If you build it, they will come. Came, they did! It was standing room only at the grand opening of the LAPD’s newest and 20th community police station – Olympic Area this Saturday, January 17, 2009. The streets were filled with community members, leaders and dignitaries eager to partake in the historic event. Celebrating the diversity of the community which it serves, entertainment included folklorico dancers, Korean drummers and singers, as well as an array of ethnic cuisine provided by neighboring restaurants. Guests were also taken back in time with an extensive display of LAPD squad cars, dating as far back as the 1800’s to the present. Participants of the prestigious ribbon cutting ceremony included City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Councilmember Ed Reyes, Councilmember Herb Wesson, Councilmember Tom LaBonge, Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security and Public Safety Arif Alikhan and Police Commission President Anthony Pacheco.
Speaking of the dynamic personnel who make up the Olympic Area Community Police Station, Chief William J. Bratton boasted, “All 250 (plus) men and women, all volunteers. Every police officer working in this station volunteered to come here. They wanted to work in your community and most importantly, many of them are of your community.”
Chief Bratton thanked the community for their support and noted, “This is a day of celebration. A new beginning for the new Los Angeles Police Department – of the community, for the community. A new beginning for this country on Tuesday. And this City intends to be first and foremost in leading that change that President-elect Barack Obama has talked about because we are already changing. We are showing that we can defeat the gangsters and we can reduce crime, and that we can all live together in peace and harmony and celebrate the differences, enjoy the differences . . . we are a grand mosaic. Let’s celebrate that.”
Funded through the voter-passed Proposition Q Public Safety Bond Program, the Olympic Area Community Police Station houses 293 patrol officers, support staff and detectives and serves more than 200,000 people in 6.2 square miles. Personnel that make up the division are as widely diverse as the community they serve, and with over 33 employees who are fluent in Korean, the station is certainly one of the top police facilities in the nation to have Korean-speaking representatives.
To all of Olympic's personnel that assisted in the grand opening, we thank you for your hard work. You truly made history that day from the minute the music started until the last tour of the station was given. Your heartfelt dedication to the LAPD will never be forgotten and may you stay safe in the community you serve.
Posted by: Been there | April 16, 2025 at 05:13 AM