Officers Celebrate Planned New Station

They’re not officially moving until next year, but officers of the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division aren’t waiting for completion of their new digs on Burbank Boulevard to begin celebrating.

In a private ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the North Hollywood station at 11480 Tiara St., at least 75 active and retired LAPD officers, civilian employees and their families gathered to celebrate the impending closure of the old station.

The North Hollywood station, which was dedicated by Mayor Norris Paulson and Police Chief William Parker in 1957, over the years has become overcrowded and will be replaced in February by a $15.2-million, 37,340-square-foot building in the 11000 block of Burbank Boulevard.

“We organized this event several months in advance, when everybody thought we were moving this month,” said Sgt. Bill Martin, officer in charge of North Hollywood’s community relations office. Construction delays have pushed back the opening of the new facility.

In the waning sunlight, a restored 1969 Plymouth Belvedere of “Adam-12” vintage was a popular backdrop for photos. Nearby, under several tents, city officials and officers mingled, ate lasagna, bought souvenirs, shook hands and reminisced about life and crime in North Hollywood during the last 40 years.

Ron Frankle, a former Valley Bureau deputy chief who retired earlier this year, was a patrol sergeant and lieutenant in North Hollywood during the early 1960s and has continued to live in the area for more than three decades. He has fond memories of the community and his fellow officers.

“There’s two reasons why this station has been so important to me,” Frankle said. “I liked working here because of the nice environment, and I liked living here. During the ‘50s and ‘60s, this was the place to be for a young officer starting out.”

A common theme heard at the celebration was praise for the dedication of the officers who served at the station.

“One of the things I liked at North Hollywood was the close-knit bond between the young and old officers,” said Chuck Lovold, a 29-year veteran and currently a patrol officer in the West Traffic Division. Lovold served in North Hollywood from 1968 to 1970.

Lovold said a unique aspect of the North Hollywood Division is the diversity of residents within its borders, which include tony Mount Olympus and Toluca Lake residences in the south as well as auto salvage yards in the north.

Martin Pomeroy, deputy chief and commanding officer of operations at the Valley Bureau, said that North Hollywood officers have mixed feelings about the upcoming move.

“Over the years, there have been a lot of good people assigned to North Hollywood,” Pomeroy said. “We’re certainly glad to get a new facility, but to everyone who works in this building, there’s also plenty of good memories that are hard to leave behind.”