Chief’s Bout With Flu Has Rumor Mill Working Overtime

Police Chief Willie L. Williams was only suffering from a touch of the flu, but his absence from work Friday touched off an international rumor that he was stepping down from the helm of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Calls poured into the LAPD’s press relations section, where journalists called from as far away as Frankfurt, Germany. Reached at home, an obviously congested Williams said he was surprised by the reaction, but he dismissed it with a laugh.

“I’ve just got a cold,” he said. “Nothing more.”

Police Commission President Enrique Hernandez Jr. also said the rumor, which swept City Hall and the command staff at Downtown police headquarters, was false.

“As I understand it, he just has a minor illness,” he said. “He remains the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. His status is unchanged.”

For weeks, Williams has been the subject of mounting gossip suggesting that he may soon depart the Police Department--reports that sources insist are incorrect but which nonetheless have been widely repeated in the city’s police and political circles.

In part, the rumors appear to grow out of speculation surrounding the chief’s recent performance evaluation by the Police Commission. Williams has told subordinates it included some criticism of his management style. Among other things, the evaluation reportedly criticizes his work habits and suggests that he needs to do more to take command of the LAPD.

Then, earlier this week, another rumor suggested that the Police Commission had either fired Williams during a closed-door session or had offered to buy out his five-year contract, which recently passed the halfway point. Both of those rumors were also incorrect, but they reflect the uncertainty that has suddenly clouded the popular police chief’s future.

That uncertainty has taken some observers by surprise--Williams is, after all, the city’s most popular public figure, with a job approval rating that exceeds even the mayor’s.

But it grows out of doubts that have emerged in recent months about the effectiveness of Williams’ management style. Mayor Richard Riordan has publicly expressed his support for the chief, but sources close to the mayor have complained about Williams’ oversight of the department and are particularly concerned about his handling of a highly touted Police Department expansion plan.

Many of the concerns about Williams’ management first began surfacing last fall, when he demoted then-Assistant Chief Bernard Parks to deputy chief. Parks is popular with many city leaders, and Williams’ decision to oust his second-in-command prompted the fiercest criticism of him since he took office in 1991.

With Williams under increasingly close scrutiny, the department rumor mill was stoked again last week when a party was held in Parks’ honor. Among the guests were many senior officials of the LAPD and Riordan. Moreover, the party was held at the Original Pantry, a restaurant the mayor owns.

All of that gave LAPD-watchers plenty of grist for the rumor mill, and when Williams called in sick two days this week, the tongue-wagging could no longer be contained. Buffeted by the rumors, city officials called one another Friday, trying to determine whether the chief still was in command of the department.

By day’s end, calm had largely returned, and Williams said he hopes the gossip will subside when he makes a public appearance today.

“I’ll be at the Westchester dedication,” he said, referring to the opening of a new police academy scheduled for this morning. “All that happened is that I got a cold because I just came back from a week’s vacation in the rain. Nothing more.”