to identify and track crime that emerges across the Bureau. CSOC was successful in its mission and significantly reduced violent crime over the past three years. Many lessons were learned and “best practices” were identified. The bureau commanding officers identified the daily conference calls as one of the most important factors in CSOC’s success. The conference calls reinforced to the Area commanding officers the importance of reducing crime. The daily conference calls also improved the speed with which information was exchanged between commands. Many violent crimes, such as robberies and shootings, occurred in multiple Areas, and often involved the same suspects. D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T Local police leadership must forge strategic relationships in these neighborhoods-not just in words, but in deeds. Police officers must consider themselves to be both caretakers and problem solvers in their communities and neighborhoods and serve as catalysts for the overall improvement of conditions in the neighborhood. A key component of this strategy is to meet the unique needs of particular neighborhoods. Forming partnerships is extremely important and officers must adapt and work with communities that have specific needs. The diversity of neighborhoods across the City means that different approaches must be used to solve problems, reduce crime, and reduce victimization. A ‘project’ should be created and implemented for each location identified as having a need, such as through Street Segment Analysis. The plans should include input from the SLO, patrol officers, investigators, neighborhood prosecutors, and those residents with street-level knowledge. The plan should include goals, objectives, a timeline, and people responsible for specific tasks. Each week, commanding officers should measure progress toward improving safety. At Compstat, questions will be asked about crime locations, the SARA process, and how Areas are achieving their goals of increasing trust, reducing crime, and assisting victims. The following illustrates the steps to provide solutions to community problems associated with crime or disorder. In Step 1, it is expected that Area captains task their SLO or assigned team (“NEA Team”) for the locations in question to engage in scanning the corridor to note significant traits and visible problems. The NEA Team should note the presence or absence of trash, graffiti, encampments, loitering, prostitution, street lighting, visible surveillance cameras, landscaping, and throughways. For Step 2, the Area Crime & Community Intelligence Center (ACCIC) or NEA Team should conduct an in-depth analysis of how each of the observed elements either contributes or detracts from public order and community safety. The NEA Team can consist of multiple resources including foot patrols, bikes, narcotics units, gang units, and other specialized problem-solving officer teams. It is expected that the ACCIC review crime reports from their assigned basic car and provide an analysis of how the environmental factors may play a role in any pattern or trend of the underlying offense. Example 1: An ACCIC is reviewing a series of reports for vandalism. The ACCIC notes that all the vandalism occurrences were graffiti on garages in a dimly lit alley with no noticeable surveillance system. Additionally, a Cityowned skate park is located across from the street at the end of the alleyway and closes at dusk. By focusing on small geographic locations with high concentrations of crime, micro-location policing aims to increase the general deterrence of police actions, in this case by increasing perceptions of the certainty of enforcement action. Example 2: An ACCIC reviews recent neighborhood complaints for prostitution. The SLO recognizes that the road has a wide second lane, allowing cars to stop at the curb to engage with pedestrians on the sidewalk. Additionally, the businesses fronting the sidewalk turn off their lights at night. During Step 3, the ACCIC should respond to the problem with solutions tailored to the problem. Importantly, the ACCIC will often need to partner with other City entities, local businesses and residents, and community leaders to effect the desired change. Example 1: The ACCIC determines that the alley needs to increase the lighting and works with the council member and the Bureau of Street Services to install new street lighting in the alleyway. At the same time, the ACCIC and NEA Team works with the neighbors to install visible surveillance cameras to both capture and deter individuals from committing vandalism. Lastly, the ACCIC and NEA Team should work with City partners to change the egress from the skatepark to divert pedestrian traffic to the major street corridor rather than the side streets with alleys. Facilitating a quick dispersal of potentially-involved individuals eliminates the opportunity to congregate and engage in group-centric graffiti. D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 21 Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design By focusing on micro-geographic locations with high concentrations of crime, the goal is to increase the general deterrence of police actions, in this case by increasing perceptions of the certainty of enforcement action. Example 2: Example 2: The ACCIC recognizes the dimly lit sidewalk helps mask the loitering for prostitution and works with the businesses to keep the sidewalk illuminated at night. Furthermore, the ACCIC and NEA Team work with the council member to modify the throughways by adding a parking island-protected bike lane. By encouraging frequent bike passage and removing the ability for cars to pull immediately adjacent to the curb, the ease of soliciting the prostitute is reduced and the activity is eliminated from that location. During Step 4, the ACCIC will assess the results of the solutions implemented in Step 3. The ACCIC will look not only at crime reports and Calls for Service, but also consult the community in regards to satisfaction levels with the implemented changes and subsequent results. The ACCIC and the community decide whether the problem is solved or whether to continue working the area. Location-Based Crime and Disorder Enforcement The most recent research5 shows that focusing on small areas (micro-geographic locations) will deter crime from areas, and in fact, reduce the likelihood the crime ever occurs.6 Microgeographic locations are one or two street segments (5001,000-foot street blocks) that include specific locations (bars, liquor stores, or bus stops), or high-crime street corners. By concentrating on these areas, police have smaller ‘foot prints’ and are not seen as over-policing neighborhoods. Micro-location policing covers a range of police responses, but they all emphasize placing resources at specific locations where crime incidents have been highly concentrated. By focusing on micro-geographic locations with high concentrations of crime, the goal is to increase the general deterrence of police actions, in this case by increasing perceptions of the certainty of enforcement action.7 There may also be a specific deterrent impact as serious offenders who are arrested because of increased patrols are dissuaded from future offending. Collective Efficacy (Shared Responsibility) It is also clear that the Department needs to adopt a more communal response to crime. By embedding the idea of collective efficacy into daily policing and concentrating on educating people about this, a communal response to crime will develop. Collective efficacy refers to the degree to which people trust their neighbors to provide a sense of safety, the extent that they care about their neighborhood, and their willingness to intervene if something problematic happens. By extension, collective efficacy means trusting the police to assist in dealing with problems in their community. Research shows that neighborhoods with higher collective efficacy experience lower rates of crime. In a practical sense, collective efficacy involves residents supervising children playing in public areas, acting to prevent truancy and street corner “hanging” by teenagers and confronting individuals who exploit or disturb public spaces. Other examples of collective efficacy can be small actions such as asking questions to strangers, calling the police when a neighbor needs help, assisting an elderly neighbor or attending City Council meetings. Implementation, encouragement, and education around this approach to having shared responsibility will act as a catalyst to build safer communities and this approach will help us to be more precise and focus on an ever-smaller footprint. 5. Weisburd, D. & Majmundar, M.K. & Education, Division. (2018). Proactive Policing: Effects on crime and communities. 6. Braga, A. A., Papachristos, A., & Hureau, D. (2012). Hot spots policing effect on crime (Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8). The Campbell Collaboration. Retrieved from https://publikationen.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/ bitstream/handle/10900/64689/Braga_Hot_Spots_Policing_Review.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 7. Durlauf, S. N., and Nagin, D. S. (2011). Imprisonment and crime. Criminology & Public Policy, 10(1), 13–54. 22 D ATA - I N F O R M E D , C O M M U N I T Y- F O C U S E D P O L I C I N G I N T H E LO S A N G E L E S P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T 1 Natural Surveillance: the removal of hiding spots or physical barriers. 2 Natural Access Control: controlling the flow of traffic or travel. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a crime reduction strategy that seeks to deter or prevent crime by changing environmental structures. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is comprised of four main components: 1 Natural Surveillance: the removal of hiding spots or physical barriers, 2 Natural Access Control: controlling the flow of traffic or travel, 3 Territoriality: generating a sense of ownership within the location, and 4 Maintenance: the physical maintenance or general upkeep of a place.8 Deploying CPTED practices reduces crime by signaling safety to residents and businesses while simultaneously discouraging would-be offenders.8 The CPTED process is an evidence-based crime reduction technique that has been supported by various research projects and police departments for over 30 years. The notion that environmental design and maintenance can affect crime and disorder is well established in American policing. It is not necessary, however, to assume a perfect link between physical disorder and all subsequent crime to use environmental planning and design as a means to affect the overall safety and vibrancy of neighborhood communities—perceived and actual. For example, in parks, the most commonly utilized CPTED strategies include trash and graffiti removal, increased lighting, and implementing signs throughout the park.8 These strategies allow park users to adopt a sense of park ownership, improve their safety or perception of safety, and encourage their continued use of the park’s amenities.8 Conversely, if parks are left unmaintained and in poor condition, residents are less able to employ informal social control, trust one another, and are less willing to spend t