Chick’s View of LAPD Hiring Is Rooted in Fact

* I have been a Los Angeles police officer for more than 12 years and, as such, can provide facts to support Laura Chick’s views on hiring practices for the LAPD. While not nearly as entertaining as the political posturing of the mayor and the chief, the facts are reality.

The LAPD does not have the facilities or equipment necessary to accommodate the mass influx of new recruits. More important, we do not have enough experienced officers to train new, inexperienced personnel. There are days when officers with approximately one year of field experience are assigned to train officers with four months in the field. Every division has eight to 10 experienced senior lead officers who could be training, but our Parker Center administration feels that separating them from patrol and having them handle “community relations” is more productive.

Finally, and most disturbing, is the fact that the city of Los Angeles is not hiring the “best person for the job.” They are obsessed with gender, race, ethnicity and lifestyle. Large numbers of qualified candidates are “de-selected” simply because they are white males.

A number of different qualities make up a qualified L.A. police officer, but gender and race are not two of them. When you talk about life-and-death situations, just having a warm body in a uniform does not provide the best quality of service.

Chick has taken the time to examine the LAPD and to look at the facts. She is speaking with insight and knowledge and not just placating constituents. What a nice change of pace.

JERI WEINSTEIN

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