CONCEJAL Bernard Parks

Concejal Bernard C. Parques Bernard C. Parks is serving his third term as Los Angeles City Councilmember for the Eighth Council District. Una de las áreas más densamente pobladas en el sur de Los Angeles, Parques representa más 250,000 personas. During his first year in office he was appointed Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee where he has implemented prudent fiscal policies in tough financial times that have steered the city clear of bankruptcy.

Parks has implemented many programs to enrich the South Los Angeles area including the Prevention Intervention and Education (PIE) program at Crenshaw High School. The PIE program works to bridge the gap between black and brown students through various school assemblies and noteworthy speakers. Parks también ha creado un Empleo Juvenil anual y feria de empleo en la que al menos 20 jóvenes fueron entrevistados para puestos de trabajo durante el primer año.

Él ha tenido un gran éxito en la entrega de la legislación que beneficia a sus electores en el distrito 8. Alarmada ante la expectativa de vida inferior a la media de los residentes del distrito octavo, así como la alta tasa de obesidad y diabetes, Parques estableció una ordenanza de control provisional que regula el establecimiento de los nuevos restaurantes de comida rápida y ofrecer incentivos fiscales para las tiendas de comestibles de dedicar más espacio al fresco, alimentos saludables.

Parques cree en la promoción de una vibrante, diverso, y ambiente de negocios prósperos en el sur de Los Angeles. Preocupada por la alta saturación de los negocios relacionados con la venta de automóviles, talleres de reparación de automóviles, depósitos de chatarra, y el reciclaje de materiales e instalaciones de procesamiento, Parks authored a city-wide ordinance that imposed regulations on the issuance of new permits for such businesses.

Parks has been on the forefront of protecting Eight District residents from the fallout associated with the foreclosure crisis. He authored an ordinance ensuring tenants in foreclosed apartment buildings do not have utilities shut off, due to their landlord’s failure to pay their bills. Parks worked with Council President Eric Garcetti on an ordinance that requires banks to maintain houses they have repossessed through foreclosure. The ordinance allows the city to fine a bank up to $1,000 per day until the derelict property is brought up to code.

A raíz de los huracanes Katrina y Rita del Sur en 2006, Parks led the effort in helping evacuees find long-term housing. As the FEMA voucher deadline drew near, Parks worked with the City’s Housing Department and local landlords to construct a Rent Stabilization Ordinance. This Ordinance allowed L.A. landlords to temporarily charge reduced rent or offer other rent concessions to eligible persons displaced by the hurricanes.

Antes de ser elegido para el Consejo de la Ciudad de Los Angeles, Parques gastados 38 years as a police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department. Beginning his career at the department at a time when patrol cars were just recently integrated, he climbed the ranks of one of the nation’s largest municipal law enforcement agencies to become Chief of Police in 1997.

Como Jefe, Parks implemented some of the most rigorous police reforms ever proposed in the history of the police department, including the institution of an Officer Accountability Policy. Parks also made it easier for the community to file complaints against problem officers by streamlining the Citizen Complaint System. Under Chief Parks the City of Los Angeles saw homicides fall by 45%, caída violación asalto en casi 20% y la disminución en más de un robo 45%.

He is credited with creating the first Cold Case Unit in the nation during his history-making term as Chief. That same unit was instrumental in the arrest of the suspect in the “Grim Sleeper” Serial Killer Case. Lonnie Franklin, Jr. fue detenido por el crimen en julio de 2010.

En su más que 45 años como servidor público, Parks has remained closely tied to his community. Aside from patrolling L.A.’s street as a young officer, Parks dedicated many volunteer years to youth activities in the district. Fue entrenador de Baldwin Hills Youth Football for 10 years and mentored the likes of National Football League Hall-of-Famer Warren Moon and many other kids who grew to become successful community and business leaders. During his Hall-of-Fame induction speech, Moon described Parks as “a guy who instilled values in me at a very young age, me enseñó disciplina y me ha enseñado mucho trabajo y dedicación ".

Sitio web: www.bernardparks.com