Silence and Silliness

As we reconstruct events, a crate of muzzles from a strange land with no tradition of free speech was delivered to the Los Angeles Civic Center by mistake. As no government wants to appear wasteful, city officials promptly tried to strap the muzzles on the entire Police Department and then on Mayor Tom Bradley’s senior staff. How else to explain the burning interest in silence?

Consider, for example, a regulation under study by the Los Angeles Police Department that would classify criticism of the department and its managers, including the chief, as “unbecoming conduct,” punishable by fines and even dismissal.

Then there is the new policy in Mayor Tom Bradley’s office. Senior staff members would be obliged to pass along all questions from reporters to the press staff to ensure against embarrassing deviations from the mayor’s message.

Police officials insist that their proposal, which originated in the employee relations department, is not what it seems--an attempt to rewrite the First Amendment and legislate loyalty but simply a regulation to apply solely to arbitration hearings.

There are circumstances in which confidentiality is more than a reasonable demand, such as operations, investigations and executive sessions of government bodies. In those instances, silence is more than golden, it is in the best interest of public safety. and no one would argue differently.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office is reviewing the proposal, and it has other hurdles to clear. Before it becomes a formal proposal, Police Chief Daryl F. Gates must endorse it and he has expressed doubts about the need for more rules.

The Police Commission has not discussed the proposal, but its president, Robert M. Talcott, says he has strong personal feelings against “any rule or regulation that impinges on any individual’s First Amendment rights.” The only good government, Talcott says, is open government.

Talcott is right. He and the mayor’s staff should get together on a day off, so as not to appear wasteful, cram the muzzles back into the crate, and stamp it, “Return to Sender.”