It’s a Bit Early to Sock It to the LAPD’s Bratton
Why would The Times give Constance Rice, a civil rights attorney, a full two-thirds of a page to rag on LAPD Chief William Bratton (“Get a New Playbook, Chief,” Opinion, Dec. 1)? The man has been on the job only a month, for crying out loud. Give him a break. Read this, Ms. Rice: Most of the communities that are hotbeds of gang violence cannot curb gangs because they are an integral part of their culture. It’s a cultural thing. Blaming it on the LAPD is patently ridiculous. These communities hold the solution to the gang problem, not Chief Bratton.
John Tait
Los Angeles
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Chief Bratton put his finger on the least discussed, and a little-understood, facet of L.A.’s crime problems. No matter how many cops we have, how well trained and equipped they are, nothing will replace parental control and motivation. Being a good and responsible parent is the most important task that we citizens have in life, and if we fail to do the best job we can, we fail not only our children but our community and our city. No second chances and no excuses!
Don Shaw
Los Angeles
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