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Blueprint: Could you briefly describe what community prosecution is and explain how it differs from standard practice?

Rocky Delgadillo: The principal difference is twofold. First, we're bringing government to the neighborhoods, not the other way around. And second, community prosecution is proactive in seeking to improve the quality of life for citizens. In "regular" prosecution, we wait for crimes to happen and then we respond. But this way, we go to the community, ask them what their concerns and issues are, and develop a proactive strategy together with the police to prevent the problem from ever occurring. For example, let's say a neighborhood is having a problem with graffiti. We'd enlist the support of the police, maybe employ heightened surveillance or cameras, and in that way prevent graffiti from ever occurring. It's really the "broken windows" theory. What others might call low-level crime, I call crime, period. If we can prevent these types of crimes from occurring, we might be able to prevent more serious crime in the future.

BP: Exactly what will each of the 18 neighborhood prosecutors do? How will this change how they do their jobs?

RD: Most prosecutors begin and end their day in court. Now, maybe they'll still begin their day in court but end their day in a community meeting that lasts into the wee hours of the night. Their job is to connect with the ultimate client they serve, namely, the people of California. Again, it's a way to connect with and respond to people's concerns. I consider this an elite unit. It takes a special kind of person, someone with strong prosecutorial skills who, at the same time, is able to listen. We're doing our best to pick from among the best.

BP: Did you encounter any resistance to the change, either externally or internally?

RD: We certainly had to educate people. But overall we met with very little resistance, other than the fact that we are now in a very different budget situation after Sept. 11. The challenge is to convince people to make an investment at a time when we have a budget shortfall. But this truly is preventive medicine. At the end of the day, I expect we'll actually increase the revenues to the city of Los Angeles.

BP: Do you foresee expanding this effort to include parole, juvenile justice, and other elements of the justice system?

RD: We might in certain instances. For example, we'll certainly coordinate with the probation department and other agencies that normally coordinate with the prosecutor's office. Efforts to suppress gang activity are another example. By getting out into the neighborhoods, we can help bring a comprehensive anti-gang program to their community. Now, we spend a lot of time chasing gang members from one neighborhood into the next. I'd like to start chasing gang members out of gangs and into opportunities. To do that, you need to get the private sector to come in and invest in poor communities. If you provide young people in communities an opportunity for a better life, it can have a snowball effect.

BP: In other cities and states, community prosecution is typically employed in tandem with community policing. What's the status of community policing in Los Angeles today?

RD: We wouldn't have gone forward if we did not have the full commitment of the Los Angeles Police Department. We've gotten wonderful support from [Police Chief Bernard Parks]. The department is dedicating a senior police officer in each of the 18 districts to work with our neighborhood prosecutors full time, so that alone will help bring back community policing to the neighborhoods. In the longer run, we hope that this might bring about an even bigger increase in community policing in Los Angeles.

BP: What advice do you have for other city attorneys and officials around the country who are thinking about implementing a similar community prosecution strategy?

RD: "Go, don't wait," is the short advice. Individuals interested in this approach should take time to listen to the people in the community and the neighborhoods. If they do, they'll find that this is exactly the kind of service they want from their local prosecutors.

-- Interviewed by Tom Mirga