Bradley, Gates Head ‘War on Drugs’ Panel

A “War on Drugs” citizens panel headed by Mayor Tom Bradley and Police Chief Daryl F. Gates has been formed to hold public hearings on how to stem a narcotics problem in Los Angeles that has reached “enormous proportions,” it was announced Tuesday.

Standing in front of a police property room in which $1 billion worth of seized cocaine is stored, Bradley and Gates said a panel of 14 prominent residents would hear from experts on the growing drug trade in Southern California and how to curb it.

“There’s a lack of understanding and concern” by the general public about the extent of the problem, said Gates, who cited Los Angeles police statistics showing that the value of seized cocaine has skyrocketed from $31.7 million in 1980 to $2.5 billion last year. Drug arrests have nearly doubled during that same period, he added.

A series of legislative proposals, including increased jail terms for drug dealers and better coordination among law enforcement agencies are likely to emerge from hearings, which begin May 12 at City Hall, Bradley aides said. Two other hearings will be held--May 19 in the San Fernando Valley and May 26 in South-Central Los Angeles--but the sites have not yet been selected, officials said.

Among those on the panel are John Mack, president of the Los Angeles Urban League; Archbishop Roger M. Mahony of the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese; actress Rita Moreno; Dr. James Rosser, president of California State University, Los Angeles; John Saito, regional director of the Japanese-American Citizens League, and Robert Talcott, president of the Los Angeles Police Commission.