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Enough Meddling by the Clowns

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Daryl F. Gates was chief of the LAPD from 1978 to 1992

Golly gee whiz! I must admit to a chuckle or two as I read the story last month reporting “little or no progress” in the last four years in implementing the Christopher Commission’s recommendations. But it is nothing to laugh about. It is a continuation of what seems to be a never-ending stream of negative news about the Los Angeles Police Department.

I was determined not to say a word about the article but when I read the full report prepared at the request of the city’s civilian Police Commission, I could not resist commenting.

As you may recall, I implemented 90 of the 130 recommendations made by the Christopher Commission before I retired. Not because I believed they were valid recommendations--most of them we were already doing--but because I thought implementation would take the heat off of the department. Obviously, it did not. I also thought my retirement would take the heat off the department, Again, I was wrong. (Had I known, I would have stayed just to irritate the politicians and community activists who have joined forces with the passive consent of the city’s power base to destroy the finest police department in the world.)

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Despite the Christopher Commission report, which was an exercise in argumentum ad ignoratum, the LAPD did not need to be “reformed.” We had one incident of unnecessary use of force--Rodney King--dramatically overplayed and over-emphasized by the media. How much better this city would have been had it allowed the department and the justice system to do its work. Remember, this was a department with no corruption for more than 45 years. Not even a hint of dishonesty or lack of integrity at the top during those 45 years. And because it is timely, it should be remembered that LAPD policed the 1984 Summer Olympic Games flawlessly, leaving a lasting impression on those who attended from all over the world of how efficient, effective, kind, courteous and thoughtful the police officers of LAPD were. I could go on and on about the incredible devotion to duty and accomplishments of LAPD officers. A department respected around the world for the protection and service accomplished while understaffed, underfunded and working with lousy outdated equipment and facilities. Reform? Bullcrap!

It needed help and support, not reform.

The ignorance of this latest report can be found on almost every page. But, it is no more apparent than in the following quote: “The LAPD has changed in the last five years from a tightly controlled, insular and monolithic organization, where open expression of dissent was a rarity, to a department where open expression of loyalty up and down the chain of command are a rarity. All things considered, it is better to hear the open griping and the dissonance of competing voices than the former monotone. Yet the loss of morale among LAPD officers is a matter of substantial concern.”

The former monotone? These Christopher Commission clowns don’t know what they are talking about. Obviously, they never attended a roll call at the 77th or Rampart or West Valley or of motor officers of five years ago or 20 years ago. If they had, they would know police officers--hardly a shy, timid or bashful group--have always expressed themselves fully. The difference between today and the past is pride, respect, loyalty and enthusiasm to do their job well. My officers would grumble and gripe and then go out and proudly take care of business.

Today, morale is in the toilet. They do not have a feeling of support from the top staff. They need a pay raise and other benefits badly, which the mayor seems to ignore in his zeal to increase the size of the force. They need leadership. They need to know they can go back to doing their job as they know it needs to be done, and that they will be supported by the people they so diligently serve in this city. And most of all, they need these “highly respected” but totally inept “experts” who have not the slightest clue about what makes a good, effective, solid, well-balanced police effort to stop their constant meddling. Enough already.

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