For our final blog posting of 2009, we would be remiss if we did not recognize and congratulate the members of the LAPPL for their significant contributions in the reduction in L.A. crime rates. Thanks to their dedication and professionalism, LA is a safer city today than it has been in decades.

This was the seventh consecutive year in which the rate of serious crimes has declined in L.A. Through Saturday, violent crimes, such as homicide, rape and robbery, fell about 10% compared with the same period last year, while burglary and other property crimes declined 8%, according to LAPD figures.

All of this was accomplished in a challenging environment of double-digit unemployment and a recession some would say challenges the Great Depression. It also ran counter to less favorable crime statistics reported in surrounding jurisdictions including Long Beach, Santa Monica and Orange County.

In the media this week, several criminologists justifiably credited LAPD officers for the crime rate reductions. Among them were Richard B. Rosenfeld, president of the American Society of Criminology, and George Kelling, a leading criminal justice scholar at Rutgers University. We thank them for giving LAPD officers independent recognition for a job well done.

LA Times reported: “Kelling and Rosenfeld emphasized that much of the credit for the extended decline in Los Angeles belongs to the LAPD, which has continued to refine crime-fighting strategies and strengthen ties with community groups in neighborhoods where it was once viewed with distrust and hostility.”

Rosenfeld hastened to add that our ability keep up the gains depends on whether elected officials manage to continue to fund the Department at levels that allow LAPD to maintain the ranks and strategies. "Smart policing is not cheap," he said. "Whether it will continue to succeed depends on whether communities can afford it."

That’s our challenge in 2010: To keep public safety as the top priority in Los Angeles. Having solid results to show for the efforts of LAPD officers in 2009 puts us in a good position to keep the pressure on and prevail in the upcoming year.

Happy New Year to all.