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Hara Promoted to LAPD Deputy Chief Promotion makes Hara the first Asian American to hold the position.
Terry Hara, the Los Angeles Police Department’s first Japanese American commander, was promoted to deputy chief Tuesday after being introduced at a late afternoon press conference at the Parker Center’s Communications building. He will be the first Asian American to assume that post. “I’ve seen his leadership,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “The trust and confidence in people both at the line level, in the union, but also in the command staff. I think this is great for the department.” Hara’s promotion will begin in early March when he will begin supervising West Bureau. Part of his duties will be overseeing the new police precinct in Koreatown. Tuesday’s ceremony was presided over by LAPD Chief William Bratton and Villaraigosa, among dozens of uniformed police officers and friends. After Bratton introduced Hara, he was joined at the podium by his wife Gayle, and spoke for the first time about his duties as deputy chief. “This is truly a special moment for me,” said Hara. “I take this responsibility very seriously. One of the most important things is collaboration, relationships with the community. With our officers working as hard as they do, asking them to do so much to keep the crime rate down in this city, it is also extremely important to have a strong working relationship with the community. And that will be my commitment, that strong working relationship with everyone that we serve.” Building relationships with the community has been a focal point for Hara throughout his career. As commander, he was entrusted to restore the department’s community image following the high-profile Stanley Miller beating. In 2004, the department had come under fire when a video of an LAPD officer repeatedly beating a car theft suspect named Stanley Miller with his flashlight was broadcast nationally. Chief Bratton immediately banned the heavy duty Maglites and placed Hara in charge of an effort to find a lighter, safer version to be used on patrol. The result was a 10-inch, 12-ounce flashlight that is now used by all officers. Community activists were pleased by his and the department’s efforts. “It’s a really important step in the right direction and it’s going to make a difference in how the police department deals with the community,” said Ramona Ripston, executive director, ACLU of Southern California. Before joining the Los Angeles Police Department, Hara began his law enforcement career as a Police Explorer Scout with the Long Beach Police Department. He joined the LAPD in 1980 and has worked at numerous locations within the department, including South and Central Traffic Divisions, Detective Support Division, Internal Affairs Group, and the Office of the Chief of Police. According to his bio on the LAPD website, his assignments have taken him anywhere from undercover work as a narcotics officer (school buy program), to uniformed patrol. From his success at the community level, Hara became the overseeing commander of the Employee Relations Division. Before that, he was the supervisor of the LAPD’s Training Division, his first assignment when he assumed his post as commander in July 2005. The leadership by which many close to Hara have defined him by was clearly evident here, where he supervised some 400 recruits as well as over 300 patrol officers. Leadership, among other responsibilities, was also on his mind as he discussed his plan for his upcoming position. “I have a huge responsibility to the community and to the men and women of the LAPD. To be the first, you have extra shoulders to bear of people watching you, listening to what you say. I recognize that you’re a role model to other officers and to the community, to see that there is a voice in an organization at a much higher level than ever before.” |
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