Willie Williams

* Re “Chief Prepares to Sue, Bargains for $3 Million,” Feb. 28: Let me get this straight: Police Chief Willie Williams’ five-year term is up and he’s worried that the independent Police Commission won’t reappoint him. So he and his lawyers are demanding a $3-million settlement from the city for him to walk away without an expensive and divisive court battle.

If he can hold the taxpayers up for that much money, and since his police salary is only $173,000 per year, why should he want to bother with a second term?

RICK REIDY

Hollywood

* The voice of Angelenos does matter and as long as there are elections it will always matter. How dare Barry Greenberg (Commentary, Feb. 19) insult the people of L.A. by referring to us as mindless “pawns”? To say that Chief Williams’ “recent exercises in stimulating public support [are] distressing” is highly misleading. To answer Greenberg’s question about whether the Police Commission or the City Council should be swayed by public support, the answer is a resounding “yes!”

The only thing in which I agree with Greenberg is that the issue is not about race. That is why Korean Americans, African Americans, Latinos, Armenians, Jews, people from the Valley, East L.A., South L.A. and all across the city came together at 7 a.m. on a weekday to show appreciation for the job Williams has done. The commission says it will take into account the perspective of the people of Los Angeles. With a 66% approval rating for Chief Williams, not only have the people spoken, we will continue to speak.

BISHOP CHARLES BLAKE

West Angeles Church, L.A.

* Greenberg states that the issues of controversy are “nonsense.” Yet he goes on to list them, just in case subliminal reinforcement will help his cause. His column does disservice to a city in the process of healing.

Our city does not need drama, as Greenberg paints this picture. Our city needs a Police Commission that will avoid nonsense and concentrate on the issues of positive results that Greenberg himself states have come about as a result of Williams’ tenure--a better academy, a city coming together after riots, a city reeling from drive-by shootings, which have decreased.

RABBI STEVEN B. JACOBS

Temple Kol Tivkah