The New Chief Plays Two Big Policy Cards : Williams closes down spy division and redeploys elite unit

Willie L. Williams is off to a bold start in his new job as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. His calm and reasoned yet take-charge attitude is just what a traumatized L.A. needs.

In an early test of his leadership, Williams moved quickly this week to get on top of another potential LAPD scandal he inherited. He ordered both offices of the LAPD’s Organized Crime Intelligence Division closed and sealed until allegations of spying against local politicians, activists and celebrities have been thoroughly investigated. Williams wants to make sure that Police Department files are not tampered with as the investigation continues. That’s wise, because the allegations are serious. In a book due to be released soon, former OCID detective Michael J. Rothmiller alleges that a specialized band of officers within OCID for years has kept hundreds of prominent people under surveillance, including Mayor Tom Bradley, Los Angeles City Council members, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali, Connie Chung and Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.

PRUDENT MOVE: Some of the rank and file were angered by Williams’ swift action, seeing it as a sign that he distrusts them. The chief met with OCID officers and told them that they will be reassigned until the whole matter is clarified. Williams told The Times he is “not implying any wrongdoing on anybody’s part in the unit . . . (but) I decided it would be both prudent to get a handle on what is occurring within that division and also to maintain the integrity of the division’s files.”

Such a move, indeed, is the only reasonable action the chief could take until all questions--about the allegations, the sources of the allegations and their credibility--are answered. The very idea of unlawful police surveillance is repugnant and in direct contradiction to the American ideal of a free and open society. Thus police spying allegations cannot be taken lightly. And unfortunately, there is some history to overcome: The city settled a lawsuit several years ago after community groups alleged that a now-disbanded LAPD unit spied on law-abiding citizens. Is the legacy of former Chief Daryl F. Gates in this regard even more onerous than previously thought?

Williams also moved swiftly this week on another controversy that, while less sensational, is probably more crucial to the average Los Angeles resident. This issue was one of police deployment. The chief ordered 40 officers who had been placed on a special post-riot gang task force in South Los Angeles to return to their regular jobs in the Westside and the San Fernando Valley.

A PLEASING DECISION: In this case, the chief’s decision seemed to please most community residents. The Westside and Valley bureau chiefs were happy to get their officers back to the business of fighting and preventing crime. At the same time, many South Los Angeles residents, who had questioned the wisdom of an aggressive, stepped-up police presence at a time of a gang truce, were relieved. Perhaps you can’t please all of the people all of the time--but this move came close.

Chief Williams, trying to bridge the gap between elements of the force who resent any change and activists who expect too much change, is no doubt in the high-wire phase of his career. There are many in this community, weary of confrontation and highhandedness, who are already cheering his evenhanded approach.