Understanding the Riots--Six Months Later : A New Blue Line / REMAKING THE LAPD : Q & A : Bill Violante, <i> President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League</i>

Bill Violante, 45, is president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the politically active union representing 7,600 of the Police Department’s sworn personnel, from the rank of lieutenant down.

Violante, born and raised in Los Angeles, is a 22-year veteran of the LAPD who joined the force after a tour of duty in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Violante and the league have been outspoken players in the city’s often rancorous debates about police spying, use of force, manpower, deployment strategies and racism.

Violante talked to a Times reporter on his car phone as he returned to Los Angeles from a speaking engagement in San Diego.

Q. What are the most pressing issues facing the LAPD at this time?

A. We need a larger police force. According to national averages, we probably should have 15,000 police officers in Los Angeles. In fact, if the department got the same priority, the same percentage of the city’s budget that we used to have, we’d be at 13,000 officers now. There’s also a definite lack of equipment and training. Officers in the field tell us they’re not getting enough ongoing training after leaving the academy. It was a problem pointed out by the Christopher Commission. Unfortunately, we see no effort by the City Council to fund such training, which runs the gamut from training in use-of-force techniques to community relations.

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Q. Won’t the implementation of community-based policing policies also make the demand for more officers all the more acute?

A. Absolutely. It will take more police officers for it to be effective. In the past, Los Angeles had more community-based policing. But with the dwindling of the force, we’ve had to get away from that kind of personal contact with the community. Officers now are forced to chase radio calls.

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Q. Chief Willie L. Williams wants to redeploy the department’s existing manpower so more officers are put on the street. Your reaction?

A. We recognize there have to be some changes to beef up the patrol system. But our concern is that when these changes take place that it’s done in a way that’s fair and impartial. Police officers look for ways to get out of patrol--to become detectives or members of special units. The Christopher Commission also identified this as a problem, and again we see no city plan to make patrol more attractive.

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Q. Are you talking of pay incentives to make patrol work more attractive?

A. Yes, but there are other incentives too. Police officers on patrol work all the crummy hours, weekends and holidays. There’s got to be more balance. Perhaps that could come with flexible work schedules, sabbatical leaves, stress reduction and counseling programs.

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Q. Following the defeat of Proposition N--the measure that would have raised property taxes to pay for 1,000 additional officers--what do you see as the best plan for beefing up the force?

A. The City Council and mayor have to make some hard decisions on their budget priorities. In 1980-81, public safety spending was 50% of the city’s budget. Today, despite a tremendous amount of rhetoric from the politicians about the importance of the Police Department, the proportion of the budget dedicated to police has been reduced.

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Q. Explain the seeming paradox of the league seeking more police but opposing passage of Proposition N.

A. We didn’t believe it was fair to raise taxes through Proposition N when the mayor and council had not done their job by setting aside sufficient funds in the existing budget for police. Additionally, on two occasions in the past, voters have rejected similar plans.

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Q. What is your view of Chief Williams’ performance to date?

A. The chief is definitely a likable person, a people-person. We’re waiting to see what he does in the next six months.

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Q. By temporarily shutting down the Organized Crime Intelligence Division at the first whiff of scandal and then jumping to support Proposition N, the chief has seemed quick to follow the dominant political winds at City Hall. Does that concern you?

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A. He is astute and he was definitely appointed through a political process. We’ll be the first to yell the loudest if we find that he’s being controlled and manipulated by the political forces at City Hall

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Q. The city recently adopted a goal to have a police force that’s 44% female by the year 2000. What’s your view of this?

A. It’s an unrealistic goal. Even if you wanted to, you can’t reach it.