Police: OPINION : The LAPD Sentences: What Kids Think, What Cops Think

KEN FORTIER: Chief, Riverside Police Dept.

I thought that the judge did a good job of separating what was legal fact and what was politically correct thought. It would have been very easy to take the politically correct route and throw the book at them and give them some real hard sentence like the government was asking for.

I think what he did was to balance all the variables. For example, a few seconds into the videotape, everything the officers did was lawful. It was a lawful use of the baton, then they crossed over the line at some point. He also talked about how up until this trial, the officers had had clean records. He was very clear about pointing this out and basing his decision on other things besides public opinion.

(As a result of this trial), I’m in the process of making a number of changes. One is helping the agency be more sensitive in handling personnel complaints, investigations and documentation. I come from the San Diego department, where we were very thorough and critical of our own people, so it’s fairly easy to make that transition. What I’m finding (in Riverside) is that type of attitude is fairly new. Whether police like it or accept it, they are accountable and they live in a fishbowl.

TIMM BROWNE: Lieutenant, Orange Police Dept.

Unfortunately, I think all four of those officers were victims. For all the media attention, game playing and ridicule, what these officers suffered goes far beyond the criminal allegations. Personally, I was pleased to hear the judge, for the first time in this trial, identify the felon Rodney King as opposed to just an ordinary motorist. Finally, Rodney King was pointed out as the person who brought this upon himself. Even from the standpoint of the criminal aspect, I think it would be highly unlikely that the average criminal would be subjected to this much scrutiny and constant media attention. The officers’ families were put through hell. I don’t believe there is an officer anywhere that doesn’t look at this situation and think, “That could be me.” Nobody gets paid enough to go through (what) these officers went through.