Police Story : Panel Suggestions on Bias May Make LAPD a Model

The Christopher Commission deserves credit and gratitude for highlighting the fundamental issue growing out of the Rodney G. King beating: the relationship between the police department and the community it serves.

The commission recommendations addressing this relationship, racial bias, training and excessive use of force are milestones. While obviously focusing on the Los Angeles Police Department, the proposals are germane to every law-enforcement department in the country. When the recommendations are implemented, our department will become a model agency.

The fact that such a varied panel as the Christopher Commission was unanimous in its findings and recommendations underscores the importance of the issue of LAPD-community relations. Its recommendations dealing with excessive use of force and attitudes of bias were at the heart of their effort.

Questions of organization, relationships between the Police Commission, City Council and the mayor, as well as the process of selecting a new chief, are secondary. Unfortunately, the new-chief issue is the one that garners the greatest community attention.

I am troubled by the recommendation that the Police Commission have a staff headed by a general manager-level employee. Yes, the commission’s proposed staff must, to some degree, be independent. But we would be laying the groundwork for possible bureaucratic bickering between a chief of police, who should be held accountable for the department as its general manager, and a general manager who serves the Police Commission. No other city department operates in this fashion. Nor should they.

The Christopher Commission report begs the question of the inadequacies of the present City Charter provisions that blur the relationship among the mayor, the City Council and the commissions. Without a clearer definition of those relationships, it is unwise to single out the Police Commission for special treatment.

Still, a police chief should be accountable to the mayor and City Council, and the mayor should have the power to hire and fire, subject to the approval of the Police Commission, which he appoints, and appropriate City Council authorities. The responsibility and authority for appointments should rest upon on the person who is, after all, elected by the citizens.

Los Angeles has suffered serious negatives from the King incident. But the issues it raised will be resolved, and the fine cadre of law-enforcement personnel in the LAPD will play a major role. The department’s reputation in the area of community and race relations will soon be as high as its well-deserved reputation in other aspects of police work.