Senior Lead Officers

* Re “Parks’ Community Policing Criticized by Area Residents,” Oct. 21.

The Neighborhood Watch system is thriving throughout the Valley, to a large extent due to the wonderful help we receive from LAPD officers called senior lead officers, our cops on the beat. Currently the LAPD assigns an individual senior lead officer to each Neighborhood Watch. We get to know our senior leads and they get to know us and our neighborhood problems.

That will all change. Parks proposes that anyone on patrol answer our phone calls and attend meetings. We would return to the system that existed before the senior lead program, where Neighborhood Watches were the priority of no one. When everyone is “responsible,” no one cares. I urge members of Neighborhood Watch to act now to save our senior leads. Call, fax or write the Police Commission, your City Council member or City Hall.

ALEXANDRA HOPKINS

President, Archwood Park

Neighborhood Assn.

North Hollywood

* As police community representatives, my wife and I are active in the North Hollywood Neighborhood Watch program. Ours is an ongoing program of over 2 1/2 years, and we sincerely believe it’s played an important role in the reduction of crime in our reporting district and within North Hollywood.

If the contemplated change occurs, the Neighborhood Watch program will suffer and may even fail, as might community policing. We have urged District 5 Councilman Mike Feuer to voice the concerns of the many volunteers in opposition to a change that would jeopardize the close relationship provided by the [LAPD] Community Relations Office and the senior lead officers.

WALTER E. VAUGHN

Studio City