Parks Begins Packing, Prepares to Go on Vacation

One day after the Los Angeles City Council voted to deny him a second term, Police Chief Bernard C. Parks began packing up personal items in his office Thursday and prepared to go on vacation.

Parks, whose term expires in August, said he will leave Deputy Chief Mike Bostic in charge of the Los Angeles Police Department while he is away. He did not say how long he plans to be on vacation.

Parks is expected to announce on Monday whether he will serve out the remainder of his term. He also is considering taking legal action against the city.

Parks’ decision to begin packing caught some officials at City Hall by surprise.

“I would certainly hope it’s not a real retirement at this point,” said Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. “I would like to see him stay on through the end of his contract. I think it would be helpful for the city to have his knowledge, rather than have an interim chief and then a new chief.”

The council voted 11 to 3 Wednesday not to overturn a Police Commission decision that denied Parks a second five-year term.

Commissioners and some council members said Parks should not be reappointed because crime has gone up during his tenure while officer recruitment and morale have dropped.

Parks said he believed he was a victim of a political conspiracy between Mayor James K. Hahn and the police union. He said he decided to start taking things home after the council made it clear that his time was limited.

As he filled cardboard boxes, tearful members of his staff stopped by to wish him well, said Deputy Chief David Gascon, who was with Parks for part of the day.

“He was very upbeat and reassuring for those well-wishers who dropped by to talk to him,” Gascon said. “It was very emotional for those who stopped by.”