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HIGHLIGHTS OF ALEX PADILLA’S RECORD ON KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE Alex Padilla has worked to make our San Fernando Valley neighborhoods stronger and safer. From pushing to hire more police officers and firefighters to bringing new police and fire stations to the Valley to giving more young people positive alternatives to gangs and crime, Alex’s top priority has always been making our neighborhoods safer. Because of his record, he has earned the endorsement of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton, and the Los Angels Fire Chiefs Association. His efforts include: Hiring more police officers and firefighters to protect our neighborhoods Alex Padilla supported increasing the city funding for the Fire Department so that for the first time there is now a paramedic ambulance at every fire station. This helps the Fire Department respond more quickly and effectively to emergency calls for medical assistance. Alex also voted to increase city funding to hire more police officers and he supported efforts to recruit and retain more officers. Alex believes that community policing is key to ensuring that our police department truly protects and serves our neighborhoods. He supported reinstating the Senior Lead Officer program, LAPD’s community policing program. Building new police and fire stations to better serve the Valley Alex Padilla led the effort to build the LAPD’s Mission Area Station, the city’s first new police station in 27 years. A new station means better service for the Valley with more police resources and faster response times. He also fought to secure funding for the LAPD’s Valley Dispatch Center. Alex helped pass Proposition Q to build more police facilities across the Valley, including the newly renovated and expanded West Valley police station in Reseda and the brand new Northwest Valley police station in Canoga Park, which is currently under construction. As part of a local housing development, Alex negotiated with the builder to include construction of a new fire station for Sylmar at no cost to taxpayers. The new station will reduce response times to emergency calls and provide better services to the community. Giving young people positive alternatives Alex Padilla worked to expand the nationally-recognized LA’s BEST after-school program to serve more students and more schools in the San Fernando Valley. LA’s BEST provides students with a safe and educational place to go during the crucial after-school hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Studies show that LA’s BEST students achieve higher test scores and that they like attending school more than students who do not participate in the program. Today, LA’s BEST serves 16 schools in Alex Padilla’s district. Alex also worked with the Boys and Girls Club of the San Fernando Valley to secure funding to help expand its Pacoima facility to give more young people a safe, supervised, and positive place to spend time. To help young people turn their lives around, Alex donated $10,000 from his Council Office funds to Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills for its tattoo removal program. Removing the tattoos affiliated with gang membership is often the final step for young people who are trying to make a fresh start in life. Increasing resources to prosecute and solve crimes Alex Padilla fought to ensure that the city’s budget included increased funding to help the City Attorney's office to prosecute crimes. In addition, Alex supporting funding to increase the number of criminologists at the LAPD's DNA Laboratory to help resolve crimes more quickly and reduce the backlog of evidence from older cases. Cleaning up neighborhoods Alex worked with LAPD Chief Bill Bratton to bring the Safer City Initiative to the communities of North Hills and Panorama City. The Safer City Initiative brings additional police officers and other law enforcement officers to reduce gang violence by focusing on reducing quality of life crimes such as graffiti and drug dealing. Under Alex Padilla’s leadership, the city opened the Sun Valley Branch Library, which transformed the site of a former crack house into a safe place of learning for children and families. The new library is equipped with computers that have Internet access, offer adult literacy services, and provide activities to encourage children to read. In Pacoima, Alex worked with neighborhood residents, the Community Redevelopment Agency, and other city departments to bring 35 new streetlights to the Bromont-Eustace area to help make neighborhood streets safer. He secured more than $300,000 for street lighting in Northeast Pacoima. And he co-hosted a townhall meeting with the Pacoima Neighborhood Council and LAPD Chief Bill Bratton to discuss public safety issues. Alex helped secure vehicles for use by the Pacoima, Panorama City, Sylmar, and Sun Valley Graffiti Busters. Reducing domestic violence Alex Padilla worked with Verizon Wireless and the Motorola Corporation to help provide cell phones and air time to women in local shelters for victims of domestic violence, including W.A.V.E., the Jenesse Center, and the Tamar House. Making Our Schools Safer Alex Padilla worked to secure “safe routes to school” funding, which is being used to improve lighting, sidewalks, and walkways around schools. Working with Women Against Gun Violence, Alex helped to implement a program to inform and mobilize parents and students at Broadous Elementary School to end gun violence in the community. As part of the program, Councilmember Padilla donated more than 350 anti-violence books to the school.