Eduardo Perez Reyes (born January 11, 1959) is an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He was a member of the

Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California. The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...

, representing the 1st district.Citywatch, July 21, 2011
Reyes was re-elected in 2005 to serve a second Council term, capturing 78 percent of the votes. He is a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He has a background in urban planning.

Career

In response to safety concerns, Reyes, vice-chair of the Public Safety Committee, has secured funds for added Los Angeles Police Department units and technology, graffiti and neighborhood clean-ups, gang prevention programs and safe route school maps. In September 2008, Reyes opened the new

Rampart Division The Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) serves communities to the west of Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Pico-Union and Westlake, all together designated as the Rampart patrol area. Its na ...

police station, one of the nation's busiest police stations, and the city's "greenest" police station because of its LEED Gold-rated designation. In October 2002, and shortly after

William Bratton William Joseph Bratton CBE (born October 6, 1947) is an American law enforcement officer and businessman who served two terms as the New York City Police Commissioner (1994–1996 and 2014–2016). He previously served as the Commissioner of the ...

became the city's top cop, Reyes brought the Los Angeles Police Department Police Chief to MacArthur Park to witness firsthand the drug deals, gang activity and shootings there. That tour resulted in a nationally recognized LAPD effort - consisting of surveillance cameras and boosted patrols—that transformed one of the city's most blighted parks into a popular spot for family picnics, festivals and concerts. Crime at

MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and later designated ...

has dropped 20 percent since Reyes launched the crime-fighting project, a joint effort with the community, local businesses and LAPD. Earlier in his tenure, Reyes also launched a nationally renowned lead abatement program to protect children from the dangers of lead-based paint found in pre-1979 housing. He spearheaded the $160 million Northeast Interceptor Sewer tunnel to prevent sewage overflow and protect the health of families and children. As Chair of the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management committee, Reyes has expanded the city's affordable housing stock. He has pushed for Adaptive Reuse, or the conversion of abandoned buildings into housing, and Residential and Accessory Services, which permits residential development in commercial zones. And he has spearheaded efforts to strengthen the city's rent control ordinance. As chair of the Metro Gold Line Authority he also helped ensure that the $750 million Gold Line project be completed on time and on budget. Reyes has opened four new libraries in Cypress Park,

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

, Highland Park and

Pico-Union Pico-Union is a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California. The name "Pico-Union" refers to the neighborhood that surrounds the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Union Avenue. Located immediately west of Downtown Los Angeles, it is home to ...

and has added more than of new park space to his district. As chair of the Los Angeles River Ad Hoc Committee, he has brought a renewed focus to the once-ignored

Los Angeles River , name_etymology = , image = File:Los Angeles River from Fletcher Drive Bridge 2019.jpg , image_caption = L.A. River from Fletcher Drive Bridge , image_size = 300 , map = LARmap.jpg , map_size ...

and secured more than $3 million to create a neighborhood-driven plan that will include enhancing water quality, environmental protection, increasing open space and improving flood control. Reyes attended

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

where he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree from UCLA's Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning. He lives in the northeast Los Angeles community of Mt. Washington with his wife Martha and their four children.

References

External links

KCET Departures interview with ED Reyes
Chair of the Los Angeles River Ad Hoc Committee {{DEFAULTSORT:Reyes, Ed 1959 births Living people California Democrats Hispanic and Latino American politicians Los Angeles City Council members University of California, Los Angeles alumni UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture alumni