Give Police Commission a Chance

In a welcome display of unity this week, the City Council and the mayor, the police chief and the president of the Police Commission collectively affirmed that the commission itself is the appropriate body to independently review LAPD’s Rampart corruption probe.

Moreover, city leaders pledged to give the Police Commission and its investigative unit, the inspector general’s office, whatever resources they require for this significant undertaking.

We share the public’s outrage that officers of the Los Angeles Police Department allegedly shot and beat innocent people, planted evidence, lied under oath and conspired to imprison people for crimes they did not commit.

The scope of misconduct continues to grow, and it’s clear that more than a few rogue cops are to blame. As Police Chief Bernard C. Parks has indicated, corruption went unchecked because supervisors and internal oversight systems failed.

The department as a whole must bear responsibility for this scandal, and so must those of us in city government. With public confidence shaken, we are all on trial. The verdict will be determined by whether we eradicate corruption within the LAPD, establish reliable mechanisms to prevent it in the future and do so in a way that strengthens rather than undermines the role of the civilian Police Commission.

Recent calls by members of the public, and even by some elected officials, for an independent investigation of the Rampart scandal not only are premature, but they ignore the concept of civilian police oversight articulated by the Christopher Commission in 1991 and established in law.

Proposition F and the new City Charter, both adopted by the voters, imbued the Police Commission with significant new powers and resources (including the inspector general’s office) precisely so that it can provide strong, independent supervision and control of the LAPD--qualities it demonstrated this week when it reached a conclusion in the Margaret Mitchell shooting that was different from that of Parks.

The Rampart scandal, however, is the first major test of the system since it was created. To abandon the process before it has had a chance to work is counterproductive and would forever weaken the Police Commission.

The LAPD’s internal investigation uncovered the Rampart corruption scandal and continues to expose misconduct and criminal behavior by additional officers. Our first real glimpse into that investigation will come in less than two weeks, when the Police Commission receives the report of the LAPD’s Board of Inquiry.

The report will provide further details about the misconduct of Officer Rafael Perez and his cohorts. More important, it will contain an analysis of the systemic problems that allowed their behavior to occur and to go undetected. The report will make numerous recommendations for improving hiring and training and management and auditing systems to ensure that similar corruption can never recur.

The release of the board of inquiry report marks the beginning of what we expect to be an extensive and uncompromising review by the Police Commission and the inspector general’s office. The goal of their analysis will be to discover whether the LAPD fully understands the scope and causes of corruption; whether it has thoroughly examined the failure of internal systems and the need for new controls; and whether all those responsible for these failures have been identified. The commission must then pass judgment on the LAPD’s proposals for reform and determine whether other measures are warranted.

The commission will need significant additional resources to do this vital work effectively, including paid staff and input from a panel of experts in the community. It has now been assured these resources will be available. Pursuant to our joint motion, unanimously adopted by the City Council and endorsed by the mayor on Tuesday, the Police Commission will report in 10 days with a “description of the scope of the work and the resources needed to fully evaluate LAPD’s Rampart investigation.”

The inquiry’s cost remains to be seen, but it will pale in comparison to the high price the city is paying for police corruption. If we fail to stamp out the problem now, the toll will be incalculable.