NEWS ANALYSIS : Bradley’s Move Puts New Pressure on Gates : Police: Naming Jesse Brewer to commission is seen as a deft stroke by the mayor. The chief’s support among leaders seems to be waning.

Having withstood one political assault after another over the past four months, Chief Daryl F. Gates now faces perhaps the stiffest challenge yet to his 13-year tenure as head of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The naming of one of his former assistant police chiefs, Jesse Brewer, to the city’s Police Commission on Wednesday represents the latest in a fast-moving series of developments that collectively have endangered the embattled police chief.

City Hall sources hailed Brewer’s nomination as a deft move by Mayor Tom Bradley that is certain to strengthen the politically crippled police board, the civilian oversight panel which the Bradley Administration has wanted to employ as a key tactical weapon against Gates.

Specifically, Brewer’s appointment is expected to help shore up a serious credibility shortage that arose last spring when the commission made an ill-fated attempt to furlough Gates. It also brings to the panel someone who knows the Police Department--and Gates--inside and out, strengths and vulnerabilities.

Joining the mayor at a mid-afternoon news conference, Brewer did not hesitate in taking a stand on his former boss, saying that Gates should leave.

“I agree with the Christopher Commission that the transition must begin as soon as possible,” said Brewer, who recently criticized Gates’ management performance in the area of police discipline.

Brewer’s nomination comes as Gates’ support among the city’s business and political leaders seems to be waning. The drop in popularity began with last week’s release of the long-awaited Christopher Commission report, which recommended widespread police reforms, including a transition in the chief’s office. The slide continued Tuesday when the Police Commission ordered Gates to reverse his controversial decision to reassign an assistant police chief who had been critical of Gates during testimony before the Christopher Commission.

“All of these things are adding up,” Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky said. “I think (Gates) is in deeper trouble now than before. . . . The majority of the City Council is not coming to his rescue and the business community seems to be slowly coming to the conclusion that this is very bad for business and very bad for the city.”

Several council members said they believe the chief’s only course is to make the graceful exit paved for him last week, a resignation linked to the call for a special election on some of the Christopher Commission’s reforms.

Another factor making this week “the toughest the chief has ever had,” said Councilman Michael Woo, is that two of his staunchest supporters--Councilmen John Ferraro and Joel Wachs--have “joined the chorus in saying the chief has got to set a time to step down.”

For his part, Gates shows no signs of backing down from his vow to remain in power at police headquarters, perhaps into 1993. In a videotaped address played to his officers this week, Gates said, “Some of those who are salivating (and) hoping that I’ll leave tomorrow, they’re awaiting but they know I’m not going to leave tomorrow. So their salivating continues.”

Responded one council member: “It has become clear that Gates is more important to himself than the city is, and he will hold on as long as he wants unless the Police Commission is prepared to take disciplinary steps against him.”

Brewer, 69, who was the highest-ranking black on the police force before he retired this year, is a widely respected figure in the council chambers. His confirmation is expected to sail through the council.

“Jesse Brewer is a man of unimpeachable honesty, character and experience,” said Yaroslavsky, a frequent Bradley critic. “He is just what the doctor ordered for that department.”

Woo, the first council member to demand that Gates resign, said, “The Brewer appointment is a brilliant stroke by the mayor.”

At a news conference Wednesday, Bradley could barely mask his glee in presenting his newest nominee.

“Very frankly, I don’t know how I could have chosen a more perfect candidate for this position than Jesse Brewer,” said the mayor, holding back a smile. Later, responding to a question about who thought of Brewer first, Bradley broke into an approving grin.

“It was my idea,” said the mayor, who has known Brewer since 1952.

In the past week, the mayor has won praise for his swift response to the Christopher Commission recommendations: He announced the resignations of Police Commissioners Melanie Lomax and Sam Williams--both loyal supporters--and directed the Police Commission to implement as many of the proposed police reforms as possible.

The approach is in marked contrast to earlier attempts by the mayor’s staff to engineer a behind-the-scenes campaign aimed at pressuring Gates to resign. The effort eventually backfired and angered many council members, who overturned an attempt by police commissioners to put Gates on a 60-day leave of absence.

By moving Wednesday to replace Williams with Brewer, and by pledging to quickly choose a nominee to replace Lomax, the mayor risked alienating influential black leaders who wanted him to hold off replacing the commission’s two black members until Gates had set a firm retirement date.

Bradley felt under “no pressure whatsoever” to delay the selection of new police commissioners, said mayoral spokesman Bill Chandler. “The mayor is committed to implementing every aspect of the Christopher Commission report. The two outgoing commissioners have resigned to promote harmony in the city and to satisfy the Christopher Commission report.”

When the mayor names a replacement for Lomax, he will have cleansed the commission of any holdovers from the group that attempted to dump Gates, leaving Stanley Sheinbaum as the board’s most experienced member with only three months’ tenure.

With the five new members in place, the board would be free to conduct a review of Gates’ performance based on the Christopher Commission findings of serious management problems within the Police Department.

On Tuesday, Woo urged the Police Commission to consider whether the Christopher Commission findings constitute grounds for firing the chief. Woo said he also is encouraging his colleagues to voice their support for the Police Commission.

“The Police Commission will need to see some sign of unity from the council in order for the commissioners to find the courage to now do its job,” he said.

Sheinbaum, for one, has indicated a willingness to assess the chief’s performance and take any warranted disciplinary action--if the Police Commission is assured of council support.

He said: “I just hope that the City Council, once there have been these personnel changes within the commission, will get past its mind-set that somehow the commission is to be beat upon, because there’s a job to be done here. We’re moving into a new era.”