A president of a private university wisely keeps his distance from city politics. But there should be nothing political in the discussion of whether Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck deserves another five-year term. Like all residents of Los Angeles, and as the largest private employer in the city, USC expects strong, ethical and compassionate leadership within the police force that is at once collaborative and unafraid to take necessary action. Beck’s first term clearly demonstrated his commitment to those principles. As a result, the response to the consideration of his reappointment for a second term – for myself, the USC community and I believe all of Los Angeles – is a clear and forceful “Yes.”
Most residents of Los Angeles already know that the city keeps getting safer. Crime has continued to fall during the five years that Beck has led the Police Department. Important as it is, that statistic matters less than the way he has accomplished his goal.
The chief’s values reflect the values of Angelenos and of our highly diverse university community. This is all the more important in a city like ours, perhaps the most diverse in the world, with more than 200 languages spoken and more than 140 nations represented. As the leader of the LAPD, Beck has supported and embraced diversity in the community and among the ranks of the force. He has been a strong supporter of greater representation for women in the department, especially in command and executive positions. He has expanded regular community forums to involve a large array of cultural and religious groups.
USC, which enrolls nearly 40,000 students every year, is a lot like a city within a city. And we, too, are one of the world’s most diverse institutions. We have students from all 50 states, more international students than any other American university and count more than 90 distinct student religious groups.
Beck also has embraced technology to promote safety. He pioneered the systematic use of closed-circuit cameras to remove the blight of crime from our great civic spaces. He adopted and continues to explore new uses of sophisticated computer programs in police work to predict and deter criminal activity. He supported the universal use of cameras on officers and in patrol cars to improve accountability and protect civilians and officers: As a direct result, complaints against officers have declined sharply during his term.
Under Beck, the LAPD Cadet Program, which engages L.A.-area youth ages 13-20 to build leadership and life skills, has grown dramatically. Consider the impact: Thousands more teenagers and young adults are using their time productively, volunteering in their communities and learning to lead through service, than when Beck’s term began in 2009. I have witnessed this phenomenal success through my annual attendance at the graduation ceremonies for new cadets who have completed this community-focused training.
My university is proud to be home to one of the city’s cadet posts, staffed by 50 young men and women from our neighborhoods who volunteer at local schools and serve the community in many other meaningful ways.
Much has been said in recent weeks about Beck’s record, the statistics on his watch and all the accomplishments that make the case for his continued service. I have known him to be a man of high integrity, trustworthy and fair in his dealings. Beck leads with humility and cares deeply about our community and the men and women under his command.
It is important to have Beck as the head of the department as he continues to improve safety and security in our city, and as he also continues to develop and improve the city’s police force. I enthusiastically urge the commission to grant Beck a second five-year term as leader of our city’s finest.
C.L. Max Nikias is president of USC.
