Police Groups Urge Halt of Record’s Sale : Music: Time Warner Inc. should voluntarily stop distribution of Ice-T’s ‘Cop Killer,’ organizations say.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Fraternal Order of Police joined Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores on Monday in calling for Time Warner Inc. to voluntarily stop distribution of rapper Ice-T’s “Cop Killer,” a song they believe advocates violence against police officers.

“The publication of such vile trash is unconscionable,” said Bill Violante, president of the 8,000-member Los Angeles police union. “This song does nothing but arouse the passions of the criminal element who make the streets of Los Angeles unsafe.”

Paul Taylor, president of the Fraternal Order of the Police, an organization that functions as a bargaining agent for about 230,000 law enforcement officials around the nation, echoed Violante’s concerns.

“People who ride around all night and use crack cocaine and listen to rap music that talks about killing cops--it’s bound to pump them up,” Taylor said Monday in a phone interview from Oklahoma City. “No matter what anybody tells you, this kind of music is dangerous.”

Ice-T was unavailable to comment Monday. Time Warner officials declined to comment, but released a statement that said:

“It is vital that we stand by our commitment to the free expression of ideas for all our authors, journalists, recording artists, screenwriters, actors and directors. Just banning the song will not make violence and rage disappear. In fact only the open discussion and exchange of ideas and information can lead to the kind of substantive change that (police groups), Time Warner and all concerned citizens desire.”

Flores, a Republican candidate in the 36th Congressional district, introduced a motion in the City Council on Friday urging the media conglomerate to quit selling Ice-T’s record and also asking all radio stations in Los Angeles to ban the song.

The two police organizations followed the lead of the Combined Law Enforcement Assn. of Texas, which Wednesday called for a boycott of Time Warner Inc., the distributor, and threatened to stage a protest at the company’s July 16 shareholders’ meeting in Beverly Hills unless Time Warner disassociates itself from the song and apologizes to officers nationwide.

“Cop Killer” is contained on Ice-T’s rap-metal album “Body Count,” which ranks No. 66 on Billboard’s pop album chart this week and has sold about 211,000 copies since its release 10 weeks ago. The lyrics in dispute include:

I got my 12-gauge sawed off

I got my headlights turned off

I’m ‘bout to bust some shots off

I’m ‘bout to dust some cops off.