Hahn Says Police Panel Can Reinstate Lead Officers

The Police Commission has authority to order LAPD Chief Bernard Parks to reinstate officers to full-time jobs as liaisons to the public, according to a legal opinion issued Friday, but commissioners have no plans to act any time soon.

City Atty. James Hahn issued the opinion and recommended that the commission use its authority to reverse Parks’ decision last year to reassign 168 senior lead officers to patrol duty.

“The Police Commission clearly has the authority to direct the police chief to reinstate the SLO program, and I urge the commission to take that action to restore a vital element in community policing,” said Hahn, a candidate for mayor.

But a majority of commissioners said Friday they have no plans to force a vote on whether to reinstate the liaison officer program before they get a report from the Independent Review Panel looking into the Rampart scandal.

That report, which will make recommendations on a wide range of other police issues as well, may not be released until September, although individual proposals may be sent to the commission earlier.

“It’s definitely premature to act before we get that report,” said Commission President Gerald L. Chaleff.

Chaleff and other commissioners said they realize many residents would like to have the old program restored but said they will not take a position until they see the Independent Review Panel recommendation and a separate report being prepared by Parks that may recommend other alternatives.

“It’s fair to say whatever they [the panel] recommend will carry some weight,” said Commissioner Dean Hansell.

Commissioner T. Warren Jackson, who last year chaired a public hearing on the liaison officer program, said he would prefer to work together with the chief to address the public’s concerns after a thorough analysis.

Parks has rejected previous calls by public officials to take the 168 officers back out of patrol and restore them in liaison roles, saying he wants all police officers, not just a select few, to work closely with the community to solve problems.

Hahn’s legal opinion said the City Council does not have power to directly compel the chief to reinstate the program. But, opening the door for council intervention, the city attorney’s office said that if the Police Commission votes down a motion to instruct the chief, the council could exercise powers under the charter allowing it to take jurisdiction of the matter and approve the order.

Councilman Joel Wachs said he will ask the council in the next few weeks to urge the Police Commission to act. If the commission takes up the matter and votes against reinstating the program, Wachs said he would ask the council to take jurisdiction.

Hahn’s legal opinion gives a new urgency to settling the issue, noting that when the new City Charter takes effect July 1, the council will only have the power to veto Police Commission actions, not to change the action and adopt new instructions.

Despite the uncertainties, Neighborhood Watch leaders who support the program hailed the opinion.

“I think it’s wonderful that we finally know who can tell the chief what to do on this issue,” said Sandra Munz, the leader of a North Hollywood-based group that has petitioned for the program’s reinstatement.

“We really need these officers,” Munz said. “They were our direct link to the department.”