Rampart Probe a Top Priority, Bratton Says

Moving quickly to assert command, William J. Bratton called Monday for a complete review of how well the Los Angeles Police Department has investigated the Rampart corruption scandal.

The LAPD’s investigation was called into question by the disclosure Monday that allegations of wrongdoing by disgraced former Officer Rafael Perez had not been thoroughly investigated.

During a walking tour of a San Pedro neighborhood with Mayor James K. Hahn on Monday, Bratton acknowledged that the Rampart scandal continues to damage the department’s reputation. He drew parallels with corruption scandals he faced in 1993 as the incoming New York police commissioner.

“The Rampart issue, both in what has happened in the past as well as these lingering issues, is certainly going to be one of my first priorities,” said Bratton. He said he would develop his own opinion about “what has been done, what needs to be done, and how fast can it be done.”

Perez is a former anti-gang officer who was convicted of stealing cocaine seized as evidence. Three years ago, in exchange for a reduced sentence on the charges against him, he identified eight allegedly improper shootings. He told authorities that he had direct knowledge of some of the incidents, and had heard about others from fellow officers.

Responding to inquiries from The Times, the LAPD acknowledged that it had not thoroughly investigated three shootings that Perez said had been covered up.

In an interview, Bratton wondered why the Rampart scandal hadn’t led to more sweeping changes. He said he had discussed the shootings with acting Chief Martin Pomeroy during a breakfast meeting Monday.

Hahn pledged that corruption allegations would be fully investigated. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley praised Bratton’s decision to review Rampart.

“We share Chief Bratton’s concerns that LAPD’s investigations of various Rampart-related shootings have been less than thorough. We welcome the new chief’s review of this matter,” Cooley said in a prepared statement.

The department Monday seemed already to be taking steps to adjust to the priorities of Bratton, whose appointment still must be approved by the City Council.

Cmdr. Cayler “Lee” Carter of the Central Operations Bureau announced that officers within the Newton, Hollenbeck, Rampart, Northeast and Central divisions, along with a group of city agencies, would aggressively fight crime and blight in targeted city neighborhoods. Carter said the plans were in the works long before the selection of Bratton, a longtime advocate of enforcing laws against minor crimes, such as graffiti, as a strategy toward reducing major crime.

The initiative calls for a cooperative effort by city workers, from building inspectors to librarians, to attack neighborhood problems, according to Gary Harris, chief street use inspector.

“We are going to take back the city street by street,” said LAPD Capt. Doug Shur of the Rampart Division. A 12-block area in the division encompassed by Santa Monica Boulevard, Madison Avenue, and Hoover and Marathon streets is being targeted.

“We’re going to improve the quality of life in this area by cleaning up the graffiti, educating people to take care of their properties and enforcing every law for trespassing and loitering. The Police Department is only part of the solution. It’s a partnership,” Shur said.

In the Hollenbeck Division, officers will target a Boyle Heights neighborhood plagued with prostitution. In the Central Division, unlicensed street vendors will be targeted.

Bratton said he regretted the continuing problems resulting from the Rampart corruption investigation. “I would have loved to come through the door and have it all behind me,” he said.