I have an Op Ed in today’s LA Times about the very cheering appointment of Sergio Diaz to replace Lee Carter as the Deputy Chief of the LAPD’s embattled Central Bureau. Some of it is close to what I’ve already posted here. But there are some new thoughts (we hope), some words from the Chief (Bratton) about why he choose Diaz, and a quote or two from newly minted Deputy Chief Sergio himself distilled from a chat we had last night about his promotion, life in general, and what the hell the department should learn from May Day.
There’s nothing wrong with a “wait and investigate” approach to avoid wronging innocent dedicated public safety workers. I don’t praise that. I see it as giving in to an irrational crowd demanding immediate retribution.
Diaz seems like a good person and good leader but, I have to tell you, I’m very, very suspicious whenever liberals fall all over themselves to praise any promotions and actions of the police.
Nice OpEd in the LATimes.
I am not sure I would want to follow Sergio Daiz into battle but he appears to have the appropriate mix to manage the complex political and touchy feely requirements of community relations and community policing.
It’s nice to see you and progressive L.A. falling all over themselves in praising the selection of Sergio. I admire the guy, too. Now pressure him and his boss to get behind the bill that would open up discipline proceedings against the riotous cops. Or is everybody in this town afraid of the police union?
Here’s Merrick Bobb’s call to action in today’s Times:
Lift the veil of secrecy on police misconduct
Bratton’s commitment to LAPD openness is welcome, but state law ties his hands.
By Merrick Bobb, MERRICK BOBB, a special counsel who monitors the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for the Board of Supervisors, was special counsel for the Los Angeles Police Commission.
May 11, 2007
LOS ANGELES Police Chief William J. Bratton has taken decisive steps following the MacArthur Park May Day melee in which the LAPD seems to have used force indiscriminately and disregarded constitutional rights of speech and assembly.
He has already demoted a deputy chief and transferred a commander responsible for the police response at the park. In contrast to former Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, Bratton has been forthcoming, honest and informative as this latest LAPD scandal unfolds.
The irony is that California law, in the wake of the California Supreme Court’s misguided 2006 Copley Press vs. Superior Court decision, will tie the chief’s hands as he attempts to be open and transparent about MacArthur Park and its consequences. In that case, the court ruled that opening the disciplinary file of a San Diego County sheriff’s deputy violated his rights. The L.A. Police Commission, based on the city attorney’s interpretation of the ruling, closed all disciplinary hearings.
California law is among the most restrictive in the country concerning the release of information about police misconduct. Florida, Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas have had “sunshine” laws for many years without adverse consequences to police officers. These laws require public records to be open. California law, by contrast, keeps the media and the public in the dark.
Under current law, Bratton is prohibited from disclosing to the public the names of the officers involved in the melee and their disciplinary history  for example, whether the officers had prior sustained force complaints. Thus, the public will have no way of knowing whether the Los Angeles Police Department is properly holding officers accountable. The public will never know whether the officers seen on videotape hitting an 11-year-old with a baton, pushing a news camerawoman to the ground, injuring a radio reporter or roughing up a television anchor will be held to account.
The public also will not have access to facts developed in the disciplinary investigation, special reports or witness testimony. The public and media will never know what happened behind those closed doors no matter how much the chief and the Police Commission would like to tell them. Inevitably, public trust in the LAPD will erode, and the chief will not be able to demonstrate how seriously he took the matter and held his staff accountable.
Nonetheless, there is something that can be done. SB 1019, introduced by state Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles), would override the Copley decision. Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa support such an outcome. Backers of Romero’s legislation include the National Black Police Assn., San Francisco Sheriff Mike Hennessey and other key law enforcement authorities.
Bernard C. Parks, former Los Angeles police chief and current city councilman, put it best in a letter to Romero: “Ultimately … the public should have a right to know about how their government works and functions. Secrecy around citizen complaints and police misconduct will only result in greater mistrust of the police, poor police-community relations and ultimately less responsive and accountable police agencies. SB 1019 presents a step in the right direction toward addressing the problems caused by the Copley Press decision.”
Alan, thanks for the piece by Merrick Bobb. That’s really interesting. Although an ‘outsider,’ I despaired of LAPD being able to turn any corner with, what really amounted to, small changes in personnel. When looking at situations begging for institutional change, you always wonder what might be the one thing you could do to facilitate the change you want. A change in this personnel arrangement would be significant. It would sit in direct opposition to an insulated culture, and what Celeste has referred to as a ‘knucklehead’ mind set. That initiative would be worth expending some energy to support. Sincere best wishes to its promoters.
It sounds as if the left will never accept the LAPD has their friend. I don’t know why so much effort is being expended by the police to please people who would never be happy until the entire force is fired and jailed. Many made up their minds about the police guilt before they knew the facts, and they are still doing it. Calling police knuckleheads and riotous before an investigation has gotten off the ground shows the automatic bias.
Alan, Thanks from me too for posting the Merrick Bobb piece. He has the standing and gravitas to make that statement, if anyone does. It’s maddening that when an officer is abusive, that there’s no way of finding out if he’s been disciplined for the exact same thing or worse, short of a court order in the form of a Pitchess Motion that, even when approved, so limited in scope as to be nearly worthless.
Gloria Romero’s SB 1019 is of enormous importance. I do, however, find it ironic that Bernie Parks is a New Friend to Transparency since he’s the guy who HOPELESSLY compromised the Rampart investigations by refusing to offer immunity to officers who came forward to report misconduct, although prosecutors pleaded with him to do so. One of the two lead prosecutors on the Javier Perez case, and really the guy who broke it open, was so disgusted by the outcome as dictated by Parks’ sandbagging at every turn, that he finally up and left the state and is doing in Oregon (at least I think that’s where he moved) essentially what Merrick Bob is doing for the Sheriff’s Department.
So, yes, yes, YES on SB 1019—but not because Bernie Parks says so.
PS: Woody and Alan, I’m afraid that the only liberals swooning over Sergio Diaz’ appointment are me and Marc C—because we both know him quite well.
Nobody else has a clue who the guy is because he’s so low pro. And, hey, Woody and Pokey, good news! He’s a republican! But he’s also a deeply sensible person, which is all too rare on the right and left.
But, Pokey, if you met him, you would follow him into battle. I promise. He’s laid back, smart, and entirely fearless—which is why cops like him. I don’t think I’ve very met a command staff person so universally liked by those who work under him.
Woody, I think your word-tense disease has carried over from last night. Or, perhaps, a word-drop disease has replaced it. “… the LAPD has their friend.” Come again?
I’m not sure anyone really expects the LAPD to win a popularity contest as much as they want some assurance the LAPD won’t just start whacking them on the head outside of departmental rules, regulations, guidelines, policies, or procedures. The response of the police to the public isn’t supposed to be a random variable.
Merrick Bobb is the fellow who conducted the investigation of the LA Sheriff’s Dept which is actually the largest Law Enforcement unit in LA County (10,000 Deputies) and contracts out police services to a lot of towns. He made many recommendations and I know the Sheriff has followed a lot of them but, to tell the truth, living in OC, I’ve lost track of the doings there.
Here we have a sheriff, Carona, who was going to be the GOP’s great hispanic hope – talk of him being Governor some day. That’s pretty much gone as things like the Hadl fiasco have blotted his copybook. (Carona liked to give campaign contributors “Aux Sheriff” badges and some of them used them to get out of traffic tickets but one got the under sheriff to help his kid in a rape case. That blew up. The kid and his two buds are now in state prison and the under sheriff – a carona protege- is gone. opps!)
I used to be very aware of doings at the LASD as a neighbor was a deputy who worked out of the Norwalk Sub-Station where I grew up (SE LA County for those who are interested and next to OC) and when I was a Boy Scout he helped me get a Law Enforcement Merit badge by getting me a tour of the facility and a few ride-alongs with some of the deputies.
(Also got a firefighting MB thru another neighbor who was County Fire but that’s another story)
Listener, my fingers jumped and, rather than “has,” I meant to type “as.” (What did I do yesterday? My mom used to even correct grammar on my Mother’s Day Cards, so I try to be careful.)
Celeste, George Bush is a Republican, but that doesn’t mean that I like what he does. I’m a conservative without a party.
After you get a court order to open police files, would you get the players union of MLB to open the steroid file of Barry Bonds?