L.A. Deputy Police Chief Welcomes Valley Recruits to Partnership

Deputy Los Angeles Police Chief Martin Pomeroy invited a roomful of police recruits Wednesday night to help him fight crime throughout the San Fernando Valley, despite the fact that the recruits will never wear badges, carry guns or patrol the streets.

That’s because the 40 men and women who gathered at the department’s newest police academy in Van Nuys are not fledgling officers, but residents selected to participate in the Community Police Academy.

Hoping to build a stronger bond between officers and the community, LAPD officials picked 80 residents from throughout the Valley to attend 30 hours of training including computer-simulated pistol shooting and police procedures such as policies on the use of force.

“We hope to win you over and make you full supporters,” Pomeroy told the class.

Several LAPD officers will teach three-hour courses to business owners, community activists and members of Neighborhood Watch groups selected for the program, which will strive to promote a greater understanding among residents as to why officers get involved in shootings and pursuits and what can happen to them if they do.

LAPD officials hope the training that residents receive at the academy will make them “ambassadors” able to pass on their newfound knowledge to other residents, particularly if a controversial incident involving the police occurs in their communities.

Pomeroy described the academy as one of the best demonstrations of community-based policing, which the LAPD has emphasized over the last several years. He added that he hopes the program will help build public trust in the police and how they do their job.

“At its root, community-based policing is a partnership between the police and the community,” Pomeroy said.

Recruits such as Mark Markowitz, who sits on a citizens advisory council for the West Valley Division, appeared ready Wednesday to accept Pomeroy’s challenge.

“I’m going to try to come in here with an open mind,” Markowitz said. “I’d like to get some insights on how different police programs work and other information I’m not privy to, even though I do volunteer work.”

Markowitz and the other recruits spent their first class learning lessons ranging from the origin of the sleek design of an LAPD badge, to the history of the LAPD and community-based policing.

Two classes of 40 students each will begin this week at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Van Nuys, with some of the lessons taking place at the LAPD Police Academy near Downtown. Costs are negligible, composed mainly of the salary of officers conducting the training.

The academy has already been heralded as a success in the department’s South Bureau, which graduated its first class in September and is also starting a new class this week. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department also sponsored its own citizen academy last spring.

Police critics have had mixed reactions to the academy concept, with some saying it’s a good thing because it will put officers in touch with residents who in turn will learn about the restraints that officers work under and the problems they face. Others have described the academy as a “police sympathizing” program and criticized the LAPD for not re-evaluating its policies and retraining its personnel instead of trying to increase its public support.