Chief Parks’ Niece Accused of Credit Application Fraud

The niece of Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks was arrested last month after she allegedly filled out a fraudulent credit application, authorities said Tuesday.

Darcelle M. Parks, 32, was arrested June 29 on suspicion of forgery and filling out a fraudulent credit application in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Deputy John McBride said.

Parks is accused of committing the forgery at a business in Santa Clarita, which is patrolled by the Sheriff’s Department, though the date of the alleged offense was not clear, Sgt. David Halm said. She was released on bail of an unknown amount on July 1, he said.

Detectives handling the investigation could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

A Los Angeles police spokesman, Officer Jason Lee, confirmed that Darcelle Parks is the daughter of the chief’s brother. He said Chief Parks learned of the arrest only Tuesday.

“We cannot comment on it,” Lee said. “No. 1, we’re not handling the investigation and No. 2, it’s not city business.”

There have been similar incidents. When Daryl Gates was Los Angeles police chief from 1978 to 1992, his son Scott was arrested several times on suspicion of drug possession, and was sentenced to a year in jail for the 1985 robbery of a pharmacy.

Phyllis Bradley, daughter of Tom Bradley--a former high-ranking police officer who was mayor from 1973 to 1994--pleaded guilty in 1990 to a misdemeanor drunk-driving charge and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. She also was ordered to work with a Caltrans crew and pay a $1,000 fine. Chief Parks’ nephew resigned from the LAPD academy in December after the department’s background investigators discovered he had failed to disclose information on his juvenile record.