Van Nuys Community Police Station Sepulveda, Sherman Oaks, Valley Glen, Van Nuys, Ventura Business District, West Van Nuys Serving the Van Nuys Communtiy Help Fight Crime in Your Neighborhood The LAPD depends on you, the residents of LA, to help fight crime in your neighborhood. Partner with us to make our communities safer places to live, to work more community news> all news>STAR WARS can be used to sell almost anything, from Lego to a career in policing. Fort Worth’s police department released a recruitment video on its Facebook page in December featuring an officer at target practice with a stormtrooper. The white-clad soldiers are notoriously poor shots, and the video shows the galactic GI missing every attempt he makes until he creeps so far forward that his goggles are very nearly touching his target. When the exasperated officer asks “who referred you to us?” Darth Vader peeks out from the back of the room, shaking his helmeted head in disgust. The scrolling text at the end of the video, which has garnered 17m views thus far, urges: “Join our Force!
If you have what it takes to be a Fort Worth Police Officer and are a better aim than a Stormtrooper.” The advert underscores a serious problem affecting police forces nationwide. Economic and social changes have made it harder for police departments to keep their forces fully staffed, and lead to increasingly desperate recruitment.The Los Angeles Police Department was short of nearly 100 officers as of mid-December—only 1% of its total workforce, but still enough to be felt on the ground, says Captain Alan Hamilton, who runs recruitment for the department. Philadelphia had 350 vacancies, largely due to a spate of retirements. Last spring, Dallas cancelled two academy classes for lack of applicants; its preliminary applications dropped by over 30% between 2010 and 2015. In 2012, the ratio of police officers to population hit its lowest level since 1997, according to Uniform Crime Reporting Programme data published by the FBI.The dynamics underpinning the shortages vary by department, but there are national trends making it harder for police forces to attract applicants.
The first is a strong economy. Nelson Lim, a researcher at the RAND Corporation, a think-tank, says this is nothing new. When plenty of jobs are available, people are usually less motivated to enter dangerous professions. Police forces as well as the armed forces tend to field less interest in boom times.The second is the perception of increased danger associated with policing: 135 officers were killed in the line of duty between January 1st 2016 and December 28th 2016—a 10% increase from 2015 but fewer than the 192 killed in 2007. Shooting deaths increased from 41 to 64. Several of them were high profile and gruesome, such as the assassination of five Dallas police officers in July 2016. “When you look around the nation and you see the acts of violence directed at police officers—it makes people reluctant to join. Many people join the profession when they’re 22 or 23 when parents still have a heavy influence,” says Scott Walton, deputy chief in Dallas, though sympathy can also boost recruitment.
Dallas has seen an uptick in applications since its officers were attacked.The last is the image of policing. The deaths of several unarmed black men at the hands of police officers and the ensuing backlash seem to have made police work less appealing. “We have a situation where law enforcement is being scrutinised more heavily,” says Mr Hamilton of the LAPD. According to Gallup, a polling organisation, trust in law enforcement generally has remained fairly stable since it began surveying the topic in 1993. But according to data collected by Harris, another polling group, the share of both whites and blacks who believe that African Americans are discriminated against by the police has risen markedly between 1969 and 2014.Baltimore Police Department’s officer shortage led it to Puerto Rico in search of fresh faces. The department also mulled relaxing its stance on past marijuana use. Chicago has cut its minimum age requirement for its police academy from 25 to 21. Several departments have lowered educational requirements for recruits.
If President-elect Trump follows through on his promises to beef up military and infrastructure spending, the plight of police departments might worsen, worries Mr Lim. The armed and police forces tend to compete for applicants. If more jobs become available in industry and construction, putting on a badge might become even less appealing to young workers.TECHNOLOGYCalifornia teen builds prototype for Braille printer with Legos A California middle school student designed a new and cheaper way to print in Braille, and he built it with Legos. A Silicon Valley teenager is proving it's never too early to become an entrepreneur. Shubham Banerjee of Santa Clara asked his parents how blind people read, and when they told him to Google it, he became fascinated with Braille.But he couldn't believe that Braille printers cost $2,000 or more. Set out to change things, the eighth grader built a Braille printer with a Lego robotics kit as a school science fair project last year.
He launched a company to develop low-cost machines to print Braille. Intel was so impressed with Shubham's lego printer, the company invested in his startup."He's solving a real problem, and he wants to go off and disrupt an existing industry. And that's really what it's all about," said Edward Ross from Intel.Shubham's updated model has more traditional computer parts -- no more legos needed.The teen's company is called Braigo -- a name that combines Braille and Lego. He hopes to sell the printers for $350.Fingerprints CountingFingerprints BookScience FingerprintsFingerprint 1Police MathPreschool PolicePolice ThemePolice WeekPreschool MathForwardHow Many Fingerprints? Have fun counting with 1:1 correspondence using your own fingerprints! This set has number and word cards from one to ten along with space to put your little one's fingerprints.LAPD Headquarters#: Please Share!! California Pizza Kitchen will donate 20% of your check in support of Fallen Whittier Police Department Officer Keith Boyer.
Visit one of the participating locations listed below on March 6th, March 7th or March 8th.LAPD Headquarters added 5 new photos.It was 20 years ago, the North Hollywood shootout occurred and forever changed # and law enforcement policy. Truly grateful for the heroes who risked their lives that day.See allLAPD Headquarters# Remembering our fallen Policeman C.A. May EOW 2/28/1907 The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. http://bit.ly/2kEJ2HeLAPD Headquarters# / # Fire Station 89 on March 4th 2017 between 7:30 AM and 1:00 PM at 7063 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, North Hollywood. Be a hero for kids with cancer! Join this St. Baldrick's event, and whether you decide to shave your head, volunteer, or donate, we hope you'll be a part of the excitement! The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-powered charity that funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. Get involved and you'll be giving hope to infants, children, teens and young adults fighting childhood cancers!
/events/lafdlapd LAPD Headquarters# Remembering our fallen Policeman J.M. Schomaker EOW 2/27/1929 The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. http://bit.ly/2lhxeOFLAPD Headquarters added 5 new photos.# engaging with the community today at Crenshaw Christian Center in # with regards to the #. Thank you Crenshaw Christian Center,LAPD 77th Street Community Police Station and to all who came out and participated.LAPD Headquarters shared a link.20 Year Anniversary of the North Hollywood Bank Robbery ShootoutLAPD Headquarters shared a link. NA17033im Education and Enforcement NA17034ti Search for Missing 14-Year-OldLAPD Headquarters added 2 new photos.# honors fallen @whittierpd Officer Keith Boyer. Memorial service will be held Friday, March 3rd 10 AM at the Calvary Chapel located at 12808 Woodruff Ave, Downey 90242.LAPD Headquarters# sends our deepest sympathy to our California Highway Patrol family for the loss of Officer Lucas Chellew.LAPD Headquarters# Remembering our fallen Policeman Carl Drake EOW 2/23/1926 The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
http://bit.ly/2koLzH7LAPD Headquarters shared a link.LAPD Targets Impaired Drivers with DUI Checkpoints and DUI Saturation PatrolsLAPD Headquarters added 3 new photos.# "The Power of a Dream," is exemplified at today's 6th Annual Black History Month Celebration. It was hosted by the Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives. It was held @ Los Angeles Police Museum.LAPD Headquarters# Remembering our fallen Police Officer Christy Hamilton EOW 2/22/1994 The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. http://bit.ly/2kjt1G3LAPD Headquarters# Remembering our fallen Policeman Clay Hunt EOW 2/22/1955 The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. http://bit.ly/2kKf5YSLAPD Headquarters added 3 new photos.# and the family of missing 14-yr old teenage Elias Rodriguez need your help. He has been missing since Friday 02/17/17, last seen leaving school at approx 1 pm. Elias is described as male Hispanic with brown hair, brown eyes 5'4" weighing 100 lbs.