LOS ANGELES : OK Expected for Naming Civilian to Police Panels

The Los Angeles Police Commission is expected to approve a motion today clearing the way for a civilian member to join police disciplinary panels, a significant step toward implementing a reform approved by voters two years ago.

Some police officers have expressed reservations about the idea, but representatives of the Los Angeles Police Protective League tentatively backed it under conditions laid out in an agreement to be considered today by the commission. That agreement spells out employment and selection criteria for the civilian board members.

In its study of the LAPD, the Christopher Commission recommended that a civilian be included on police boards of rights--which now are made up of three senior officers. The commission’s recommendation was approved by city voters in 1992 as part of Charter Amendment F.