Mayor Bloom and members of the City Council. I am here tonight to talk to you about two issues. First is the Community Oriented Policing program and second is the youth and gang violence issue. I will be speaking specifically about the events that culminated last week with our news conference.

First, in 2003, the Santa Monica Police Department embarked on a new concept of Community Oriented Policing known as Neighborhood Centered Policing (NCP).

The City was divided into four separate geographical areas known as Neighborhood Service Areas (NSA’s).

Through Neighborhood Centered Policing, patrol officers that would normally be assigned to address community concerns, were replaced by police Lieutenant’s in hopes that Lieutenant’s, through their rank within the police department, could more efficiently and in a timely manner, reassign personnel, resources and equipment to address community concerns in each specific Neighborhood Service Area. These Lieutenants’s were known as Neighborhood Service Area Coordinators (NSAC’s).

Although the Lieutenant’s may have become more involved in attending community meetings, the day-to-day relationships and contacts between the community and its patrol officers, at times, have become distant. The patrol officers, although busy handling radio calls for service, also felt the gap in communication and responsibility that they once had through Community Oriented Policing. This has led to criticism of the NCP program both internal to the Police Department and from the community

That being said, the Santa Monica Police Department is currently reassessing its Community Oriented Policing Model. Our patrol officers want to be and need to be actively engaged within the community. Our community wants to not only see these men and women who patrol their neighborhoods, but they want to get to know them. This holds true for our officers; for we too want to get to know our community so that we can better serve them. There is no better way to develop trust – obviously a two sided issue - than developing a personal relationship.

In order to accomplish this we are currently evaluating our patrol plan and the distribution levels of all of our personnel and resources. The goal of the realignment is that patrol officers will be assigned and accountable for specific geographic boundaries. Although the details are being worked out, I anticipate having this realignment completed by July 1st.

As you know, for the past two years our community has suffered through numerous gang related shootings, two of which resulted in murder. We are aware that when investigating these types of crimes involving gangs many residents are fearful to come forward and provide information. As a result, more often that not, these crimes go unsolved.

In the past month there has been an unprecedented level of cooperation within our community to see justice done. This includes neighborhood associations, the churches, schools and PTA’s, colleges, non-profits, other city departments as well as many individuals. Likewise, the level of collaboration between different law enforcement agencies is also extraordinary.

It is said that the greatest impediment to criminal conduct is the certainty of capture. If everyone in the community works together to identify and bring to justice those who would come here to hurt people, we will end the violence that much sooner. I think we have moved much closer to that goal in the last month.

Some may think our work is done. In fact, it has not stopped because of the arrests. In many instances the workload has increased. Since we announced the arrests last Thursday, we have served an additional four search warrants and seized more evidence including several guns.

I have often mentioned since coming to the Santa Monica Police Department that I am impressed by the level of experience, expertise and professionalism displayed by the men and women of the Santa Monica Police Department. And once again, culminating with last week’s arrest of the gang members who are responsible for numerous shootings, and the murders of Eddie Lopez and Miguel Martin, they have confirmed my high regard for them.

Accompanying me tonight in the audience are members of the police department that have worked diligently – in some cases around the clock - following up on every lead. Because of their hard work and dedication, these acts of violence did not go unsolved, and hopefully we are able to provide a sense of closure for the Lopez and Martin family and to our community.

Would you please join me in recognizing the fine work of these men and women.