EDITORIAL : POLICING PROGRAM'S FLOP A TARNISH ON DOWNTOWN BRASS.

Byline: Lee Kanon Alpert

RECENT comments by Los Angeles Police Department top downtown brass on the fizzling and dismantling of the District Policing Program at the Devonshire Division, as reported in the Daily News, leave the community's active and concerned citizens who have worked with that and other divisions of the Police Department with feelings of despair, disgust and disbelief.

Their despicable misstatements serve as an indictment of themselves and their lack of leadership and management of the Department, not the fine officers struggling to implement the program without support from those who choose to censure instead of assist.

Assistant Chief Bayan Lewis' reasoning citing the ``lack of interest'' by local police officials and the community as the reason for the program's failure in Devonshire Division is an insult to the fine officers and command staff of that division, the Valley Bureau and our citizens.

It reflects just how weak and out of touch the so-called leadership of the department, consisting of Lewis and others of the downtown top brass are, not only with parts of the city of Los Angeles, but with members of their own department.

This ``lack of interest'' quote is preposterous and untrue. The facts are simple. The District Policing Program failed in Devonshire Division because it was doomed to failure from its inception. The program required, for successful implementation, a certain staffing level of senior supervisory officers and other resources.

Those responsible failed and refused to provide the personnel or resources that they themselves determined were necessary for the successful implementation of the program in Devonshire Division and yet ordered that division to implement the program on its own.

Had Lewis and the responsible brass provided the same personnel and resources as were available in the Pacific and Central divisions of the LAPD, they would have found that the program at Devonshire Division would have been a roaring, unequaled success. They didn't and the program failed.

Devonshire Division and other Valley divisions have been touted throughout Southern California as ``model policing divisions.'' The men and women of Devonshire and other Valley divisions dedicate themselves, above and beyond the call of duty, to the communities that they serve.

We have here in the Valley outstanding command staff, division leadership and officers. They work hand in hand with our community citizens, our elected officials, our advisory boards, our schools and our businesses in making this a better and safer place to live and work.

These men and women of the Valley divisions and our community know what community policing is all about and have for years, since its very early successful implementation under then-Chief Ed Davis, the father of community-based policing. This community-based policing is nothing new or mysterious except, shockingly, to the downtown top brass who are responsible for its successful execution in this city and the department.

Lewis' mindless comments and his apparent lack of familiarity with the program whose successful implementation he is responsible for are an offense to the fine officers in Devonshire Division and the job they do, however he may choose to categorize them.

It typifies the lack of understanding that much of our downtown top brass has with the Valley communities.

They cause one to question how a person supposedly in ultimate command of the program, as is Lewis, could accept ``lack of interest'' - even if this response was accurate - from his subordinates as a suitable excuse.

Lewis was deceitful in his public commentary. He should apologize to the outstanding sworn and civilian members of Devonshire Division and our community.

One must wonder how an assistant chief can be so matter-of-fact with his utterances, knowing the importance of the need for success with this and other similar programs given the recent history of the department difficulties, the morale of the department, the significance of the need for successful implementation of the Christopher Commission Report's recommendations and the strong direction of the Police Commission, the Mayor's Office, the City Council, and, yes, even the Chief of Police all in a much too rare display of unanimous agreement.

We all know our police are like other community groups or individuals. They are human and not perfect, and, when wrong, deserve to be and certainly are taken to task. All of them except the top downtown brass?

Our policemen and -women do, however, represent that thin blue line between a lawful and lawless society dealing in many instances with the worst elements of life and not only risking but giving up their own lives to protect us and better our society.

What these fine dedicated men and women in blue do not deserve is the unfounded and unprovoked attack and criticism, particularly from within their own department by their supposed leadership and downtown top brass.

Though your bosses may not appreciate you, our community does. Thank you, Devonshire Division, for the outstanding job of community-based policing that is handled on a daily basis.

The community does know what you do for us and applauds your efforts. We support you and your positive attempt to keep our communities safe.

We know that there is no ``lack of interest'' on your part, ever, even if that message surprisingly has not made it over the hill to at least some of your downtown top brass.

MEMO: Lee Kanon Alpert, a Northridge resident, is an attorney, chairman of the City Council's Citizen's Advisory Council for the 12th District and president of Fernando Award, Inc.