Now for the Hard Part : Much is riding on the wisdom of the Christopher recommendations

The Christopher Commission now has heard testimony from experts, officials and citizens stemming from the videotaped police beating of motorist Rodney King. Next, the independent citizens panel, led by former U. S. Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher, must determine what led to that brutal use of excessive force on March 3-- and how to protect against any future breakdowns in public safety.

In making that judgment, the commissioners will not be able to ignore, of course, the role of Daryl F. Gates, the veteran chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. To his credit, Gates has publicly promised to resign if the commission finds that his leadership created a climate that led officers to believe they could get away with viciously beating, or watching others beat, an unarmed suspect who appeared not to have resisted arrest.

King, who had been suspected of speeding, was beaten and kicked by four officers, including a sergeant, while other officers looked on.

The issue of Gates’ accountability for that misuse of force is a key issue. The commission, after concluding its “top-to-bottom review,” will have to come to terms with that, for the sake of a department and city tarnished by a controversy that won’t simply go away.

The Christopher Commission was modeled after the Knapp Commission, which investigated internal corruption in the New York Police Department. That 1970s citizens panel proved a virtual benchmark in modern policing, issuing recommendations that encouraged greater account-ability, more professionalism and better training.

The Christopher Commission must have a similar impact on the troubled LAPD. The recommendations must provide a blueprint for improvement and discourage the dichotomy between the way things are done during training and the way they are done on the street. The commissioners must then stick around to see that their recommendations are not shelved but are used to rejuvenate the LAPD, and heal Los Angeles.