L.A. Police Deployment

I have seldom read a more disinformed article than Louis R. Negrete’s article, “Police Deployment Formula Is Part of Why We’re Losing to Crime” (Editorial Pages, April 10).

It is riddled with egregious distortions that must be corrected. The writer’s primary targets of attack were the Los Angeles Police Department’s formula, the Board of Police Commissioners, the chief of police and Councilman Robert Farrell: the formula for not being fair; the Police Commission for being sluggish and secretive about a deployment study; the chief of police for not confessing to having used a flawed system of deployment, and Councilman Farrell for having the audacity to give his community a voice in their government and their safety.

He is wrong in attacking the Board of Police Commissioners for delaying the deployment study. The commission worked hard to bring it about, and they did so in open sessions, with enormous community participation. The result is that a reputable research group has been contracted to examine thoroughly the existing formula and propose any improvements in the method of deploying Los Angeles police officers as may be determined by the study. The commission has literally pushed the contract processing requirements through the various council committees and the council itself.

As for my efforts to deploy police officers fairly and equitably throughout the city, I shall let a few deployment statistics speak for themselves--South-Central Los Angeles has 1.84 police officers per 1,000 population; the San Fernando Valley areas average .93 officer per 1,000. South-Central Los Angeles has 22.3 officers assigned per square mile; the Valley areas average 5.1 officers per square mile. Cost per capita for policing South-Central Los Angeles is $168.98; for the Valley areas it is $94.05. Perhaps these comparisons will explain my reluctance to condemn our deployment formula. But, contrary to Negrete’s article, not only did I agree to a deployment study by a reputable group, I recommended it.

All of us, including Councilman Farrell, know that more police officers are needed throughout the city, including South-Central Los Angeles. At least Farrell is offering the people in his community an opportunity to speak for themselves. The councilman should be lauded for his tremendous courage in taking a bold action that obviously could be used against him by his political opponents.

DARYL F. GATES

Chief of Police

Los Angeles