Investigation of Rampart Scandal

For the past several months I have sat by quietly and listened to retired command staff, pundits, self-anointed police and civil rights experts, news reporters and now an L.A. Police Protective League director condemn the Los Angeles Police Department’s investigation of the Rampart scandal and Chief Bernard Parks’ efforts to correct the problems discovered during the investigation. The Internal Affairs Group started the investigation of the missing narcotics from the Property Division without intervention by the L.A. Police Protective League. I immediately dispatched an internal affairs team to initiate the investigation and then notified the office of the chief.

I find it incredible that retired command staff officers like David Dotson (Commentary, Feb. 27) are now experts on the current culture and management of this department. Dotson retired several years ago and was a command staff officer of the very culture he now condemns. Organizational changes to CRASH and other specialized units are anything but “cosmetic.” The entire method of supervision and oversight has been changed as it pertains to gang units and other specialized units.

I am personally offended by allegations that “all” police officers lie in court and are in fact trained to do so. We have our “bad apples,” but unlike other professions, we root out our own and get rid of, as well as prosecute, them. For those who think the department’s investigation of this scandal will be a cover-up or inadequate, I can assure you nothing is further from the truth. The department initiated this investigation and will not close it until every single wrongly convicted person is exonerated and every single culpable officer, supervisor or command staff officer is held accountable and receives the appropriate administrative discipline and/or criminal punishment.

BRADLEY R. MERRITT, Captain

Commanding Officer, Internal

Affairs Administrative Division

LAPD

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The Times is to be commended for its excellent coverage of the unfolding corruption scandal within the LAPD. However, “Tiny Turnout for Protest at LAPD” (March 5) was misleading. Saturday’s event was a press conference, not a protest demonstration. There was no extensive e-mail or word-of-mouth publicity about it; in fact, a standard news release was sent to media and to Coalition for Police Accountability members the previous afternoon. At our press conference, the coalition called for an independent commission to investigate LAPD misconduct. For a rainy Saturday, the coalition’s 15-person press delegation was substantial. A protest demonstration is, in fact, planned for Wednesday, beginning at 4 p.m. at the corner of Temple and Spring streets.

The Coalition for Police Accountability represents dozens of large organizations and our message remains clear: Trusting the LAPD to police itself is like trusting the fox to guard the henhouse. An independent investigative commission is the only way to bring about justice and public trust in law enforcement. The time for it is now.

DAN TOKAJI, Staff Attorney

ACLU of Southern California

Los Angeles