Council Asks U.S. to Head Rampart Investigation

Expressing dismay about the ongoing feud between Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks and Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, the City Council on Wednesday passed a resolution calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to head a task force to investigate criminality in the Rampart corruption scandal.

A representative of the Justice Department said the federal agency is considering the council’s proposal. However, sources said the federal officials will probably turn down the request, at least for now.

“What the council did is meaningless,” one official said. “They have no jurisdiction over the Department of Justice.”

Nevertheless, council members said it was important to act, even if the vote proves ineffective.

“We can continue to allow the investigation to be undermined by the finger-pointing and the backbiting by Garcetti and Parks or we can adopt a different approach,” Councilman Mike Feuer told his colleagues. “I think it is a shame it has come down to this. But this is the best chance to insure that the investigation is thorough and fair.”

The motion--approved in a 10-1 vote--urges the Justice Department to establish a group of federal, state and local law enforcement officials assigned to investigate and prosecute criminal cases related to the scandal.

Feuer first proposed the motion five weeks ago. At the time, the council brushed aside the idea, deciding instead to forward the matter to the council’s Public Safety Committee for review. In the last few weeks, however, a bitter feud has erupted between Garcetti and Parks, prompting the council to reconsider the plan.

“I realize this is just a request,” Councilwoman Laura Chick said. “I’m very much hoping that this communication is an indication from the council that we applaud efforts of working together.”

Councilman Nate Holden was the lone dissenter. He said the investigations already underway should be allowed to proceed without being disrupted by another investigative agency.

Although he voted to support the motion, Councilman Nick Pacheco said privately that he has some reservations about the move.

Several other lawmakers, meanwhile, said they still want their colleagues to go even further by establishing an outside, independent commission to probe the scandal.

“I want to make it very clear that I in no way see this as a substitute for what I still believe is imperative--that is an outside investigation by people who have no stake in this,’ Councilman Joel Wachs said.