Delgadillo gives annual report at Faculty Center
The city attorney of Los Angeles addressed students, faculty and community members at a noontime speech Monday in an annual report of his office’s achievements.
Speaking at the Faculty Center for about a half hour, Rocky Delgadillo described various programs he has enacted since he was sworn into office in June 2001.
He described a multitude of his office’s actions that all traced back to three main goals he outlined upon taking office: creating safe neighborhoods, re-establishing a working relationship between the L.A. Police Department and the communities it serves, and saving taxpayers’ dollars.
To meet the first priority, he started the Neighborhood Prosecutor Program.
His office assigned an experienced prosecutor to each of LAPD’s 18 community divisions. Effectively a “go-to” person for each community, the prosecutors work solely to resolve issues that arise in their area.
“(The program is) helping to build the foundation that makes our communities safer while improving the relationship between our government and our neighborhoods,” he said.
But some attendees criticized the program, saying his office could be doing more.
Neighborhood prosecutors address consequences rather than the root of problems, said Avital Chatto, a first-year law student. She claimed that downtown, on Skid Row, they try to get rid of public urination instead of homelessness.
Delgadillo also talked about the 2001-2002 reduction in cash payouts for suits against the city. The amount paid decreased 50 percent to $47 million, saving taxpayers’ money for use in other programs.
“The city is not an open well to be tapped dry, and that message is being heard loud and clear by the plaintiff’s bar,” Delgadillo said.
Delgadillo said he came to UCLA because “the students here are the future of Los Angeles” and it was UCLA’s turn after he spoke at the University of Southern California last year.
Additionally, he said he chose the campus to inform law students about his office to attract talent in coming years.
Law students were invited to the gathering through e-mail. Second-year law student Boris Sam said he came because he thought the office was hiring, but found it to be more political in scope instead.
And though his speech was directed at students, they were the minority in attendance.
They were possibly busy studying for exams, he explained, since the school had already been in session for six weeks.
The students who did show up to the speech were upset there was no question and answer session after Delgadillo’s speech.
There was no time for any questions on Monday, but Delgadillo said he would like to come back again soon for a more informal discussion with students.
“We’ll have questions next time,” he said.
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