Parks Sends the Right Message

Given that last Tuesday was perhaps the biggest day in Bernard Parks’ professional life, few would have begrudged him rearranging his schedule and canceling a few appointments. But just hours after he was sworn in as the new chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, there was Parks honoring a long-standing commitment to address the Studio City Residents’ Assn. at a packed meeting in an elementary school auditorium.

And although Parks spoke briefly, took only a few questions and left quickly afterward, his appearance sent a message that he wants and needs the San Fernando Valley’s support. After all, many Valley residents made it clear that they favored Deputy Chief Mark Kroeker, Parks’ main opponent for the top LAPD job. Kroeker, who commanded the Valley Bureau in the years after the videotaped police beating of motorist Rodney King, won fans from Sylmar to Woodland Hills with his personable style.

Parks enjoys less of a public profile in the Valley. Yet to most residents the chief embodies the LAPD. He sets the tone and attitude for one of the most important services provided by municipal government. Crime numbers are down in the Valley and across the city, but many residents feel as vulnerable as ever. Part of a chief’s job is to build confidence. Most of that stems from the way he manages the department--and Parks has vowed to be tough and efficient. But sometimes the chief just needs to show up and listen, as he did in Studio City. It makes residents feel like the department really does belong to them.

Parks obviously recognizes this basic political component of his new job and The Times encourages him to continue meeting with groups and individuals--and not just in the Valley. Already, Parks plans pilot programs in the Valley, including a project to more effectively target resources using crime report data and computers. He also has suggested ways to make the department more responsive to the needs of individual communities, perhaps by someday splitting the Valley’s command structure into two bureaus. To his credit, Parks has also recognized that the Valley’s large geographic divisions hinder response times and suggests that the Valley could use one or more new police stations. All are sound ideas.

Winning over the Valley is all the more important for Parks because much of the current debate over seceding from Los Angeles focuses on police protection and whether the Valley gets its “fair share.” Translation: Secession advocates want more of everything, including cops. While some zealots want a dollar-for-dollar return on their taxes, that’s not a practical solution in a city as complex and diverse as Los Angeles. However, residents should reasonably expect professional officers and aggressive enforcement.

In that way, Valley residents differ very little from their neighbors south of the Santa Monica Mountains. At last Tuesday’s meeting, for instance, Parks said he was struck by how similar the concerns of Studio City residents are to those of residents in, say, Hollywood or Leimert Park. They want quick responses from cops who know the neighborhood. After 32 years as a police officer, Parks knows the neighborhoods. But, in the Valley at least, some of the neighborhoods need to get to know him.