L.A. Police Misconduct

The Times does a disservice to the brave men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department by equating what you describe as the current “expanding corruption scandal” with that of the 1930s. The evil that my father and his civic organization helped destroy was far more pervasive than the actions of a group of rogue police officers.

Under Mayor Frank Shaw, the city government and the Police Department were corrupt in the truest sense of the word. Jobs were sold, promotions were sold and city contracts went to the highest bidder of a bribe rather than to the lowest bidder of a contract. That is corruption. The charges made today against an isolated handful of officers cannot be equated with the pervasive level of tyranny that resulted in the recall of the corrupt mayor.

Leadership in today’s city government and today’s LAPD is light-years ahead of the corrupt officials of earlier years. I have every confidence that the mayor, the Police Commission and Chief Bernard Parks will thoroughly investigate all of the allegations of misconduct or criminal behavior and take all appropriate actions to protect the people of Los Angeles.

DONALD CLINTON

Los Angeles

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Today I did something I never would imagine doing. I went to the Rampart Division police station and wrote a commendation letter to the commanding officer. I am a 30-year-old Hispanic; I live in Silver Lake and have my business in the Pico/Union area. I have been living in the area since I was 10 and have seen the positive changes--mainly regarding the 18th Street gang problem.

I won’t defend the bad police officers in the LAPD, but I am 100% behind the majority of the force. In the last few years our community has not felt afraid to walk our children to the park or go out at night. I do not hear the good things the police have done. I love seeing the officers on bicycles, horses and in patrol cars keeping us safe from those gang hoodlums. I totally disagree with the stopping of the injunction against the 18th Street gang (Sept. 22). If we do not let the police do that work, I don’t think the judges and lawyers will be willing to patrol our streets and make us safe.

M. DANIEL SANCHEZ

Los Angeles

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I have always held that there’s nobody worse than a bad cop. Nobody. The most hardened career criminal is better than a bad cop. Why? Because the career criminal is supposed to be bad. That’s his job. The cop is supposed to be good. That’s his job.

RICHARD STEHR

Los Angeles