What Did the LAPD Know? : Police Commission probe of Dalton case must be thorough

Looks as if the Los Angeles Police Commission, which has civilian oversight over the Police Department, has been rediscovered. And not a moment too soon.

Mayor Tom Bradley, back from his around-the-world-in-less-than-80-days tour, has ordered the commission to investigate just why a police sergeant was doing thoroughly inappropriate work while on duty. Sgt. Robert Kavanaugh worked for six weeks for attorneys defending four fellow officers accused of criminal vandalism in what has become known as the Dalton case.

The incident involved an August, 1988, police drug raid on apartments near 39th Street and Dalton Avenue in South-Central Los Angeles. Four officers are accused of deliberately destroying residents’ personal property during searches. They are scheduled to stand trial this week.

Kavanaugh says his superiors knew that he was helping the defense by working as investigator on the case that drained the city coffers of $3 million when a civil suit was settled out of court.

The department says it knew nothing of Kavanaugh’s defense work, but will turn over to the district attorney any records it has on information Kavanaugh collected.

Now the Police Commission will conduct a comprehensive review of just how Kavanaugh could have possibly worked on duty for so many weeks for defense attorneys without the knowledge of LAPD management. That’s a fine start. What this case really needs is an aggressive investigation.

The commission should pursue a review with vigor, and the mayor should stay in town long enough to make sure his commission appointees do a credible investigation.