Parks Proposes Dividing Valley Into North, South Bureaus

Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks recommended Monday that the San Fernando Valley be divided into two police bureaus and receive a sixth police station, saying public safety will be “adversely affected” without the reorganization.

In a report to the City Council, Parks said splitting the Valley north and south would ease the burden on the LAPD’s largest existing bureau in size and population.

Each of the five stations in the Valley Bureau covers 45 square miles compared with an average at the other three bureaus of 19 square miles. The Valley Bureau includes 35% of the city’s population.

“Clearly the effective delivery of public-safety services is adversely affected when officers are housed so far from the communities they are sworn to protect,” Parks said. “Given projected growth and the future needs for public-safety services in the San Fernando Valley, these recommendations for increasing the number of police facilities should receive careful and immediate consideration.”

Parks first began talking of a second Valley bureau more than a year ago, but the council asked the chief in 1997 to submit a formal proposal.

City Council members from the Valley hailed the chief’s report, saying it provides ammunition for their fight for additional police facilities in the area. .

“I’m delighted with the chief’s proposal,” said City Councilwoman Laura Chick, who represents parts of the West Valley.

“The Valley is a large and well-populated area that certainly could be served better by having two bureaus instead of one,” added Chick, who chairs the council’s public safety committee.

Councilman Mike Feuer, who sits on the budget and public safety committees, said Parks made a compelling argument for the reorganization of Valley policing.

“It’s an idea that needs very serious consideration,” Feuer said.

In the details included in his report, Parks said the Valley’s population is expected to grow by 28% by 2010.

Parks said that calls for service in the Valley Bureau increased 2.7% from 1992 through 1996, while calls went down in the Central and South bureaus and increased less than 1% in the West Bureau. The Valley Bureau has consistently had the highest citywide average of calls for service--263,000 annually--for the last five years.

At the same time, serious crimes declined at a lesser rate in the Valley than in the other three bureaus, Parks said.

“The sheer size of the San Fernando Valley mandates additional policing facilities be constructed or developed from existing structures,” Parks said.

Under his proposal, a sixth police station would be located between the Devonshire and Foothill divisions, taking much of the load off the Van Nuys Division.

The border between the north and south Valley bureaus would run generally along Roscoe Boulevard.

Cmdr. Ronald Bergmann of the Valley Bureau said splitting the region between two bureaus would make it easier to manage police operations in the large area.

“We’ve got the biggest geographic area in the city. This will allow the deputy chief to get out and meet the public more,” Bergmann said.

Feuer said the costs of the reorganization will be a major factor. Parks said the move could cost up to $32 million, including $17.5 million to buy the Department of Water and Power’s Anthony Office Building in Sun Valley to serve as the new Valley Bureau headquarters and the sixth police station.

Another $9 million would be needed to staff the new bureau and station.

The City Council will consider this week whether to ask voters in June to approve up to $750 million in bonds for new police and fire stations.

Parks conceded that his plan depends largely on what the voters decide.

Still, Valley council members, including Councilman Joel Wachs, were glad Monday to have a more defined proposal to carry forward.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we get a new division in the Valley,” Wachs said. “We need it.”