I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by The Legal File host, Charles B. Parselle, Esq., an accomplished attorney and experienced mediator.
I hope you enjoy the show.
Showing posts with label Crime Fighter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crime Fighter. Show all posts
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Poor City Leadership Causes Westside To Lose 26 Cops
Last night (Thursday, December 11, 2008) I attended a Town Hall meeting hosted by Councilmember Bill Rosendahl (CD11) where guest speaker LAPD Chief William Bratton tried his best to justify his reasons for pulling 26 officers away from the Westside to staff 2 new police stations, set to open in January 2009.
I won't bore you with the details, but the following facts were established:
1) The City Council approved the construction of two new police stations, but did not even think about how they would staff those police stations.
2) The only way that Chief Bratton can staff those new police stations is to take officers away ("harvesting" as he described it) from existing duties. In chosing where to "harvest" cops, Bratton selected areas of Los Angeles where violent crime is lower than other areas, i.e. the Westside.
3) LAPD is in the process of hiring the 1,000 extra cops that are supposed to be funded by the City as as a result of the trash tax. As of December 2009, 550 have been hired, but all are still in training. Bratton expects the new cops to be available for deployment in "3 to 6 months."
Given the above, wouldn't it be sensible to postpone opening these two police stations until the newly trained cops can fill the void?
I asked Chief Bratton that very question, and his response boils down to this:
a) He's not goinging to mothball these two stations, and
b) If he did mothball them, he believes that the City Council will keep them closed so as to avoid having to hire more cops.
c) He's going ahead and cutting police services to the Westside, and if you want to blame anyone, blame the City's elected officials.
Now that's a fine state of affairs, isn't it?
I won't bore you with the details, but the following facts were established:
1) The City Council approved the construction of two new police stations, but did not even think about how they would staff those police stations.
2) The only way that Chief Bratton can staff those new police stations is to take officers away ("harvesting" as he described it) from existing duties. In chosing where to "harvest" cops, Bratton selected areas of Los Angeles where violent crime is lower than other areas, i.e. the Westside.
3) LAPD is in the process of hiring the 1,000 extra cops that are supposed to be funded by the City as as a result of the trash tax. As of December 2009, 550 have been hired, but all are still in training. Bratton expects the new cops to be available for deployment in "3 to 6 months."
Given the above, wouldn't it be sensible to postpone opening these two police stations until the newly trained cops can fill the void?
I asked Chief Bratton that very question, and his response boils down to this:
a) He's not goinging to mothball these two stations, and
b) If he did mothball them, he believes that the City Council will keep them closed so as to avoid having to hire more cops.
c) He's going ahead and cutting police services to the Westside, and if you want to blame anyone, blame the City's elected officials.
Now that's a fine state of affairs, isn't it?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
Today there are many things for which I am truly thankful;
In no particular order:
(o) Thank you to all the people who have been gracious enough to listen to me as I passionately explain my reasons for wanting to be your next City Attorney.
(o) Thank you Walter Moore for encouraging me to take this huge step towards my commitment to public service. You truly are a man with a vision and a plan for Los Angeles, and that plan resonated with me, as well as many other Los Angelenos who want to see the best city in the world live up to its potential.
(o) Thank you to the 517 registered Los Angeles voters who have already signed my petition. Thank you for your comments, positive and negative. I have listened and I have learnt. I know what you want and are entitled to expect from your City Attorney, and I intend to deliver.
(o) Thank you to the remaining Los Angelenos who I will be pestering for signatures over the next 5 days. I want to submit well over the minimum 500 signatures on my petition, because I not only want to be safe, but I actually enjoy listening to you and hearing your words of encouragement.
(o) Thank you Nigel Skeet at the CaliforniaLeader for documenting the birth of my campaign, and to Doug McIntyre, Bill Handel, Jon & Ken, Al Rantel, Leo Terell, and the many other talk radio hosts who have allowed me a forum to air my views over the years.
(o) Thank you to the United State of America, the greatest country in the world. Thank you for welcoming me here 19 years ago when I was an immigrant arriving at JFK in New York having finally been given Resident Alien status. Thank you for showing me hope and spirit of America - offering immigrants the chance of a better way of life; a chance to live free from oppression, snobbery and a class culture designed to preserve elitism. Most of all, thank you for giving me a chance to give something back to the community.
God Bless America, my home sweet home.
In no particular order:
(o) Thank you to all the people who have been gracious enough to listen to me as I passionately explain my reasons for wanting to be your next City Attorney.
(o) Thank you Walter Moore for encouraging me to take this huge step towards my commitment to public service. You truly are a man with a vision and a plan for Los Angeles, and that plan resonated with me, as well as many other Los Angelenos who want to see the best city in the world live up to its potential.
(o) Thank you to the 517 registered Los Angeles voters who have already signed my petition. Thank you for your comments, positive and negative. I have listened and I have learnt. I know what you want and are entitled to expect from your City Attorney, and I intend to deliver.
(o) Thank you to the remaining Los Angelenos who I will be pestering for signatures over the next 5 days. I want to submit well over the minimum 500 signatures on my petition, because I not only want to be safe, but I actually enjoy listening to you and hearing your words of encouragement.
(o) Thank you Nigel Skeet at the CaliforniaLeader for documenting the birth of my campaign, and to Doug McIntyre, Bill Handel, Jon & Ken, Al Rantel, Leo Terell, and the many other talk radio hosts who have allowed me a forum to air my views over the years.
(o) Thank you to the United State of America, the greatest country in the world. Thank you for welcoming me here 19 years ago when I was an immigrant arriving at JFK in New York having finally been given Resident Alien status. Thank you for showing me hope and spirit of America - offering immigrants the chance of a better way of life; a chance to live free from oppression, snobbery and a class culture designed to preserve elitism. Most of all, thank you for giving me a chance to give something back to the community.
God Bless America, my home sweet home.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Crime Fighter of The Year
Unlike every candidate for the Office of Los Angeles City Attorney, I'm the ONLY one who has actually prosecuted violent felons in the past 20 years.
Not only have I sent dangerous criminals to prison for lengthy terms, but I have introduced, passed and implemented laws designed to make communities safer.
My accomplishments as a prosector earned me a US Congressional "Crime Buster of the Year" Award - that's something NO OTHER CANDIDATE has ever even come close to achieving, and that's because they might talk the talk, but they've never walked the walk.
Not only have I sent dangerous criminals to prison for lengthy terms, but I have introduced, passed and implemented laws designed to make communities safer.
My accomplishments as a prosector earned me a US Congressional "Crime Buster of the Year" Award - that's something NO OTHER CANDIDATE has ever even come close to achieving, and that's because they might talk the talk, but they've never walked the walk.
The Campaign Has Started
I'm meeting lots of interesting people who seem to like what I have to say.
In order for you, the voters of the City of Los Angeles, to get the chance to decide whether you want me to be your City Attorney, I have to get 500 signatures on my ballot petition by December 3, 2009.
Easy? Well, those 500 signatures have to be from people who live in the City of Los Angeles, and are registered voters. Those signatures also have to be legible, and backed up with a residential address and date of birth, otherwise the City Clerk will not count them.
Most people don't understand that what I'm doing in asking them for their signature, is simply part of the process demanded by the City Clerk's Office to get a candidate's name on the ballot.
"Why are you doing this?" is a question I'm constantly asked.
The answer is that I don't have a mega-dollar budget to pay people to do the work for me.
Neither do I have a hard core of party faithful, like my Democratic and Republican Party opponents, who will sign anything for "their" candidate.
All I have is my ability to connect with you, the voters, and get a few minutes of your time to convince you that signing the petition is essential f you want to get the chance to decide who is best suited for the Office of City Attorney.
Today is day 10 of my campaign. I have almost 500 signatures, but to be safe, I want to submit at least 700 to the City Clerk. So, if you do happen to see me campaigning outside a local Starbucks, I do hope you will sign my petition and ask me about what I will do as your City Attorney, and also please, please, please, ask me what I've done as a crime fighter.
In order for you, the voters of the City of Los Angeles, to get the chance to decide whether you want me to be your City Attorney, I have to get 500 signatures on my ballot petition by December 3, 2009.
Easy? Well, those 500 signatures have to be from people who live in the City of Los Angeles, and are registered voters. Those signatures also have to be legible, and backed up with a residential address and date of birth, otherwise the City Clerk will not count them.
Most people don't understand that what I'm doing in asking them for their signature, is simply part of the process demanded by the City Clerk's Office to get a candidate's name on the ballot.
"Why are you doing this?" is a question I'm constantly asked.
The answer is that I don't have a mega-dollar budget to pay people to do the work for me.
Neither do I have a hard core of party faithful, like my Democratic and Republican Party opponents, who will sign anything for "their" candidate.
All I have is my ability to connect with you, the voters, and get a few minutes of your time to convince you that signing the petition is essential f you want to get the chance to decide who is best suited for the Office of City Attorney.
Today is day 10 of my campaign. I have almost 500 signatures, but to be safe, I want to submit at least 700 to the City Clerk. So, if you do happen to see me campaigning outside a local Starbucks, I do hope you will sign my petition and ask me about what I will do as your City Attorney, and also please, please, please, ask me what I've done as a crime fighter.
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