Was Police Investigation an Empty Ritual, or Will It Bring Change? : The Times asked a diverse group of people, most of them Los Angeles residents, to comment on the report of the Christopher Commission. The following commentaries are taken from the interviews. : No System for Justice
Chief Gates has allowed police brutality against blacks and Latinos to continue by not adequately reprimanding the officers involved. I agree with the Christopher Commission--the chief should resign for the betterment of the Police Department, and we need to start clean and fresh by appointing a new Police Commission.
However, I disagree with the Christopher Commission conclusion that only a small percentage of officers use excessive force. There’s been hundreds--probably thousands--of reported cases of police abuse , but there’s no system for getting justice. How can police officers judge other police officers? I don’t think the LAPD’s Internal Affairs Division can effectively investigate their fellow officers. Many cases of brutality have never been reported, because the victims were concerned about police retaliation.
We need to create an independent panel that would investigate allegations of brutality. Copies of complaint forms for reporting police abuse should be made available at all police stations.
Considering the atmosphere and all the issues involved, the Christopher Commission did an outstanding job and should be commended.
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