FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Jim Hahn today earned the support of several San Fernando Valley leaders, who citied his support for public safety and improving the quality of life in the Valley, and all of Los Angeles.

"I absolutely respect Mayor Jim Hahn's leadership of this city and his stance on crime and public safety," said former Assemblywoman Paula Boland, who served on the Assembly's public safety committee with Antonio Villaraigosa from 1995 to 1997. "I never, in the two years we served together, saw Antonio vote for a good public safety bill. Antonio and I were friends in Sacramento and I'd love for him to be my next door neighbor and have barbecues with him. But I don't want him in charge of my police department or fire department."

"While I was supporting and writing tough-on-crime bills as chair of the Assembly's Public Safety committee, my vice chair was voting 'no' on bills against child abuse. My vice chair was protecting gangs. That vice chair was Antonio Villaraigosa," Boland said.

"Jim Hahn is one of the few politicians who has actually kept his campaign promises," said Don Schultz, President of the Van Nuys Homeowners Association. "He's brought back senior lead officers with a new chief of police."

"Over the past few years I've gotten to know the real Jim Hahn, and he's a stand up guy," said Michael Miller, a community activist and honorary Mayor of Woodland Hills.

"Throughout my years as a courtroom prosecutor, City Attorney and Mayor, I have consistently worked toward one goal - to make Los Angeles the safest big city in America," Mayor Hahn said. "Today, crime is down almost 20 percent, more cops are on our streets and we've restored community policing. As long as I have anything to say about it, we're going to keep winning our war against crime. I am honored to have the support of Assemblywoman Boland and so many Valley leaders."

Mayor Hahn was endorsed today by:

. Former Assemblywoman Paula Boland, who represented the San Fernando Valley and served as chair of the Assembly's Public Safety Committee
. Diann Corral, President, Mid-Town North Hollywood Neighborhood Council
. Lori Dinkin, President, Valley Village Homeowners Association
. Sherman Gamson, Vice President, Lindbrook Homeowners Association
. Peer Ghent, Past President, Valley Glen Residents Association
. Michael Miller, Honorary Mayor of Woodland Hills
. Sandy Munz, community policing activist
. Eric Reveuni, Chair, North Hollywood Community Police Advisory Board
. Don Shultz, President, Van Nuys Homeowners Association
. Kim Thompson, Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council, President of Mothers and Others against the Dump, board member of the North Valley Coalition
. Susan Ware, President, North Village Residents Association

Mayor Hahn joined with a large crowd of supporters today at the Van Nuys Community Police Station.

Citywide, violent crime is down almost 20 percent. In the LAPD's Valley Bureau, violent crime is down 44 percent, car thefts are down 28 percent and assaults are down 52 percent.

Under Mayor Hahn, the Valley has benefited from:

. 12 new libraries
. 15 new or renovated parks
. New fire stations in North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Encino, Panorama City, Van Nuys and Woodland Hills
. A Valley 911 communications center
. A new West Valley police station, North Valley police station,
Valley Traffic Division, Valley Bureau headquarters, and Valley Bomb Squad facility
. The Marvin Braude Constituent Services Center in Van Nuys
. The opening next month of a North Valley Neighborhood City Hall and a new Valley Municipal Building in the next month.

Mayor Hahn has given every Los Angeles neighborhood a strong voice at City Hall by certifying more than 80 neighborhood councils. Each, beginning with the Reseda Neighborhood Council, is provided with a $50,000 budget. Mayor Hahn has proposed giving neighborhood councils discretion over $100,000 to make local road repairs. Mayor Hahn has also incorporated neighborhood councils into the city budgeting process and has proposed giving neighborhood councils a seat on every city commission, a role in the hiring of every city department head, and a role in assessing the performance of every city department.

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