Police Corps

Your editorial “A New Kind of Police Corps” (June 10) is a clear example of why Joe Friday’s admonition, “Just the facts mam,” ought to be etched on each editorial writer’s word processor. To be precise, whoever wrote this did not have the facts.

The Police Corps is a creation of one of your New York friends who believes the police to be unsophisticated, poorly educated dinosaurs that can be helped immeasurably by an infusion of educated short-timers. It just ain’t so. I think if you would examine the educational level of most of our police officers, you will find it to be amazingly high.

While I have no problem with stimulating higher education nor providing financial assistance to those in need, I have a real problem with doing so using a shell game to hoodwink the taxpaying public. The Police Corps is just that, a scam. It is incredibly expensive.

Los Angeles would still be required to pay their salaries and all overhead costs, pensions, etc., including the cost of training. What we get in return is heavy, costly attrition and young people with a yearning to do their four years of penance with LAPD and get out.

The Police Corps is an affront to every career-minded professional officer, particularly the many who have their college degree for which they paid full price.

DARYL F. GATES

Chief of Police, Los Angeles