2 Rampart Division Supervisors Reassigned

In a major shake-up of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division, two top police administrators were moved out of their positions by Chief Bernard C. Parks late Wednesday because of concerns that they did not adequately supervise officers at that station, sources said.

The reassignments of Capt. Richard A. Meraz and Lt. Daniel P. Hills coincide with a brewing scandal within the Rampart division that has already resulted in one officer being accused of stealing six pounds of cocaine from an LAPD property room. A criminal probe focused on the station is continuing, with detectives investigating possible criminal conduct by other officers, who have been accused of stealing drugs and money from street dealers.

“These moves were made because of the ongoing probe,” said one high-ranking police official. “There were obviously a lot of shenanigans going on over there.”

Parks’ spokesman, Cmdr. Dave Kalish, although not discussing any personnel matters, said, “The entire command will be examined from top to bottom.”

He said that “criminal misconduct will be prosecuted and administrative violations will result in discipline. Employees will be held accountable for nonperformance in their supervisory capacity.”

Kalish added that “the chief fully intends to make sure that any problems which exist in Rampart area are thoroughly investigated and properly addressed.”

Meraz and Hills could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

The two command officers have been reassigned to another division, but it was not immediately known which one, sources said.

The ouster of Meraz and Hills, department sources said, is the beginning of the public fallout from the recent arrest of Officer Rafael Antonio Perez, the 31-year-old accused of stealing three brick-sized kilograms of cocaine from the LAPD’s property room. Since Perez’s arrest, detectives have fanned out in the community, interviewing informants and drug dealers as well as former and recent partners of Perez to determine whether there are other “dirty cops” at the station, several sources have said.

In addition to the charges stemming from the property room theft, police allege that Perez tried to sell a kilogram of cocaine through a confidential informant known to other Rampart officers.

Moreover, prosecutors have further alleged that Perez “obtained leniency” in the sentencing of two convicted drug dealers who, police now believe, helped him distribute cocaine.

Perez, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, is being held on $550,000 bail.

He had been assigned to Rampart’s anti-gang unit and had worked narcotics operations under both Hills and Meraz.

Meraz, a 34-year department veteran, was in charge of all of Rampart’s detectives and the anti-gang unit. Hills, a 25-year veteran, was in that same chain of command.

“There will be more fallout to come,” said one top LAPD official.

Sources said Meraz and Hills are not suspected of having done anything illegal.