Chief Williams Buying Home in Woodland Hills

Although they will not say exactly where, Los Angeles Police Department officials confirmed Thursday that Chief Willie L. Williams has purchased a house for his family in the San Fernando Valley community of Woodland Hills.

And although the city’s top cop declined to talk about his new home, residents, merchants and others in his new neighborhood are more than eager to welcome the chief to their neck of the woods, which is geographically and politically about as far from City Hall as one can get.

“Hey, that’s cool that he’s moving out here,” said Vahe Manoukian, a clerk at the Wienery hot-dog stand, which serves up “dogs and suds” from a tiny Ventura Boulevard storefront. “It’s pretty cool here.”

“Yes, it’s a really nice community,” said Francille Bryan, owner of Francille’s Pet Grooming.

Williams’ spokesman, Cmdr. David Gascon, confirmed that the chief and his wife, Evelina, bought the house but declined to reveal the address for security reasons.

The purchase, on which escrow is expected to close this month, follows nearly a year of house hunting in which Williams and his wife looked at neighborhoods throughout the city. They have been renting a Hancock Park condominium since Williams took over for former Chief Daryl F. Gates last summer.

Their daughter will live in the house with them. They also have two sons.

Not since Ed Davis ran the Police Department in the 1970s has a chief lived in the Valley, according to police officials. Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block lives in West Hills, a few miles from Williams’ new home.

“I think that the chief moving to Woodland Hills is wonderful,” said Bob Gross, who is on leave as president of the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization. “It will give him an idea of what living in suburbia is all about.”

Woodland Hills has a lower crime rate than most of the city.

Serving up pint-size lagers at Pickwick’s Pub, Margaret Murty said the chief made a good choice. “It’s better to stay away from crime areas,” she said with a wink. “As long as he doesn’t bring crime with him.”

That’s unlikely. If anything, residents and merchants hope Williams’ presence will decrease crime and make the department more responsive to the concerns of Valley neighborhoods.

“I think everybody in the city wishes the chief would move into their neighborhood,” said Lisa Kingsley, manager of Sam’s Books. For their part, officers on the Woodland Hills beat seemed unimpressed by the news and did not figure they would do their jobs differently just because their boss would also be a customer.

“No one around here is talking about it,” said Capt. Val Panniccia, head of the West Valley Division, which patrols Woodland Hills.

Regardless, the feeling of safety is more a matter of perception than anything else. Said real estate broker Rana Linka: “I’d feel safer living near him. Wouldn’t you?”