Police Panel Urged to Restore Liaisons

Armed with a new legal opinion, a City Council panel recommended Monday that the Police Commission order Chief Bernard Parks to restore a program that designated 168 officers to serve full time as liaisons to neighborhood groups.

The council’s Public Safety Committee also voted to ask Mayor Richard Riordan to pressure the commission to restore the program.

A legal opinion released earlier this month by City Atty. James Hahn said the Police Commission has the power to order the restoration of the Senior Lead Officer program that was dismantled by the chief a year ago.

However, commission members have said they do not plan to take action on the issue until they get a report from an independent panel set up to investigate the Rampart Division scandal.