Full Text of Statement by Mayor James K. Hahn

Good morning. I have informed Police Commission President Rick Caruso that I do not support Chief Parks’ reappointment as chief of police. The chief and I have real differences on major issues: police reform, recruitment and retention, and community policing. It is because of these differences that I cannot support his reappointment.

To prevent a federal takeover of the LAPD, I negotiated the consent decree with the Department of Justice because I knew then as I know now, we cannot protect the people of Los Angeles unless we can provide constitutional policing that ends racial profiling and tracks officers so that bad cops are identified early and the cancer of corruption is cut out.

We must once and for all create a department that not only protects, but respects every community it serves.

The chief opposed the consent decree, and I am extremely disappointed now that the department is falling short in its implementation of reform.

The recruitment and retention of officers must take a high priority within the department. We are down over 1,000 officers and we can’t protect the people of Los Angeles when we are this severely short-handed. The chief and I have differences of opinion on how to address this problem and its priority.

The chief eliminated the senior lead officer program, a very popular program with the community. It was LAPD’s community policing program and won wide support. But even after the community, the City Council and the Police Commission and the mayor called for its reinstatement, it still has not been fully restored, and there are many communities in Los Angeles who do not have full access to senior lead officers.

These are issues that I have discussed with the chief from our very first meeting immediately after my election. However, the chief and I continue to have major differences in these three critical areas, and a house divided cannot move forward to implement real reform, recruit officers and restore community policing.

Fundamental through all of this is that the LAPD needs the support and the commitment of the men and women in the field who risk their lives every day to protect all of us. I do not care about the usual disagreements between the union and management. I do care about what officers say when they stop me on the street or when I meet them at roll call. And over and over again I hear them ask for leadership. This department cannot be successful unless and until the rank and file supports a productive, community-oriented department.

This is an extremely difficult decision for me, because my respect for Chief Bernard Parks runs deep. I have known the chief for the past 20 years and I have worked closely with him for the past five.

His commitment and loyalty to the department are apparent to anyone who has ever met him. I admire and respect his 37 years of service to the people of this city.

However, I’ve concluded that it is in the best interest of this city and the Police Department to move forward with new leadership.

The rhetoric surrounding this decision has already reached unfortunate levels on both sides. I am asking the Police Protective League today to cease and desist from its campaign against the chief and get back to policing this city. To my friends in the African American community, I want you to know how difficult this decision was for me. But I could not make this decision on politics and personal friendships. I had to do what was best for the city and the department.

This is an important issue and I expect a vigorous public debate. I hope it’s one that’s constructive. I’m asking the people of this city to allow the Police Commission to do its job under the City Charter, to conduct a full and fair evaluation before their final determination.