LAPD Cutbacks Threaten Safety on Ballona Creek Trail

This Mural by the Overland Avenue Entrance Has Had Its Problems with Grafitti

Tomorrow evening, Councilman Bill Rosendahl will host a town hall meeting with LAPD Chief William Bratton for the community to voice it’s concerns about a plan to cut the Pacific Division police Department by 35 officers or about 15% of the entire force.  The Pacific Division is the one responsible for policing the Ballona Creek Bike Trail, and bike and trail activists are concerned that such major cuts will result in a major setback to the efforts to make the trail more safe for the pedestrians and cyclists that use it as well as those people who live adjacent to it.

If you can’t make tomorrow night’s meeting, please leave a comment below and I’ll forward them to the Councilman’s staff.  To read their media release on tomorrow’s meeting, read on after the jump.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl and Police Chief William Bratton will hold
a Town Hall meeting to discuss the deployment issues of Police Officers
from Westside area police stations.

The deployment will definitely impact us in Westchester,
Playa del Rey and Playa Vista as our Pacific Area station will see a
reduction of up to 35 sworn officers as the LAPD reassigns
officers from throughout the City to staff up two new LAPD stations in
the West Valley and Koreatown. The NCWP urges everyone to attend this
meeting to voice your concern. The quality of life and safety in our
community depend on it.

Who: Los Angeles City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl Chief William Bratton, Los Angeles Police Department

When: 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Thursday, December 11, 2008

Where: Felicia Mahood Senior Citizen Center Auditorium 11338 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025

What: Councilmember Bill Rosendahl and LAPD Chief
William Bratton will hold a town hall meeting to discuss deployment
issues on the Westside.

The LAPD plans to shift officers from stations around the City to
staff two new police stations opening next month in the West Valley and
Koreatown. Bratton and LAPD top brass will explain how officer
deployment decisions are made and report the statistical crime history
in Rosendahl’s district and how it relates to overall Citywide
operations. Rosendahl will moderate a question and answer period for
the public following LAPD’s presentation.

Photo: LA Streetsblog/Flickr