The future of policing: LAPD's Community Safety Partnership Bureau nears one year

This time a year ago, protestors were taking to the streets after the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day 2020. By July of that summer, the LAPD announced a new Bureau based on community policing and building relationships.

LOS ANGELES - "I'm a hugger," says LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides.

As the head of LAPD's newest Bureau, Community Safety Partnership, she proved that in every setting. From hugs to officers receiving a celebratory coin in honor of the Bureau to meeting the boxing coach for the first time at Nickerson Gardens public housing development.

Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides

This time a year ago, protestors were taking to the streets after the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day 2020. By July of that summer, the LAPD announced a new bureau based on community policing and building relationships. It expanded on a concept launched in Watts a decade ago.

Captain Emada Tingirides, who was a co-founder of the concept, was promoted to Deputy Chief by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

At LAPD's Southeast station in Watts, CSP officers must commit to five years to know the community.

A cornerstone of CSP includes community partnerships. Joel Lopez who is also a co-creator of the concept from 10 years ago is now a civilian commanding officer. He was a school teacher and worked for the public housing authority.

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Deputy Chief Tingirides supports calls to re-imagine police and calls to invest in underserved communities but done so in partnership with law enforcement.

As for calls to defund the police, she says "we're not going anywhere." She says it's about building relationships and creating safe zones and partnerships in a community with the history of the Watts riots. CSP started at four public housing developments, like Nickerson Gardens, and is now in ten different communities.

Tingirides spent some of her childhood in Watts. She's now at headquarters and a major voice in the future of policing.