Daily News Editorial Aptly Titled

June 30, 2006.   The following reply was written by Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton in response to an ongoing debate over reporting crime statistics.

After reading the The Daily News’ aptly titled June 30th editorial, “An Empty Debate,”  I wanted to respond to set the record straight.  As Chief of Police, I am comfortable and confident in the way the LAPD is reporting crime statistics and proud of the crime reductions they reflect.

Following Councilman Bernard Parks’ repeated assertions that LAPD has been “cooking the books,” the City Council’s own Legislative Analyst investigated and issued a report on the matter, “LAPD Crime Reporting Procedures.”  In sum and substance the CLA reported that the LAPD is correctly reporting aggravated assaults according to the federal rules for the Uniform Crime Report.

Moreover, the CLA confirmed from the FBI that if the LAPD reverted to reporting statistics as previously done under former Chief Parks, the FBI would disqualify the numbers and omit them from their annual report.

The over-reporting was discovered during audits in 2004 when staff from my COMPSTAT unit found the LAPD had been incorrectly reporting Part I aggravated assault numbers by including Part II non-aggravated assaults, which were domestic-violence related, into the Part I totals, and they had been doing so for many years.

Frankly, the issue raised by Councilman Parks is much ado about nothing, and he knows it.  The LAPD is following the FBI’s rules for reporting crime numbers.  It’s the FBI’s report and we have to give them what they want, in the format they want it.  We have worked closely with them to ensure this accuracy.

No police department in the nation is more forthcoming, timely and transparent with its crime numbers.  We have nothing to hide.  I am very proud of the crime reduction efforts of the men and women of the LAPD.  They have driven crime down dramatically during the last four years. 

It’s unfortunate that Councilman Parks, for unknown reasons, refuses to accept the FBI, state of California, and his own Chief Legislative Analyst’s reports that we are accurately reporting our crime fighting.

WILLIAM J. BRATTON
Chief of Police

Comments

[Samantha Sang]

It is not easy reporting to the public concerning the cases which you have. Some of the cases may be classified ones. But it is good to give the public a rough idea of what's going on so that they can be on alert and help you out.

[Lt. De La Torre]

Ms. Sang

We are as open with the public as an investigation will allow.

[Matt Payne]

This is a classic example of sour grapes. Mr Parks was very unpopular with the rank and file and came out with brilliant ideas like having every single complaint investigated, no matter how obviously bogus. This caused the coppers to take a less aggressive approach to doing their job, because they knew there would be bad stuff going into their files, therefore crime increased. Thankfully for the City and the LAPD, this bitter old man is off the force, yet he still snipes and takes his cheap shots, revealing what a small man he truly is...