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Oversight of the LAPD

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Re “Enough Meddling by the Clowns,” by Daryl Gates, Commentary, June 7: Clowns indeed!

I see my old boss, Daryl Gates, has again seized upon the opportunity to display his lack of knowledge of what actually happened within the LAPD under his stewardship, his lack of understanding of how his brand of leadership contributed to a steady decline in organizational effectiveness for most of his tenure as chief and his terrible recall of related historical events.

He will probably never understand that his arrogance and insensitivity contributed more to the formation of the Christopher Commission and the continuing controversy generated by its recommendations than did any of the other factors at work following the Rodney King beating. To quote Gates, “Enough already.”

DAVID D. DOTSON

Assistant Chief, LAPD, Retired

* I agree wholeheartedly with your editorial (“LAPD Reform: Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen,” June 4). You correctly point out, “Chief Williams . . . has to maneuver in Los Angeles’ peculiarly treacherous political thicket.” This has interfered with his ability to act as a general manager. Unfortunately, this malady can be traced directly to the passage by the voters in 1992 of Charter Amendment F, which added the mayor and council to the group overseeing the chief of police. And The Times supported this measure.

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That action actually conflicts with a recommendation of the Christopher Commission that the Police Commission would “function much like a corporate board of directors, setting policies for the department and overseeing its operations in conjunction with the chief of police.”

In order to function as a true board of directors, the commission should be given complete authority over the chief, with the power to remove him for cause without interference from elected officials. This will allow those most closely associated with public safety to fulfill their responsibilities without unnecessary interference.

HOWARD L. EKERLING

Sherman Oaks

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