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From the LA Times:

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A to-do list for L.A.'s next police chief

William Bratton transformed the LAPD; his successor's No. 1 job will be making it stick.

by Constance L. Rice

August 16, 2009

Eighteen months ago, I wrote a memo identifying long-term barriers to permanent transformation of the Los Angeles Police Department. I've written a lot of memos about the department over the years in preparation for lawsuits, but this one was prepared at the request of the LAPD's top commanders. That's something that never would have happened seven years ago.

Back then, in the pre-William Bratton era, I and my memo would have been summarily shredded. But under Bratton, not only was outside criticism invited, he assigned his first assistant chief to work through the issues. While the road to permanent transformation stretches a long way in front of us, there is a key reason that we are on it at all.

Bratton has been an extraordinary leader who has recast the LAPD's approach to policing. In my opinion, he and William Parker are the only transformative chiefs in LAPD history. With a talented team, a determined federal judge and an unusually capable Police Commission, Bratton has accomplished a remarkable turnaround of a department that had defied all previous interventions to rein in its behavior.

But no chief could completely alter the DNA of the LAPD in just seven years. Permanent reform will take much longer, and it will happen only if the next chief can continue to drive the mandate down to the squad rooms, where there are still holdouts itching to reverse course.

Bratton will leave behind a blueprint, but in some ways the next chief will have a more difficult job. He or she will need determination to make the changes stick, a deep knowledge of the LAPD, the ability to win the buy-in of the lower ranks and the courage to touch third-rail issues.

These must be the next chief's top priorities:

Making Bratton's "high-road policing" the LAPD norm

The main mission of the next chief of police should be to complete the LAPD's transition to what Bratton calls "high-road policing," a style of policing that reduces crime, wins public trust, heals racial rifts and attempts to solve problems that fuel crime. Still dismissed by some officers as social work, this problem-solving model of policing is not sufficiently accepted as effective crime-fighting or as a way of thinking. As a result, successful community initiatives are still dependent on exceptional LAPD individuals and too often collapse when those individuals leave. We saw this happen with the successful Rampart Division turnaround after LAPD innovators transferred to other divisions

Closing the supervision gap

The Rampart corruption scandal resulted from weak, overwhelmed, intimidated and, in a few cases, corrupt supervision. The LAPD has improved supervision, but too many inexperienced, overloaded and/or overwhelmed supervisors still struggle without needed training and resources.

Providing rewards and incentives that match the mission

Currently, LAPD incentives overprize arrests and specialized units. They fuel rapid transfers and place the least experienced and least supported officers into patrol, the most important public-interaction position. Officers are not sufficiently rewarded for staying in a community long enough to solve problems or build trust.

Better balancing of qualitative and quantitative policing

Bratton revolutionized the use of crime data in crime-fighting. The next chief should continue the strategic use of crime data but needs to also improve the quality of investigations and reward the accuracy of arrests as much as the number of arrests. This will help officers build the community trust necessary to reduce the backlog of 7,000 unsolved murders.

Developing new ways of assessing and combating bias in policing

Bias must be addressed, but it should not be confused with other dynamics. The complex racial dynamics within the department and between the LAPD and the communities it serves require a more sophisticated treatment. For example, in high-crime, predominantly minority areas, police of all races tend to use preemptive shock-and-awe tactics that are not used in low-crime neighborhoods. This dynamic is often mistakenly conflated with racial profiling, when the problem is actually something very different. Questions about the effectiveness of that kind of policing need to be asked outside the context of a racial inquiry.

Establishing effective internal responses to high-profile incidents

Bratton deserves praise for the unflinching after-action report on the May Day debacle, but it happened only after a "circle-the-wagons" first draft was rejected and sent for redrafting to a key civilian deputy and a deputy chief who was expert in public demonstrations. The new chief will need to instill in the LAPD the ability to internally review its controversial incidents.

Weeding out pockets of "hostile-warrior" mentality within the department

Public approval of the LAPD has soared, in part because many officers now treat Angelenos with respect instead of hostility and unwarranted intimidation. This is not the case across the board, however. Just this summer, openly hostile officers clashed with city staff in the Summer Night Lights safe-parks program. Command staff quickly intervened, but it was a reminder that even some younger officers have been taught the old "warrior" mentality.

Changing skid row policies

The LAPD's sweeping crackdown on the homeless in skid row, Hollywood and Venice is out of step with the ethos of compassionate, problem-solving policing, and significant aspects of it have been found unconstitutional by a federal court. Some skid row agencies refuse to call the LAPD to report crime for fear of harassment and because of the department's inability to protect witnesses.

Continuing the accountability procedures required by the consent decree

Now that the federal consent decree has been lifted, the next chief needs to commit to continue collecting the data that support accountability, create measures to check ongoing retaliation against whistle-blowers and counter turf tussles that endanger investigations and witnesses.

Reallocating resources

The budget crunch will be a challenge for the next chief. But it will also create the opportunity to break down wasteful barriers between specialized and regular forces, assign a wider swath of officers to patrol duties (only 5% of officers patrol on any given watch) and reexamine the revolving-door transfers that abort lasting community policing. The new chief should also reduce the negative impact of the three-day workweek and fix rules that block effective public safety.

The next chief will take the reins of the department at a pivotal time in LAPD history. This term will determine whether the Bratton era was a brief interlude of progress or the beginning of a lasting transformation. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's choice should be determined solely by the ability of the candidate to make it the latter. He will make no choice more important to the future of this city.

Constance L. Rice is a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rice16-2009aug16,0,1427091,print.story

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OPINION

What Los Angeles needs in its next police chief . . .

The department's critics and supporters weigh in.

August 16, 2009

Times editorial writer Marjorie Miller asked some of the LAPD's chief critics, supporters and stakeholders to weigh in on what qualities are needed in a new police chief. What follows are edited transcripts of those conversations.

Mark Rosenbaum
Legal director, American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California

I think three qualities are essential for a new chief.

The first is a recognition that change is a fragile process. What happened under Chief [ William] Bratton is historic. But the department changes when the culture changes, and it can fall backward if the new chief fails to preserve an ethos of respect not just of the law, but of justice.

Second is an appreciation of the history and diversity of Los Angeles. What works and doesn't work in other communities isn't necessarily the case for Los Angeles. The department will fall in line when it respects its chief, so it's critical that the chief respects the integrity, dignity and differences of the various racial and ethnic groups in the community. Those communities share the need for an effective and sensitive police force.

Third is a recognition of the relationship between crime and social injustice. We need a police chief who promotes policies that accept limitations on what police can do. Policing in skid row, for example, must work in concert with, not at cross purposes to, social and economic solutions to homelessness. Los Angeles needs a police chief who acknowledges that often the best way to stop crime is to prevent it in the first place with social programs that deal effectively with social problems.

I think the consent decree was terminated too soon for the stability of its reforms, and that instability was reinforced by the departure of Chief Bratton. We need a police chief who realizes that there is unfinished business and hard work that must be completed if the city is to have the police force it can trust to protect and serve all its residents.


Daryl F. Gates
LAPD chief from 1978 to 1992

The selection process has become so political. That troubles me. When I was selected, and when the chiefs before me were selected, we had to pass a very rigorous written examination, practically a bar exam. We then went through a series of rigorous oral examinations, and then the top three scorers were the only ones eligible to be selected by the police commissioners. Now they have changed that process, and of course [former Mayor Tom] Bradley selected Willie Williams, which was a horrible mistake. It was a political selection. Then Dick Riordan wanted the black vote, so he picked Bernard Parks. And then along came [James K.] Hahn, and he picked Bratton because the [L.A. Police] Protective League was very tired of Bernie Parks. It's totally political, and it's just a shame.

Quite frankly, I think that some of the top people within the LAPD are well qualified and can do the job. Unfortunately, I think they're going to have to do some politicking, and that is not the way to select a chief of police.

The next chief's got to be a guy who can provide leadership. That's absolutely essential. I'm not so sure any of the last three chiefs have had a lot of leadership skills, Bratton probably stronger than the others. But if you really talk to rank-and-file officers today, they're not happy with him. He's always been kind of an outsider, and the police officers feel that. Leadership requires that you will be fair in all situations, that you will not throw people under the bus, as has been done time and again with the last three chiefs. Police officers feel those things right to the core. They want to know this new chief will be fair and honest and straight-forward. They want to see strong discipline that is fair and competent. They want a chief who will lead and not follow the political winds.

Because it is political, I would never give my recommendation because there are a whole raft of political leaders who don't think much of my recommendation. I wouldn't hurt somebody that way. But sure, I have my druthers. I've looked at police administrators across this nation, and we've got more talent in the upper ranks than you can find in police chiefs anywhere in this country. I'd like to see the selection come from within. You will find that police officers are more inclined to follow somebody from inside.


James K. Hahn
Superior Court judge and the former mayor who selected Bratton

The next chief must provide leadership that will build on Chief Bratton's remarkable success in reducing crime, building community partnerships, restoring confidence in the department and improving the morale of the rank-and-file LAPD officers. Demonstrating that those tasks do not conflict with each other has been Chief Bratton's real contribution to the department and must be continued. Politics need to be set aside, and the decision needs to be made solely on who is best qualified to lead the LAPD forward.


Paul Weber
President, Los Angeles Police Protective League

We need someone with impeccable integrity, a strong work ethic, an openness to new ideas and a willingness to work with varied stakeholders. We need a good listener, someone who sees value in learning from others and also from the organization. One of the problems we had in the past was that if it wasn't LAPD, it wasn't valid. Conversely, the pendulum could swing the other way where nothing within the organization is any good. There is a fine line between being very open and seeking out other ideas, but at the same time recognizing that you have an incredibly talented pool of employees here within the organization.

The challenges of the next seven years: In the short term, the largest challenge is going to be the budget and its impact on police operations and our ability to safely police this city, especially if they end up releasing thousands of parolees from prison. I don't know how we're going to do it, but we need to maintain a high level of police service with less money but a lot more bad guys in our midst.

I think there's plenty of talent within the department, and there's not necessarily a need to go outside. At the same time, let's be realistic. Chief Bratton came in from outside, and you can't say he was unsuccessful. I've been raised in this department, and we have a lot of very talented people here, but we have to be open to the possibility that there could be some incredibly talented individual who could come into this process. I think the foundation has been laid, and now it's a question of taking it to the next level and becoming an even better police department. At the rank-and-file level, we have the best, and they're looking for someone to lead them.


Gloria Molina
Los Angeles County supervisor

Chief Bratton set a high and tough standard. The trick is going to be to get someone who meets that and maybe even surpasses it. We need the same kind of consummate law enforcement professional. The example for me was in MacArthur Park. I watched Bratton stand up in front of all of us in the Latino community who were angry and hostile about what had occurred. He made commitments, told us the process would be swift and then he followed up on everything he said. He dealt with his own rank and file. Usually what you have is the "blue curtain," where they say one thing to us and go back and do something different. In this case, mistakes were made, and he owned up to them. You don't see that much, and that's what we need.

The next person has tough shoes to fill. This city still has a lot to do. We still have a huge gang problem, graffiti, safety issues. We need someone who will bring the same level of professionalism. We need someone who understands the concept of broken windows and interfacing with the neighborhood and community so they can participate. You can't do it exclusively with law enforcement.

We still don't have enough suppression of the gangs that continue to terrorize our neighborhoods. I'm supportive of the proactive programs, but when you've got the guys out there calling the shots, being bullies, making the life look glamorous, it's tough to keep these kids away from the gangs. There are too many guns out in our neighborhoods. We've got to find a way to protect the safety of our kids and neighborhoods.


Merrick Bobb
Executive director, Police Assessment Resource Center

If we could clone Bill Bratton, I would do so. He had the ability to bring down crime, to implement the consent decree, to establish relationships and to inspire confidence and trust in diverse communities. Los Angeles continues to need these skills. Bratton's perspective as an outsider has been a plus, and I think his ability to assemble a team of outsiders and insiders has been to the advantage of the city. I think we could go inside this time, although Los Angeles profited from Bratton's wide perspective and experience as chief elsewhere.

It will be crucial over the next few years to make sure the reforms instituted by the consent decree take root, flourish, grow. We need a police chief who is as committed as Bratton was to the changes in culture, accountability and transparency that the consent decree brought to the LAPD.

The whole tenor of a police department can change with a change in leadership. We've seen that in Los Angeles, as much as you hope that reforms become institutionalized and divorced from personality, the fact is a chief puts his or her stamp on the department.

The consent decree required the LAPD to get an early ID system in order to spot problem officers and help them save their careers, if possible. Implementation of these provisions is yet to come in a broad-scale way, so the next chief will have to do it.

We also need someone with highly polished political skills. The relationship with the inspector general and the Police Commission will be important. The inspector general will have a heavier burden in monitoring the Police Department so the Police Commission can determine if the consent decree has taken hold. And the police chief also has to maintain good relations with the mayor and the City Council, and with communities that have historically mistrusted the police -- African American, Latino and others.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-policechief-real16-2009aug16,0,589704,print.story

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From the LA Times:

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Friendly Fire: Uncivil discourse

OPINION

Recruiting with Obama
by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Shortly after then-presidential contender Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination in June 2008, two of America's oldest and best-known hate groups, the KKK and Aryan Nation, wasted no time. They endorsed Obama for president. The prospect of him bagging the White House sent them into absolute delirium. A black president was their way to jumpstart their moribund ranks.

In its new report on hate groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center found that 50 new "anti-government" hate groups have cropped up in the past few months. There has also been a sharp uptick in recruiting, mobilizing and, more worrisome, gun-buying by these groups. They are playing hard to stir up fears of a black man in the White House, the economic downturn and the GOP-orchestrated disruptions at health care town halls.

The angry town hall meetings last week provided a fertile recruiting ground for new, more vocal and visible anti-government groups, whose members could be tempted to do more than just rant and shake their fists. Hate groups expect to swell their ranks thanks to the volatile mix of frustration, anger and hostility toward a government and a black president whose message of change spells socialism to them. That's a chilling prospect for Obama - and all of us.

Enablers of hate
by Rob Asghar

Let's try to think about organized hate groups and militias in "shoe on the other foot" terms.

Since Sept. 11, we've had passionate debates about whether moderate, nonviolent Muslims here and abroad are obligated to do more to counter violence among their rabid, frothing extreme fringe. Groups such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations seem to resent being associated with extremism while not seeming to do much to efficaciously stand up to their affiliated extremists.

Another conundrum is that many moderate Muslims rationalize the anger of jihadists, saying that whackos in Gaza and Peshawar Kashmir take understandable grievances to unacceptable extremes. They suggest that if India or Israel or America adequately address the grievances, the extremist hatred and violence will go away.

That usually rings hollow to people on the outside. It sounds as though the moderates are acting like enablers in a crazed, abusive household.

Yet now the American right, which has comprised the most vocal critics of such rationalization-and-codependence approaches in the Mideast, will need to rise above its recent tendency to use just the same approach in the Obama era.

Conversational cacophony
by Jonathan Dobrer

I'm frightened, and I like to think that I don't scare easily. Conversation has deteriorated to cacophony. There is lots of shouting but little listening.

Words have consequences. Yes, our political rhetoric is often overheated on both sides. I did not think it appropriate when former members of the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley shouted down speakers they didn't want to hear. The policy critiques that Code Pink made of Bush policies might have been OK but not their tactics of disruption. I am generally in favor of saving the ecology but when environmental extremists shout "By any means necessary," this is clear code for violence.

People who bring loaded guns to a town hall meeting with the president with a sign partially quoting Thomas Jefferson that says, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants," cannot honestly hold that this is just about Second Amendment rights. The implication is clear. People cannot - with neither insight nor irony - call Obama a Nazi and put swastikas on signs and then claim it isn't inciting violence.

Culture warriors or nimrods?
by Gail-Tzipporah Saunders

Surprise of all surprises. There's been a surge in hate groups across the country.

And a charming lot they are. In a video from the "Ohio Militia," a man with a face scarf sounding like he was inside a drainpipe said that we should be very afraid. Exactly what we should be afraid of, he did not say. At one point, he encouraged everyone to stockpile guns and ammunition in preparation for a war, like the one in his mind.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the three factors that have caused a 54 percent surge in hate group membership since 2006 are the Obama administration, the economy and illegal immigration.

Other than lining the Ohio Militia and other groups up and having them use each other for target practice, the best way to combat them is through education. Once children learn how to read, let them learn about different ethnic groups, not only one or two. Let them watch videos and go to plays. The Obama administration should also launch its own ethnic PR blitz for all ethnic groups, which would finally be money well spent.

- This discussion is excerpted from the Daily News' Friendly Fire blog, www.insidesocal.com/friendlyfire.

http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_13131252

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Firefighter's union wages shameful campaign

AS a former volunteer firefighter, an LAPD reserve officer and a public servant, I have worked alongside the brave men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department for more than 30 years. There are no more cherished and respected individuals than those who risk their lives every day to make us safer.

That is why I am so disappointed that in an effort to avoid budget reductions, the union leader who represents our firefighters has engaged in a shameful campaign that exploits one of the worst tragedies that our community has ever experienced. The Chatsworth Metrolink train crash of Sept. 12, 2008 took the lives of 25 people, injured 135 and traumatized our entire city.

None of us will ever forget the spectacular and well-coordinated response by the firefighters to the Metrolink train disaster that is still so fresh in our memories.

The president of the firefighter's union, Pat McOsker has sent thousands of graphic campaign-style mailers produced by a professional political consultant that use actual crash-scene photos showing blood-soaked sheets covering deceased victims.

These victims were not objects to be used in a pamphlet or as bargaining tools. They were our neighbors and friends, and the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of people in our community, including a Los Angeles police officer.

It is extremely distasteful that Mr. McOsker would use these kinds of tactics with such blatant disregard for the feelings of the families of the victims, who still have fresh wounds from this tragic event. This is particularly insensitive on the eve of the anniversary of the disaster, as the entire community prepares for the one-year memorial.

I know many of the firefighters and public safety officers who responded to this disaster remain deeply affected, and are saddened that this tragedy is being exploited in a sleazy and misleading campaign.

My office has received an outpouring of phone calls from firefighters from across the city letting us know that they were humiliated by these shameful tactics and that they denounced Mr. McOsker for exploiting human tragedy.

This shows clearly how out of touch Mr. McOsker is with the rank-and-file firefighters that he is supposed to represent.

Months ago, I personally met with Mr. McOsker and invited him to work with me to find proactive solutions to address the department's budgetary problems while preserving public safety services. To date, he has offered none, and worse, has resorted to being an obstructionist. All other city leaders and department heads who were offered the same opportunity came forward with helpful, constructive proposals.

Without Mr. McOsker's help, my fellow council members and I were able to create a budget that did not close a single fire station, lay off or furlough a single firefighter or paramedic, retains a paramedic resource at every fire station and will keep response times under 7 minutes citywide.

The only reduction to the Fire Department's budget comes from non-emergency overtime.

By posting misleading signs outside fire stations, paying for robo-calls predicting doomsday scenarios and mailing tasteless pamphlets, McOsker's only contribution to this process has been to incite fear and anxiety. These are actions unbefitting someone who represents Los Angeles firefighters.

In the past, I have always had a very positive and productive relationship with United Firefighters of Los Angeles City. As the incoming chairman of the council's Public Safety Committee I look forward to continuing my strong support for the men and women who proudly wear the Los Angeles Fire Department uniform.

Greig Smith represents the 12th district on the Los Angeles City Council.

http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_13096269