Riordan Criticizes Leadership of LAPD, Hints at Drastic Steps

A frustrated Mayor Richard Riordan on Friday portrayed the Los Angeles Police Department as an institution in crisis, and suggested that he is prepared to take drastic action if the LAPD does not quickly heal itself.

Recalling a Nov. 17 speech to an LAPD graduating class, Riordan said he had challenged “the law enforcement bureaucracy” to address issues within the department, most notably morale, recruiting and community policing. But in the weeks since that speech, he lamented, crime has jumped 12% and arrests are down 19%.

“That is not leadership,” he said.

Riordan’s comments, delivered at the LAPD’s Rampart Division, were striking for several reasons.

The mayor is preparing to leave office in June, and his legacy will turn largely on the question of his effectiveness in combating crime--the very issue the propelled him into the mayor’s office in 1993.

Moreover, Riordan is criticizing the LAPD’s leadership when he is responsible for naming its top leaders, Police Chief Bernard C. Parks and Police Commission President Gerald Chaleff.

Despite his direct role in overseeing the department, Riordan has struggled in recent months to figure out how best to exercise his power. Indeed, even on Friday, the mayor offered few specifics on how he intends to improve the LAPD.

Next week, Riordan said, he will ask the City Council to place a measure on the June ballot that would improve the pension system for police officers to make it comparable to those of the California Highway Patrol and other jurisdictions.

The improvement, Riordan said, can be accomplished without new tax dollars by consolidating four existing LAPD pension plans--based on when officers joined the department--into one.

Riordan also suggested that officers, whose base has been increased by $10,000 to $44,000 a year since he took office, deserve better pay--a matter that he said should be a priority for the next mayor.

And in his remaining five months on the job, Riordan said, he will “fight every hour” for a “safe city and accountable bureaucracy.”

But Riordan’s most provocative observations came in the form of his veiled critique of the leadership he helped put in place. Without mentioning anyone by name Friday, Riordan said, “I will not rest until the so-called experts stop debating and begin acting on the issues of morale, recruitment and community policing.”

Later, Deputy Mayor Ben Austin amplified Riordan’s remarks, underscoring what sources say is an increasing frustration with the pace of reforms instituted by the Police Commission and Parks.

As Austin told reporters after Riordan’s speech: “The mayor will, in the coming two weeks, demand progress on those critical issues and will assess the situation after that time period. But progress will have to happen quickly.”

One City Hall insider was more specific.

“The two obvious [targets] of the mayor’s speech are the chief and the Police Commission,” said the official, who is close to the issue. “He is very frustrated with the lack of progress, and that includes the chief. But I think he has confidence the chief can turn things around as long as he acts very quickly.”

Specifically, two officials who have discussed the LAPD with Riordan said the mayor has been troubled by the commission’s focus on such issues as the pay of board members when the LAPD has hundreds of vacancies and morale has been low, in large part because of attention to the Rampart Division scandal.

“Instead of leadership on morale, recruitment and on community policing,” Riordan said at the press event, “we endure endless debate followed by endless debate.”

At a recent public forum, Riordan’s chief of staff, Kelly Martin, sharply criticized the Police Commission for ignoring important policing matters while recently devoting a long discussion to the LAPD’s relationship to the Boy Scouts in light of that organization’s policies on homosexuals.

Chaleff, who was surprised to learn of Riordan’s comments, released a statement from the Police Commission later in the day.

“The Police Commission concurs with the mayor in the need for improvement in the Los Angeles Police Department and has been actively pursuing an aggressive agenda of reform,” the statement said. “We are certain that, with the mayor’s support and help, and everyone working together, we will accomplish these goals.”

Parks was at an out-of-town conference and could not be reached for comment. LAPD spokeswoman Cmdr. Sharon Papa said the LAPD would welcome help in improving morale, recruitment and community policing.

“I think it’s the goal of the Police Department to see these issues are addressed,” she said. “If the mayor is willing to put his name out front on this, to get problems taken care of, we would fully support him.”

During his speech at Rampart, Riordan focused specific attention on improving recruitment within the department and assuring that officers receive competitive pensions.

Cmdr. Papa said the LAPD has about 9,200 sworn personnel, roughly 800 officers fewer than its authorized strength.

Papa added that because of attrition and a nationwide difficulty in recruiting officers, the LAPD has never managed to reach Riordan’s long-standing goal of a 10,000-member department.

“We are trying to recruit, but many departments across the country are having the same difficulties we are,” she said.

Riordan’s speech was clearly intended to reach beyond the police who attended Friday’s roll call, but it met with a lukewarm response from some of the Rampart officers.

“There were no specifics,” said one five-year veteran who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“It was basically a political play to make himself look better. And the bottom line is you are going to see officers in mass exodus. In the next year you will see 1,000 to 2,000 officers leave--including me.”