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| You Can't Trust The Messenger
by John M. Curtis Copyright February 19, 2000
More ironic than Mayor Riordan’s comments are those of Police Chief Bernard C. Parks whose remarks vacillate from minimizing Rafael Perez’s allegations to denouncing the men in uniform. "These terrible events have forever changed the department and the city," said Chief Parks in a critical evaluation of the department intended for the five-member civilian police commission. Yes, the LAPD humiliated Los Angeles. Yes, they betrayed the public trust. And yes, through their arrogance, blinding selfishness and criminality, they jeopardized the fiscal integrity of the nation’s second largest city. Can you imagine police Chief’s Park’s grandiosity now asking the city for 9 million dollars to fix the problem? Parks warned [without the money] "It’s not a question of 'if' but of 'when' these deplorable circumstances would recur." Who’s Parks kidding? Hand over more money to the LAPD to police itself? Please! With LAPD now a shameful embarrassment around the country, how proudly can the men in blue police their own streets, let alone provide credible security for the upcoming Democratic National Convention? Mayor Riordan, Chief Parks and other bureaucrats connected—even by remote association—with the scandal don’t get it. The mayor, police chief, and entire police department have a taken a severe hit to their credibility. Neither Chief Parks nor Mayor Riordan is in a position to reassure anyone about fixing the problem. "Management is looking for a scapegoat," said Ted Hunt, president of the Police Protective League. "They’re going to want to say it’s those bad street cops. But street cops follow orders. Orders come from the top," Hunt said. Blaming the Rampart scandal on a few bad apples or poor pre-employment job screening blows more smoke over management’s complicity and possible criminal negligence. Pouncing on the moment, "I feel totally vindicated," said O.J. Simpson, acquitted by a skeptical jury of double homicide charges in 1995, to Newsweek magazine. How many future jurors will doubt the veracity of police accounts and turn dangerous felons loose on the streets? Police scandals betray the public’s most basic trust in society’s constitutional responsibility to uphold law and order. When a police department goes awry, who’s the public supposed to trust? Falling asleep at the switch, both Mayor Riordan and Chief Parks now have a lot of explaining to do. Acting 'defensive,' 'surprised,' or even 'shocked' about police misconduct doesn’t erase managers’ accountability. Just ask the likeable former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ruben Zacarias, whose job was sacrificed by Mayor Riordan due to some misguided construction projects. Bad as his mistakes were, they seem like child’s play now. Acting clueless about the Rampart scandal makes Mayor Riordan and Chief Parks seem even more incredulous. How can a 35 year veteran in the same department act surprised? Having been there and done that, Parks knows the score and the players—the unwritten rules, hidden agendas, codes of conduct, expectations and usual and customary behavior. Feigning ignorance or asking the Los Angeles City Council turn over 9 million dollars seems more surreal than any episode of The Twilight Zone. At this stage, Parks’ new security systems is a bit like sending in the fox to supervise the chicken coop. Even more bizarre is the media’s reluctance to face the inevitable reality that LAPD’s management structure must be purged. Restoring integrity to the LAPD begins with a change of management. Many people honestly liked Ruben Zacarias, but they knew he had to go. Why should the situation be any different with the LAPD? "Systematic [although he meant to say systemic] problems, such as those we encountered in other places [referring the Rampart Division], are virtually unheard of in our vice operations," Parks wrote in his report. Implying that no such corruption exists outside the Rampart Division is both wishful thinking and illogical. Granted that elite drug details collect more money and resaleable commodities, like street drugs, other departments also suffer from the same weaknesses. Get real. Corruption runs across the board in most bureaucracies. Suggesting that Rampart was an aberration continues the denial that the LAPD needs only a minor tune-up. "This is an extraordinary and extraordinarily complex situation. We need to do whatever is required to ensure that it never happens again," said Police Commission President Gerald L. Chaleff, alluding to the fact that the LAPD would not be his first choice to police itself. Whether Mayor Riordan or Chief Parks are ready, it’s time to face the music. No one wants to swallow the bitter pill. But, as Gerald L. Chaleff suggests, it must be done. Top management within the LAPD must take the heat for LAPD’s intolerable corruption. Like it or not, Chief Parks no longer has the credibility and public confidence to remain at the helm. Mayor Riordan must stop making excuses, step aside, and let the City Council and the civilian Police Commission find a constructive way of really fixing the LAPD. Blowing more smoke, throwing money at the LAPD or squandering future tobacco settlements, doesn’t even begin to start the painful healing process. It’s time to push egos aside and get to work. About the Author John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for The Los Angeles Daily Journal. He’s director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in human behavior, health care, political research and media consultation. He’s the author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. |
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crambling to find a way to pay the astronomical sums from LAPD’s Rampart’s scandal, Mayor Richard Riordan brainstormed about using the expected 300 million-dollar windfall from LA’s share of the tobacco settlement. Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it? There’s one minor glitch: Why should Los Angeles taxpayers be punished for LAPD’s corruption? Tobacco proceeds were intended to clean up the inner city, finance better heath care, promote anti-smoking programs, and improve the overall quality of life in Los Angeles. But what’s the mayor really up to? By admitting that Los Angeles will have pony-up big bucks in damage awards, is the mayor unilaterally conceding LAPD’s culpability? What kind of defense can the city put on now that the mayor’s conceded guilt? While it’s good to think ahead, talking too much too soon can prove even more costly.|
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