CITY LAW OFFICIALS COME TO VALLEY FOR TOWN HALL MEETING; PANEL ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer

The big guns of Los Angeles law enforcement came to the San Fernando Valley on Thursday to address residents' concerns on issues from leniency for violent youth to wasted bond money.

Many of the questions from the approximately 200 people attending the town hall meeting were fueled by fear of crime; other inquiries dwelled on community and quality-of-life issues. The seven members of the panel, including Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bernard C. Parks, District Attorney Gil Garcetti and City Attorney James Hahn, patiently tackled each question as best they could - or felt they should.

``It would not be appropriate for me to talk further about any investigation or review,'' Garcetti said when asked why his office was not prosecuting more school district officials about misuse of Proposition BB school repair funds. ``It would not be fair to the person who would be accused and could be later found to have done nothing.''

The event in the Manoogian-Demirdjian School gymnasium was sponsored by the West Valley Community Police Advisory Board.

Several people asked about the use of public safety bond funds and whether they can be sure the money will go where the voters intended.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick assured the audience that the bond on the upcoming April election will be spent to boost police and fire services.

``This is going to be a bond that spends your dollars wisely and well,'' Chick said. ``There were things that weren't perfect in the past, but I believe we've learned from that.''

City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski also was on the panel.

Parks, responding to concerns that the department was phasing out its senior lead officer program, said he was doing just the opposite. Those officers were being reassigned from specific neighborhoods to train other officers in community policing techniques so there will always be someone available to respond to neighborhood problems.

Parks also said the department was stepping up the enforcement of traffic laws in the Valley in a bid to cut down on hit-and-run accidents.

When asked whether morale was low among the department's officers, Parks said it was difficult to gauge, but the steady decline in the crime rate was proof that the officers are dedicated to their jobs.

``If you look at what's going on in the department, the systems that were changed . . . and look at the crime rate, someone is doing that job and doing it well,'' Parks said.

Hahn was asked why his office does not prosecute people for illegally carrying handguns in public.

``We do,'' Hahn answered. ``We get hundreds of cases a year. It's against the law to carry a loaded gun in public - even if you feel you need it on the freeways.''