LAPD Blog

LAPD Program Chosen as One of Top 50 in the Innovations in American Government Award Program

Los Angeles: The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School recently announced that the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Operation Archangel is one of the top 50 programs in the institute’s 2008 Innovations in American Government Awards competition. All 50 programs will be eligible to compete for a $100,000 award that will be announced this coming September.

The LAPD was selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 applicants, with the top 50 programs representing the best in government innovation from local, city, county, tribal, state and federal levels. Each of the 50 programs had to pass several rounds of rigorous evaluation from a committee of practitioners and policy experts at Harvard Kennedy School and other renowned institutions nationwide. Selected programs cover a wide range of issues and policy areas, including transportation, infrastructure, health and social services, criminal justice, the environment and more.

The award-winning programs are replicated in jurisdictions throughout the country and serve as forerunners for current reform strategies and new legislation. They also enlighten research and academic studies in educational institutions worldwide and demonstrate that all levels of government are working to enhance the quality of life for the constituents they serve.

The LAPD’s Operation Archangel is aligned with and contributes directly to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Strategy for Homeland Security, the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and the Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan. Archangel is also a partnership among the City and County of Los Angeles, the California State Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. By fostering interagency cooperation and coordination with the Department, Archangel’s guiding principle is that local member agencies are most knowledgeable about their own critical assets. With a primary focus on threat prevention, Archangel defends likely targets against catastrophic terrorist attacks through identification and protection of critical infrastructure and key resources in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

“I’m very pleased that the Ash Institute has recognized the Department for its ongoing efforts to enhance protection for the City of Los Angeles through Operation Archangel,” said LAPD Chief William J. Bratton. “This really validates our diverse efforts to be effective in the scope of the service we provide and cooperative with vital law enforcement agencies nationwide.”

The Innovations in American Government Awards Program was established in 1985 at Harvard Kennedy School by the Ford Foundation. It is designed to improve government practices by honoring effective government initiatives and encouraging them to be disseminated across the country. Related efforts of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation advance excellence in governance and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through research, publications, leadership training, global networking and the awards program. The institutes many activities were developed in collaboration with a diverse community of scholars and practitioners and foster creative, effective government problem-solving.

National Dispatchers Week 2008

(Podcast of National Dispatchers Week)

In a speech given at the Metropolitan Dispatch Center, Chief Bratton commended the hard work and dedication of the many Police Service Representatives who serve the citizens of Los Angeles. 

“You are expected to be all things, to all people, all the time,” Chief Bratton said, “and you perform in an exemplary way.”

Each year, law enforcement agencies across the nation take the second full week in April to honor the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators.  The week consists of recognition ceremonies, public demonstrations, luncheons and various other activities.  With approximately 500 active dispatchers within the Department, there is much to celebrate in 2008.

Man Shot and Killed at Home

Los Angeles: A South Los Angeles man was shot and killed in his bedroom.

On Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at around 4:10 AM, 22-year-old Nye Daniels, along with a friend were inside of Daniel’s home in the 9900 block of South Graham Avenue.  An unknown suspect(s) walked up to the front of the home forcing entry through the front door.  Suspect(s) entered the residence walked into a rear bedroom where they fired multiple rounds striking Daniels.  The suspect(s) then fled in an unknown direction. 

Responding paramedics transported Daniels to a local hospital where he failed to respond to emergency medical treatment and was pronounced dead as a result of his injuries.

Daniels’ friend was not injured during the shooting.  The motive for this shooting appears to be gang related.

Homicide detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect(s) or any witnesses to this shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call South Bureau Homicide Detective Sal LaBarbera at 213-485-4341.  During off-hours or on weekends, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).

Man on Bicycle Killed by Gunfire

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives are seeking the public's help for their investigation concerning a 24-year-old man who was murdered while sitting on a bicycle at around 12:45 a.m. on April 15, 2008.

The victim, Vidal Jose Ventura-Jimenez, was sitting on a bicycle in the street at 4506 Slauson Ave. when a car, possibly a large, black, four-door sport utility vehicle, drove up to his location. Though unconfirmed at this time, there may have been up to four male suspects in the vehicle. After one of the suspects fired several shots at the victim, striking him in the upper torso, the suspects’ vehicle immediately headed north on Slauson Avenue toward Culver Boulevard.

The victim was transported to a local hospital where he died from his wounds. He was not a known gang member, but gang retaliation has not been ruled out as a motive for the shooting.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Pacific Area detective desk or homicide division at 310-482-6313 or 310-482-6370, respectively. After-hours and weekend calls may be directed to a 24-hour hotline at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).

Notes from the April 15, 2025 Police Commission Meeting

•    Police Commission President Anthony Pacheco and Commissioner Andrea Ordin attended the Fifth Annual Phoenix House Triumph for Teens Awards Gala on April 8, 2008.  Chief Bratton and his wife, Rikki Kleiman, were recognized for their contributions and were presented with the 2008 Public Service Award.

•    Police Commission Vice President John Mack and Commissioner Robert Saltzman attended the Intelligence Conference held at USC and found the presentations highly informative and beneficial to the Department.

•    Police Commissioner Alan Skobin attended several events.  Among them, the inspection of Mission Station, the Centurions 30th Anniversary Banquet, and the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County’s luncheon where seven (7) reserve officers were recognized.

•    Police Commission Vice President John Mack attended Mobile Field Force Doctrine training last week.  Several reporters and members of the media were also present and participated in crowd management field exercises. 

•    Chief Bratton informed the Commission that 600 officers assigned to this year’s May 1st event were currently undergoing extensive training under the direction of Deputy Chief Michael Hillman.

•    Chief Bratton commended Deputy Chief Michael Downing and Commander Joan McNamara for their leadership in the implementation of the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) system.  He congratulated them on the great reviews their work had received in recent publications.

•    The Verbal Presentation relative to current crime statistics and trends in response to a Board query as discussed by Deputy Chief Charlie Beck was received.

•    The Department’s and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Board of Inquiry Panel Presentation and Discussion relative to the Executive Summary of the Special Weapons and Tactics Board of Inquiry and recommendations thereto by the Chief of Police was received.  Chief Bratton reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to best practices and discussed the the reasons for convening the panel before introducing Assistant Chief Sharon Papa, who gave an overview of the project, as well as the study’s goals.  SWAT Board of Inquiry panel member Richard Aborn, in the role of spokesperson for the panel, presented the report findings.  The panel was comprised of eight (8) members, each of whom is involved in the law enforcement in some capacity.  The panel presented the Commission with eighteen (18) recommendations, many of which have been implemented by the Department as reported by Deputy Chief Richard Roupoli, Captain Jeffrey Greer, and Lieutenant Michael Albanese.  Police Commission President Anthony Pacheco requested that the item be revisited in September and that the Commission be updated on the status of the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations.

•    The Department’s Report, dated April 7, 2008, in response to the City Council Motion   (Council File No. 07-2168), relative to crime statistics for Glassell Park Recreation Center since the inception of the “At the Park After Dark” program in July of 2007 was approved and will be transmitted to the Mayor and City Council.

•    The Department’s Report, dated March 19, 2008, in response to recommendations from Audit Division, relative to the Secret Service Funds Audit, Second Quarter, Fiscal Year 2007/2008, pursuant to the Annual Audit Plan for Fiscal Year 2007/2008 was approved.

•    The Department’s Report, dated March 31, 2008, relative to the Quarterly Status Report, Second Quarter, Fiscal Year 2007/08, conducted by Audit Division, pursuant to the annual Audit Plan was approved.

•    The Department’s Report, dated March 19, 2008, relative to compliance with the Inspector General’s recommendations for the Non-Categorical Use of Force Investigations Audit, which was received and filed by the Board on November 6, 2007, was received.

•    The Department’s Report, dated March 20, 2008, relative to compliance with the Inspector General’s recommendations for the Ethics Enforcement Section Quarterly Report for the Fourth Quarter, 2006, which was received and filed by the Board on May 15, 2025 and continued from January 8, 2008, was received.

•    The Department’s Report, dated December 28, 2008, and Office of the Inspector General’s Report, dated April 8, 2008, relative to the review of the Department’s Warrant Applications and Supporting Affidavits Audit, Fiscal Year 2007-2008, pursuant to the Federal Consent Decree, was continued. 

•    The Department’s Report, dated December 20, 2007, and Inspector General’s Report, dated March 27, 2008, relative to Complaint Form 1.28, Investigations Audit, Phase I Second Quarter, Fiscal Year 2007/08, in accordance with the Annual Audit Plan was approved.

COMPSTAT Citywide Profile

Crime Statistics April 12, 2025

VIOLENT CRIMES                 2008**            2007**       % Chg

Homicide                              114                 104           9.6%
Rape                                    203                 227         -10.6%
Robbery                              3473               3777           -8.0%
Agg Assaults **                      3308               3376           -2.0%
Total Violent Crimes           7098              7484           -5.2%

PROPERTY CRIMES

Burglary                                 5186               5439          -4.7%
BTFV                                      8293               9028          -8.1%
Personal/Other Theft              7078               7680          -7.8%
Auto Theft                             6025               6760         -10.9%
Total Property Crimes         26,582            28,907          -8.0%
Total Part I Crimes              33,680            36,391          -7.4%

LAPD Releases Board of Inquiry Summary of SWAT Team Analysis

Los Angeles: Today, Chief William J. Bratton of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) presented the Police Commission and general public with an executive summary of a Board of Inquiry analysis into the Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team operations, a process that began in July 2005.

Board of Inquiry members consisted of a variety of distinguished individuals with legal and law enforcement backgrounds as follows:

Richard M. Aborn

Richard Aborn has over two decades of experience in litigation, public and government affairs, program analysis, issue advocacy and more. Aborn utilizes his experience as an attorney and years of experience in the public sector, with an emphasis on criminal justice and organizational integrity issues, to provide clients with a wide range of services.

He advises police departments and criminal justice agencies in the U.S. and Europe on a variety of issues ranging from police integrity issues and use of force policy to building more effective relationships between police department and criminal justice agencies. He was also commissioned by the Office of the Public Advocate
William A. Geller

William A. Geller is the director of Geller & Associates, of New York City to conduct an investigation of the New York Police Department’s (NYPD), response to civilian complaints about the department’s incidents of alleged misconduct and internal disciplinary system.

Merrick Bobb

Merrick Bobb is the founding director of the Police Assessment Resource Center, a national resource center on policing and police reform, under the auspices of the Vera Institute of Justice and funded by the Ford Foundation. For over 10 years, Bobb has served as a legal staff member and then as a Deputy General Counsel of the Christopher Commission Investigation of the LAPD, General Counsel of the Kolts investigation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other prominent counsel positions. He also conducted an investigation of the LAPD five years after the Rodney King Incident and the Christopher Commission Report, resulting in the publication of a report in May 1996. A graduate of Dartmouth College, he received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

working with police departments, police oversight boards and community organizations to promote humane, effective policing and police community partnerships for public safety. He has specialized in understanding and controlling use of deadly force by and against police officers. This work over the past 32 years has included his position as associate director of the Police Executive Research Forum; project director of the American Bar Foundation; Special counsel for Public Safety and Internal Security to the Chicago Park District under Mayor Harold Washington and executive director of the Chicago Law Enforcement Study Group (a consortium of Chicago’s civil rights and liberties organizations). His many books include Deadly Force: What We Know; Managing Innovation in Policing; Police Leadership in America: Crisis & Opportunity; Police Violence: Understanding and Controlling Police Abuse of Force. The latter volume was commissioned and funded by the U.S. Justice Department to help map reform strategy after the Rodney King Incident.

Phil Hansen

Lieutenant Phil Hansen has served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for over 30 years and is currently assigned to the department’s Special Enforcement Bureau as the Special Weapons Team (SWAT) commander. He has also had nearly 13 years experience as a SWAT team leader/sergeant. Hansen has conducted tactical incident reviews for the Sheriff’s Department and tactical team capability assessments for outside agencies. As a subject matter expert in the area of law enforcement tactical operations, he has provided court testimony and served on several course development committees for the California Commission of Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Gregory M. Longworth

Gregory M. Longworth is a founding and managing partner of the civil component of Worth, Longworth & Long, LLP. The firm has served as counsel to the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association for the past nine years, representing NYPD officers in investigation and trial of departmental disciplinary cases, criminal and related matters, defense of civil rights lawsuits in federal and state courts and instruction on the use of physical and deadly force, proper preparation of reports and scope of employment issues. Longworth is a retired member of NYPD and served as a uniformed patrol officer, a sergeant in charge of patrol supervision, a special assignment lieutenant and a commander of the police commissioner’s detective squad. He also served as special counsel to the police commissioner of New York City.

Bernard Melekian

Bernard Melekian assumed the position of chief of police of the Pasadena Police Department on April 30, 1996. Before that, he served with the Santa Monica Police Department6 for 23 years. He was awarded the 1978 Medal of Valor and the Medal of Courage in 1980. Chief Melekian served as the president of the Los Angeles County Police Chief’s Association from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2001. His experience also includes serving on the national Board of Directors for the Police Executive Research Forum and as a senior advisor for the Police Assessment Resource Center.

One of Chief Melekian’s primary concerns revolves around issues affecting the mentally ill. In Sept. 2000, he testified before the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary in Washington, D.C. He is the recipient of the Anne B. Kennedy Award from the Pasadena Mental Health Association and has received the Excellence in Leadership Award from Leadership Pasadena. In January 2005, he received the Lewis Hine Award for Service to Youth from the National Child Labor Committee.

Sharon K. Papa

Sharon Papa joined the LAPD in 1997 when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police Department merged with the LAPD. She served with the MTA for almost 17 years, with assignments that included uniformed patrol, investigations, recruitment, training and internal affairs. From 1990 to 1997, Chief Papa was the MTA’s chief of police. Her leadership, direction and vision contributed significantly to the successful merger of the MTA and the LAPD.

After joining the LAPD, Chief Papa was assigned as the assistant commanding officer of operations-Central Bureau. She served in this capacity until she became the official department spokesperson as the commanding officer of the community affairs group. Chief Papa was then selected to serve as the Department’s Ombuds Officer. In November 2002, Chief Papa was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief and was assigned as chief of staff in the Office of the Chief of Police. On Feb. 23, 2003, Chief Papa made city history when she was sworn in as the LAPD’s first woman to be promoted to the rank of assistant chief. Chief Papa is an active member and past president of the Peace Offices Association of Los Angeles County, and is the past chair of the American Public Transit Association Police and Security Steering Committee.

Linda Pierce

Assistant Chief Linda Pierce commands the Seattle Police Department’s Homeland Security Bureau, which oversees Operations and Planning, Arson/Bomb/CBRNE, Harbor Patrol, Operational Support and Criminal Intelligence sections. Pierce began her career with the department in May 1981 and was promoted to detective sergeant in 1988. She developed the department’s first community policing unit and was promoted to lieutenant in 1995. After obtaining the rank of captain in 1999, Pierce took the lead in writing the World Trade Organization’s after-action report and commanded the Internal Investigations and Metropolitan Sections, overseeing several units that included SWAT, canine, mounted and gangs. As a member of the Washington State Bar Association since 1990, Pierce has been a certified mediator since 1996 and participated in the King County Interlocal Conflict Resolution Group as well as the Federal Executive Board of Dispute Resolution Consortium.

Eugene P. Ramirez

Eugene P. Ramirez is a founding member of the 100-plus law firm Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod Ramirez LLP. He graduated from Whittier College School of Law (J.D., 1987), where he was the notes and comments editor of the Law Review. Before joining the firm, he worked as a deputy district attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and as a reserve police officer for the Whittier and Monterey Park Police Departments.

Ramirez has defended SWAT teams in civil liability cases for over 15 years and is an instructor on liability issues for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Basic SWAT Schools. He teaches SWAT liability courses nationwide to both operator and command staff personnel. He is a former member of the California State Attorney General’s Blue Ribbon SWAT Committee where he was Chairperson for the Risk Management Subcommittee.

He was profiled in the April 2003 issue of California Lawyer Magazine for his work in defending SWAT teams and was honored with a 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Los Angeles Deputy sheriffs. 

Suspect Injured while Fighting with Officers

Los Angeles: A Suspect sustained a minor head injury during a struggle with police officers.

On Friday, April 11, 2025 at around 11:30 p.m., Hollenbeck officers responded to a Los Angeles Fire Department request for help at the scene of a domestic violence incident.  Juan Carlos Lupercio, 37, was holding a female victim at knifepoint.  The officers ordered Lupercio to drop the knife and he refused to do so.  The female victim managed to get away from Lupercio and the officers tried to take him into custody.  Lupercio refused to drop the knife and moved towards the officers.  A Taser and a collapsible baton were used as the suspect fought and advanced towards the officers.  During the struggle, the suspect was unintentionally struck with the collapsible baton in the head area and received a minor injury.

Lupercio was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

During the struggle with the female, the suspect’s five-day old baby was accidentally dropped to the floor and was hospitalized for observation. The common law wife (female victim) sustained a knife wound to her hand and was treated at a local hospital. 

Force Investigation Division is handling the investigation.