DISTRICT POLICING TO BEGIN IN VALLEY.

Byline: Jaxon Van Derbeken Daily News Staff Writer

Los Angeles police on Sunday will begin a "district policing" program in the northwest San Fernando Valley, a move officials say should make the department more responsive to communities.

Three other areas of the city also are targeted for the new program, which is being characterized as a step toward implementing the long-sought community policing in Los Angeles.

Under the district policing, the Devonshire Division will be carved into "mini-divisions" overseen by lieutenants. They will be responsible for the territory and the officers patrolling it.

Police officials say the setup will make command and patrol officers more attuned to specific community needs.

"This is a subtle change," said Deputy Chief Bayan Lewis, who has advocated the test project. "It draws teams together assigned to districts to make them more community-responsive."

Authorities say residents will not notice any significant change in police service. The same number of officers will be dispatched from the station. The change, police say, will be seen in the long term with a more coherent effort to establish community policing.

The idea is similar to a "team policing" program touted in the early 1970s by then-Chief Ed Davis. Political and funding problems led to the demise of the earlier efforts.

"Now that it is here, I'm excited about it. I think we can focus resources more intelligently," said Capt. Vance Proctor of the Devonshire Division. "I'm not looking for miracles, but I am looking for a better, safer community as a result of district policing."

The plan has been under discussion for months. But implementation was delayed because of police union negotiations and organizational problems.

The program also will be tried in the Pacific, Central and Southeast divisions.

Some patrol officers worry that insufficient officers might handicap the plan.

"They aren't negative about it. They are kind of taking a wait-and-see attitude," said Sgt. Burt Gutierrez of the Devonshire Division. "I think the problems we are going to have are going to be relating to personnel issues - how many officers can we deploy."

In the Devonshire Division, Proctor noted that there will be three districts - one sweeping in the area north of Devonshire Street, another in the Northridge area and a third in the North Hills area.

Each district has a community service center, but the lieutenants will work out of the main station, Proctor said.

"I expect the lieutenants will acts as chief of police in their area, further implementing community policing," Proctor said.