Legislator Plans Talks on Beating

Flanked by Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn and other city leaders Friday morning, Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas announced that he was convening a series of community meetings to reduce tensions in the aftermath of the videotaped police beating of a black suspected car thief.

“We view this as the path through which cooperation is reached in a time of crisis,” said Ridley-Thomas, an African American former city councilman who started the annual “Day of Dialogue” program nine years ago and has hosted them ever since.

“There is no denying that tension exists,” he said. “But we all have the opportunity, and in my view an obligation, to be constructive in our differing points of view.”

Community meetings are scheduled for Thursday at 11 sites around the city.

Ridley-Thomas, a Democrat who represents South Los Angeles, said topics for discussion include how the incident has been handled and what further police reforms may be needed.

Ridley-Thomas’ initiative, which was endorsed by a range of city leaders, comes in a week when criticism of the city’s response to the videotaped beating of Stanley Miller has intensified.

On Wednesday, South Los Angeles activist and businessman Danny Bakewell attacked a Hahn-appointed community monitoring committee for being unrepresentative of the community and launched his own oversight committee.

The same day, mayoral candidate Councilman Bernard C. Parks, a Bakewell ally, said his constituents have accused Police Chief William J. Bratton, whom Hahn appointed, of insensitivity toward the city’s minority communities.

That prompted an angry response from the chief.

Community leaders standing with Ridley-Thomas -- including Hahn, Bratton, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, Police Inspector Gen. Andre Birotte Jr., City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo and Compton Mayor Eric Perrodin -- endorsed discussion of the issue.

For information about the times and locations of the meetings, contact Ridley-Thomas’ district office at (213) 745-6656.