Police Anti-Harassment Unit Debuts at Last to Praise, Criticism

The scope of the Los Angeles Police Commission’s much publicized discrimination unit falls short of what was originally proposed four years ago, an attorney representing dozens of female LAPD employees said after appearing before the civilian oversight panel Tuesday.

“We have some continuing concerns,” said attorney Carol Sobel, whose LAPD clients have leveled numerous harassment and discrimination complaints against the department. “We’re not satisfied.”

At their weekly meeting, however, commissioners praised the unit’s long-awaited creation, saying that it will help eliminate hostile working conditions and save taxpayer money.

Sobel and attorney Barrett Litt told the commission they were pleased that progress has been made in setting up the new unit, but submitted a list of more than 15 outstanding issues that are not addressed in a special order drafted by Police Chief Bernard C. Parks.

Most of the attorneys’ concerns involve procedural and investigative protocol issues on how complaints are handled. Moreover, they said that although the chief has spelled out the unit’s duties, he has not clearly defined the role internal affairs investigators have in handling discrimination complaints.

As originally envisioned, the unit was supposed to have broad authority to handle such matters, giving discrimination and harassment victims a place to turn other than the LAPD’s Internal Affairs Division.

Parks, however, has said the commission’s unit should have a limited role in investigating discrimination complaints when it comes to examining specific allegations of misconduct by an employee.

Parks has argued--and commissioners agree--that giving the unit authority over discipline issues impinges on powers assigned to the chief by the City Charter. Karen Jenney, the unit’s manager, said the breadth of the body’s responsibilities had to be modified to conform with the charter’s allocation of authority.

As a result, the discrimination unit will be responsible for investigating complaints that allege violations in federal, state and local discrimination laws. Complaints that allege both employee misconduct and discriminatory practices will be jointly investigated by the commission’s unit and the LAPD.

Additionally, the commission’s unit will be responsible for:

* Providing information and advice to LAPD supervisors and managers on discrimination issues, as well as counseling all employees who believe they have been discriminated against.

* Monitoring and filing resolved complaints to ensure that corrective actions have been taken.

* Assisting the department in training LAPD employees regarding discrimination issues.

* Submitting periodic and special reports to the Police Commission and the chief on the status of the LAPD’s anti-discrimination efforts.

The push for creating the police unit dates from March 1994, after The Times revealed dozens of cases of alleged sexual harassment within the LAPD, including a number in which LAPD employees accused others of sexually assaulting them. Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg held hearings on the issue and, in October 1994, the Police Commission unanimously approved creation of an investigative unit, which it directed to report to the commission rather than then-Chief Willie L. Williams.

At the time, commissioners lacked confidence in Williams and his staff to handle such investigations. Since then, there have been many developments that delayed the formation of the unit.

One of the biggest changes over the last four years was the appointment of Parks as chief. In the view of the commission, Parks is a strict disciplinarian who does not tolerate discrimination, harassment and other workplace problems at the LAPD.

Commissioner T. Warren Jackson, who was instrumental in working with Parks, Sobel and others in outlining the unit’s duties, said the new unit is a valuable risk management tool for the department.

“The unit combines the best of both worlds--knowledge of the department and utilization of its resources while reporting to a civilian oversight body,” he said. “If we can resolve complaints before they become lawsuits, this will result in taxpayer savings.”

In another development Tuesday, the commission formally expanded its review of all officer-involved shootings to include an examination of an officer’s history on use of force.