Rocky Delgadillo, LA's Former City Attorney

Daniel Edwin Jones

 

 In this special series, Rocky Delgadillo, a native of the Eastside of Los Angeles, who became the highest-ranking Latino to win citywide office in more than 100 years when he was elected Los Angeles City Attorney on June 5, 2001, and re-elected in March 2005 to a second four-year term, discusses the many effective programs he and his office have created, sponsored and implemented for Los Angeles which have made our city have Safer Neighborhoods and Saved Taxpayer Dollars. Some of the other many successful programs he and his office have created are:

1. Rocky's signature program: The "Neighborhood Prosecutor Program". For the first time in the city's history, prosecutors work in the neighborhoods, get to know residents on a first-name basis, and attack quality-of-life crimes where they occur. Neighborhood Prosecutors work with residents, elected officials and city agencies to drastically cut illegal dumping, graffiti and illegal street racing, to name a few of the problems. The program won a city Productivity Award in 2002 for its first-year achievements.

2. America's Most Effective Anti-Gang Legislation

3. New Crackdown on LAX Crime

4. Homeless Dumping Legislation

In his first term, Rocky more than tripled the number of gang injunctions in the city to 22, contributing to a steep decline in crime in the affected areas. At the same time, effective legal work by his team helped bring to a close the Rampart scandal at a substantial savings. When the case broke in 2000, it was projected that some 120 cases could cost Los Angeles as much as $125 million in liability payments. Four years later, Rocky's team had negotiated settlements totaling $70 million in more than 200 cases, a projected $55 million savings over the next several years. He urged the city to apply to the hiring and training of new police officers.

Liability savings under Rocky extended beyond the Rampart scandal. General liability payouts in Rocky's first term fell by 60 percent, to $33 million.

Rocky's efforts went well beyond fiscal responsibility. Education and after-school activities help deter teens from joining gangs. That's why Rocky created Operation Bright Future, a tough anti-truancy program that targets sixth-graders with excessive absences. Operation Bright Future teaches parents about the importance of education and ultimately holds parents legally responsible for making sure their kids go to school.