COP RESPONSE SLOWS LAPD TAKING NEARLY 10 PERCENT LONGER TO ARRIVE IN VALLEY.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

LAPD emergency response times have worsened sharply in the San Fernando Valley and throughout Los Angeles as the department grapples with manpower shortages, according to figures obtained by the Daily News.

The median emergency response time in the Valley increased to 9 minutes, 12 seconds for the week of July 8 compared with 8 minutes, 24 seconds in the same week a year ago, according to Los Angeles Police Department figures.

That represents an increase of 48 seconds, or 9.5 percent, and is the slowest time of the city's four bureaus.

Citywide, the median emergency response time increased to 8 minutes, 30 seconds compared with 7 minutes, 54 seconds the prior year, an increase of 7.6 percent.

The LAPD response time figures are based on median numbers - the point at which half the calls are answered slower and half are answered faster.

Figures for average time it takes to respond to a 911 emergence call supplied by the police union are dramatically slower.

The Police Protective League figures show an average response time of 12.1 minutes citywide and 12.6 minutes in the Valley. LAPD officials, however, said they have historically used a median figure, not an average, to report what they believe is a more accurate picture of response times.

The figures are fuel for LAPD critics - from the police union, which said they indicate an understaffed, demoralized force, to Valley secessionists, who said it shows the Valley would be better off running its own police force.

``I think the No. 1 problem is that we don't have enough police officers,'' said Bob Baker, vice president of the PPL. ``We've got an extremely high attrition rate, and we aren't able to bring people in.''

Baker attributed the recruiting problem to low morale, saying officers feel micromanaged, without support from the leadership, and many are fleeing for neighboring police agencies.

LAPD officials acknowledge the shortage of officers but said they are working hard to improve recruitment. They note the department has historically always had a relatively small force per capita in comparison to other big cities.

``L.A. is one of the most underpoliced cities in the nation,'' said LAPD spokeswoman Commander Sharon Papa.

``Look at New York City, which has 40,000 officers. We have a lower ratio of officers per capita - historically, we always have. We would love to at least get to 10,000 and move on from there.''

Other larger cities also had better response times.

San Diego's average, for example, is 7.2 minutes. And police in Chicago, which has a 50 percent larger force to cover a smaller territory and population, respond to emergencies in about 2 minutes.

The LAPD has had a goal of employing 10,000 officers since former Mayor Richard Riordan took office in 1993. The closest it got was about 9,700 in 1998, but the force is now down to about 9,000, Papa said.

The department recently held a groundbreaking for a sixth Valley police station in Mission Hills, scheduled for completion in 2003.

Papa said it is not clear to what extent the station will result in additional officers in the Valley, or spreading thinner the officers already stationed here.

Smaller police agencies in the Valley have dramatically faster response rates than Los Angeles. Burbank, for example, averages about 3 1/2 minutes, while San Fernando ranges from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Officers in those cities have a much smaller territory to cover, both in geography and population. San Fernando is about 2.5 square miles, meaning a centrally located officer is a short hop from any point in the city.

Richard Close, chairman of Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment, questioned why Los Angeles could not maintain response rates similar to those of other Valley cities. If the Valley becomes its own city, public safety would be a top priority, he said.

``I think one of the biggest priorities of a new City Council will be to at least have comparable response times to other neighboring cities. Otherwise, you're not going to be able to keep businesses and residents in the Valley. They'll move to other areas which are safer.''

Staff Writer Dominic Berbeo contributed to this report.

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Chart:

POLICE RESPONSE TIMES ON THE RISE

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