Group’s Contributions to LAPD a Safe Bet

NORTHRIDGE —  Ask a Devonshire Division police officer how long it would take the Los Angeles Police Department to supply new chairs for the watch commander’s office, and you’ll get either a chuckle or an incredulous stare.

“I could be retired before I see it,” Sgt. Loren Farell said.

But with the philanthropic aid of Supporters of Law Enforcement in Devonshire, or SOLID, necessities and amenities have a tendency to appear months sooner than those requested through the department.

A grass-roots, nonprofit organization established in 1991, the group raises money in the northwest San Fernando Valley to improve the effectiveness of the police who serve it.

“We feel that if we give the best equipment they need, they can do a more efficient job and it comes back to us in the form of safe communities,” said board member Becky Lohnes Leveque, who was inspired to create the program after her home was broken into 10 years ago.

Today, the organization raises about $25,000 to $30,000 a year, according to its president, Don Hoffman. Most of the money comes from annual spaghetti dinners and pancake breakfasts that draw about 1,200 residents and officers. Hoffman said that since 1991, the group has raised about $200,000 in addition to equipment donations.

The funds have been used to refurbish the Northridge station’s weightlifting room and purchase a surveillance van, computers, metal detectors, paper shredders, a copy machine and new chairs.

Budget Constraints Make Supplies Tight

Judy Miller is commanding officer of the LAPD’s supply section, a division with an $8.6-million operating budget that is responsible for procuring everything from pencils to ammunition to dog food for K-9 units. Miller said requests from all divisions are put on a waiting list unless an item or equipment is needed for medical reasons, but high demand and budget constraints make providing equipment a complicated task.

“It’s difficult to give all things to all people with limited resources,” said Miller, who said chairs were the most-requested item. “We try to do the thing that’s most appropriate and fair for everybody. We expect to be $4 million short by the end of the year in terms of office supplies.”

That’s where SOLID comes in. The group has provided so much that some at the division shudder at the thought of life without the boosters.

“We’d be severely restricted without their assistance,” Lt. Joseph Eddy said. “Not only do they increase our productivity, [but] they increase our morale.”

Capt. Joseph Curreri cites a piece of equipment similar to a periscope to illustrate SOLID’s role. The device is used to inspect attics for suspects without putting officers at risk.

“It would have a significant impact if we were not able to get the equipment that SOLID has provided for us,” Curreri said.

The program provided funds to refurbish an interview room in the detective bureau. Named the “soft room” because it is decorated with wallpaper and has a TV and VCR, it allows victims of child and domestic abuse to be interviewed in a less-intimidating place.

“It really allows people to calm down without the stress of a police environment,” said Det. Tony Foti, adding that “SOLID stepped up without any questions asked” to furnish the room.

SOLID is similar to the Mid-Valley Community Police Council, a booster program for the LAPD’s Van Nuys Division. But unlike SOLID, board member Flip Smith said the Mid-Valley organization generates money from businesses rather than residents.

“SOLID is probably the best out there in terms of grass-roots, community support,” said Val Paniccia, assistant commander of the Valley Bureau.

Community relations officers throughout point to the Valley and West bureaus as having the best booster support, citing West Los Angeles and Hollywood divisions as being exceptionally strong.

“The Valley has good booster support because there’s more money there,” said Sgt. Robert Alaniz of the Southwest Division. “The more you head south, the less business there is.”

Support Comes From a Diverse Community

Although none of the booster programs is officially affiliated with the LAPD, department spokesman Lt. Horace Frank praised their work: “They’re a huge boost to the officers. They are a valuable resource and one I know the officers appreciate.”

As one of the largest police divisions in the Los Angeles Police Department, the Devonshire area ranges from the wealthy estates of Porter Ranch to the dilapidated apartment houses of Panorama City.

Lohnes Leveque said the organization has succeeded not only because it raises money from wealthy neighborhoods but because the Devonshire police and SOLID members have garnered support throughout the community.

“We don’t want to target only those with money,” she said. “We want to bring all people together. We have a lot of retired people on fixed incomes involved. The leadership at Devonshire has been very supportive of us. Therein lies our success.”