Charges Against Vernon Contradicted : Police: Six officers say the assistant chief did not inject religious views into job. Statements are effort to keep lawsuit alive.

Six Los Angeles police officers said Assistant Los Angeles Police Chief Robert L. Vernon did not improperly inject his religious views into department business, according to sworn statements filed Thursday contradicting charges made by other current and former officers.

The declarations were filed by Vernon’s lawyers in a bid to keep alive his federal court lawsuit. The suit, filed in November, contends he was the victim of a “witch hunt” stemming from an internal police investigation into whether his conservative religious beliefs conflicted with his official LAPD duties.

In the declarations filed Thursday, two officers said they had been given positions on Vernon’s personal staff without being asked questions about their religious backgrounds.

In his declaration, Vernon swore he had done nothing improper and had not launched a secret investigation of Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, as was alleged by a former LAPD officer in a sworn statement last week.

On June 5, police investigators began an internal probe of allegations that Vernon, a longtime elder in the Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, had improperly brought his religion into the workplace. The investigation had a “chilling effect” on his right to practice his religion, Vernon said in his suit against the city, which is seeking to have the case dismissed.

The declarations filed Thursday defend Vernon’s on-the-job behavior. For example, Cmdr. Larry Fetters said he attended many meetings with Gates, Vernon and other key department officials and “in not one of those meetings have I observed or heard Chief Vernon quote the Bible, make any reference to religious principle or point of view, ask anyone religiously oriented questions or otherwise inject religion into any department decision or policy.”

Among those present at the meetings, said Fetters, were current Deputy Chiefs Glenn Levant and Bernard Parks and former Assistant Chief Jesse Brewer, all of whom filed declarations last week saying that Vernon had injected his religious views into Police Department business.

Levant, Parks and Assistant Chief David Dotson, who last week filed a declaration claiming Vernon had favored fundamentalist Christian officers for promotion, are among the contenders to become the next chief of police. Vernon, also a candidate, has asserted the accusations against him are designed to hurt his chances. But Skip Miller, the city’s attorney, said Vernon’s contention was “bogus,” and that Dotson, Levant and Parks came forth with their declarations last week in response to court-imposed deadlines.

In another contradiction to the statements filed last week, several officers said Vernon had not tried to curb arrests of Operation Rescue activists during anti-abortion protests. In fact, said Lt. Michael R. Hillman, Vernon told Operation Rescue leaders during a pre-protest meeting in February, 1989, that “unlawful conduct would not be tolerated and that arrests would occur.” Hillman added that hundreds of Operation Rescue demonstrators were later arrested by the LAPD when they blockaded clinics and committed other illegal acts.

Responding to one of the most provocative allegations made last week, Vernon denied he ever investigated Gates. However, he acknowledged attending a clandestine meeting with former LAPD Detective Neil K. Spotts in 1978. Spotts has maintained that he met with Vernon at Gates’ request after the chief learned he was being investigated by Vernon.

But Vernon said Spotts initiated the meeting. He said the detective told him he was concerned that Gates was recommending for a judgeship someone the chief knew had organized crime ties.

“Spotts told me that because of this, he was concerned about Chief Gates’ integrity,” Vernon said.

Vernon said he was later interviewed by LAPD’s Internal Affairs Division about the meeting with Spotts and that nothing ever came of it. He said that Gates “called me in his office and indicated that he was disappointed that I hadn’t come to him about the incident” rather than turning it over to the assistant chief in charge of internal department investigations. Nonetheless, Vernon said, “a short time after this occurrence, Chief Gates promoted me to assistant department chief.”

In his declaration, Vernon did not name the person accused of having mob ties, citing privacy concerns.