President
Sergeant II Alma Burke - Sergeant Burke was born and raised in Santa Ana, California. She is a first-generation immigrant Latina who was the first in her family to graduate from college. She most recently attended the University of Southern California, where she received her Masters Degree in Executive Leadership.
She began her law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1996. After graduating from the Los Angeles Police Academy, she was assigned to Newton Area, where she worked patrol and was assigned to the MacArthur Park crime suppression detail. Upon completing probation, she was transferred to Hollywood Division, where she worked a variety of assignments; patrol, bikes, and Special Problems Unit. In 1999, she was promoted to the rank of Training Officer and assigned to Narcotics Division, where she investigated violent narcotic offenders; including a task force investigating the 18th Street criminal street gang. As a training officer, she returned to Hollywood Area, where she trained newly appointed police officers and was assigned to work undercover Vice and Prostitution Detail. In 2005, she was promoted to the rank of detective and was assigned to investigate sexual assaults (special victim’s unit), robberies, and domestic violence incidents. In 2006, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to Southeast Patrol, where she supervised the local housing developments in the Watts Area. She subsequently transferred to 77th Street area where she became the Officer in Charge of the 77th Area Vice Unit. While she was the supervisor, she helped draft a crime prevention strategy grant that would reduce violent crime to historic lows in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city. As part of a larger plan, Alma assisted with a task force that sought to bring justice to human trafficking victims across the county.
As an investigator, she had the honor of being assigned to South Bureau Homicide, which is responsible for investigating homicides in South Central Los Angeles.
Sergeant Burke is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California and with her newly acquired skills, she was promoted to Sergeant II and transferred to Southeast Area. She currently is assigned to the Community Safety Partnership and is part of the leadership team that supervises 40 officers that patrol the five housing developments in the Watts Area. The efforts of this unit have brought some recent notoriety by the New York Times and 20/20 news media and a film documentary, "A Week in Watts," currently featured on Netflix. Through these strong relationships, the Los Angeles Police Department and local community members are mending the relationships that are instrumental in maintaining peace in our communities.
Passionate about ongoing efforts to mentor the community she serves, Sergeant Burke is an adjunct professor at East Los Angeles Community College, where she mentors young men and women to become police officers.
As the LAWPOA President, she hopes to bring mentorship to a new level, by bringing opportunities to those who posses the skills and the passion to make a difference.
First on her agenda, is a leadership panel. The panel will have an opportunity to meet with the members of LAWPOA, on a one-on-one basis to help coach them through new opportunities and realize their potential.
She began her law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1996. After graduating from the Los Angeles Police Academy, she was assigned to Newton Area, where she worked patrol and was assigned to the MacArthur Park crime suppression detail. Upon completing probation, she was transferred to Hollywood Division, where she worked a variety of assignments; patrol, bikes, and Special Problems Unit. In 1999, she was promoted to the rank of Training Officer and assigned to Narcotics Division, where she investigated violent narcotic offenders; including a task force investigating the 18th Street criminal street gang. As a training officer, she returned to Hollywood Area, where she trained newly appointed police officers and was assigned to work undercover Vice and Prostitution Detail. In 2005, she was promoted to the rank of detective and was assigned to investigate sexual assaults (special victim’s unit), robberies, and domestic violence incidents. In 2006, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to Southeast Patrol, where she supervised the local housing developments in the Watts Area. She subsequently transferred to 77th Street area where she became the Officer in Charge of the 77th Area Vice Unit. While she was the supervisor, she helped draft a crime prevention strategy grant that would reduce violent crime to historic lows in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city. As part of a larger plan, Alma assisted with a task force that sought to bring justice to human trafficking victims across the county.
As an investigator, she had the honor of being assigned to South Bureau Homicide, which is responsible for investigating homicides in South Central Los Angeles.
Sergeant Burke is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California and with her newly acquired skills, she was promoted to Sergeant II and transferred to Southeast Area. She currently is assigned to the Community Safety Partnership and is part of the leadership team that supervises 40 officers that patrol the five housing developments in the Watts Area. The efforts of this unit have brought some recent notoriety by the New York Times and 20/20 news media and a film documentary, "A Week in Watts," currently featured on Netflix. Through these strong relationships, the Los Angeles Police Department and local community members are mending the relationships that are instrumental in maintaining peace in our communities.
Passionate about ongoing efforts to mentor the community she serves, Sergeant Burke is an adjunct professor at East Los Angeles Community College, where she mentors young men and women to become police officers.
As the LAWPOA President, she hopes to bring mentorship to a new level, by bringing opportunities to those who posses the skills and the passion to make a difference.
First on her agenda, is a leadership panel. The panel will have an opportunity to meet with the members of LAWPOA, on a one-on-one basis to help coach them through new opportunities and realize their potential.