President's Message - October 2017

Thinking long term for the future of the membership

In an effort to improve our operational efficiency and invest in our long-term financial stability, the League has purchased the property immediately adjacent to our current office building. The property, located at 1312 West 8th Street, currently has three uninhabitable houses on the lot. The purchase price was $3.7 million.

We conducted careful due diligence prior to completing the purchase by retaining real estate experts and seeking outside review of our investment strategy by executives in the development industry who did not have a financial interest in the transaction.

The purchase satisfies both the immediate and long-term objectives.

In the immediate future, we plan on clearing the lot in order to expand our parking capacity. By expanding our parking, we can increase the use of the League building for the membership for activities, such as larger professional development trainings and social functions (where we often pay other venues facility rental fees to host events), as well as general parking when you, our members, need to access League services.

Over the long term, this is a sound financial investment for our organization. Investment in Los Angeles real estate is a sound long-term strategy, and controlling the property adjacent to our existing property will likely increase the value of both assets. The purchase of the current League building has proved to be a very wise investment from both an operational standpoint, as well the appreciation our property has experienced since its purchase.

Ensuring the financial security of our future officers (some being our own children) should be paramount when we’re planning for the future.

If you have any questions, please call me at (213) 251-4554, or Director TJ Tarjamo at (213) 798-2286.

Fourth-generation LAPD

In the last Blue Line article, I wrote how important it is for us to recruit our own for the success of this organization. This is one prime example.

Recently, Wayne Posner contacted me and told me about his son’s graduation from the LAPD on Aug. 7, 2017. He informed me that his son is a fourth-generation LAPD officer.

I worked with Wayne in the late 1980s while assigned as a PIII in Wilshire Patrol Division. He was an outstanding officer and later became an even better sergeant.

This is even better than the hit cop show “Blue Bloods.”

Grandfather: Captain Morris Posner, no serial number, start date on Oct. 18, 1917, and retired on April 17, 1939. His last assignment was working out of the Chief’s Office.

Father: Lieutenant Samuel Posner. Sam was in the first class that graduated from the Elysian Park Academy in July of 1936. He retired in April of 1967 after 31 years. He was best known for bringing physical defense to the LAPD due to his wrestling prowess. Sam is depicted on many of the self-defense training films in the 1940s and 1950s as either the field officer or the instructor. Off-duty, he was also the “Masked Marvel” who wrestled throughout California.

Sergeant Wayne Posner was appointed on Nov. 17, 1980. He was a field training officer for most of his career. He spent the last two years in Newton Division as a sergeant. Wayne started teaching administration of justice part time at Los Angeles City College in 1992, and is currently still teaching there.

Wayne’s son, Andrew Posner, graduated from the Academy on Sept. 1, 2017. He is now carrying on the Posner tradition.

In addition, Wayne’s mother, Dorothea Posner, was a clerk typist and RTO for over 25 years for the LAPD. Her brother, Chuck Gehle, was a sergeant with LAPD with over 28 years of service. He is now 92 and lives in Washington.

As always, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or call me at (213) 251-4554.