A staffed police kiosk opened at The Grove retail and dining complex in the Fairfax district.
The kiosk is called a koban and its design borrows from one originated in Japan in the 1870s, according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement.
“Kobans focus on creating a closer relationship between the communities they are based in and local law enforcement,” police said Monday.
The location fit the LAPD’s search for “a place which could accommodate the unique structure and allow officers to interact with a large volume of citizens of Los Angeles and visitors to our city,” according to the LAPD.
Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of The Grove developer Caruso Affiliated, said he was delighted to have the koban, also called a police box, at the complex.
“Not only is this good for us and the residents and businesses around The Grove, it is a great way to put a personal face on our city’s finest with a meaningful way to educate and interact with the public,” said Caruso, a former member of the Los Angeles Police Commission
The kiosk was unveiled at a news conference today where officials discussed the importance of community policing and the public’s role in reporting anything that seems out of place, unusual or just plain suspicious.
“If you see something, please say something,” LAPD Deputy Chief Beatrice Girmala said. “The role that we have is not just for law enforcement alone. It’s for all of us working together.
“In the world we live in today, it key and important to each and every one of us that the community is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the men and women who protect and serve.”
City Councilman David Ryu said the kiosk will be a place where the public can engage with police officers and several people told reporters at the scene that they were delighted to have a visible law enforcement presence at The Grove.
“If it deters just one act, then it will have been worth it,” LAPD Sgt. Robert McDonald told ABC7.
The kiosk will be staffed by at least two officers each day and others could be coming to other locations in the city, police said.
–City News Service