officers - The Black Vault

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·to question some officers at their
homes- caJling it an invasion ·of
:'J>rivacy. ·
· The police union has warned
.officers that the "sole purpose" of
1he FBI investigation "is to prosecute
police officers."
Aliano said the union has ad­
-vised officers to preface every in­
'terview by saying: "l will not
make this statement unless or-
4ered to do so by a supervisor."
' By ·agreeing to be interviewed
.only "under protest," officers can
maintain their Fifth Amendment
protection against self-incrimination,
he said.
; Aliano said he is not concerned
;ihat such an assertion might be
ij>erceived as an implicit admis­
!Sion of guilt.
. ·~It doesn't matter how it
jooks," Aliano said. "People can
make any impression they want
out of it but you don't get to be
proven guilty by refusing to
.talk."
LAPD officials said the depart­
,ment has not told officers how
. . I
they should respond to FBI re- ·
quests for an interview- but department
policy requires them in
general terms "to cooperate"
with other agencies' investigations.
"We can'ftell the officers 'You
have to cooperate and give up
their rights,' " said Cmdr. Rick
Dinse. "But they d.o have to provide
answers to (the FBI's) questions
under direction of this department.
· · ·.. ·· · · · · ·
"They have a duty to do that,
and failure.to do that is subject to
discipline," Dinse said. ··
BRADLEY ON GATES ·
While Mayor Tom Bradley has not called outright for the resignation
.of Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, he has said - in increasingly stronger
.terms - that the only way for the department to regain public trust is .
to step down. Following are the mayor's comments over the past
week:
.·TUESDAY, MARCH 19: "I don't want to see this become a Bradley-Gates
battle. This is a matter for the chief to decide. He has his own constitu·
ency. But a retirement by Chief Gates would help in the healing process."
· . . .
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20: "I did not and I have not yet called for the
chief to resign. I am saying that the only way we can start·this hea_ling
process is for him to remove himself."
THURSDAY, MARCH 21: "I think that for us to have a healing process it
is going to be necessary that the chief recognize his role in the mat·
ter. But only he has the authority and the ability to say, 'I retire.' "
FRIDAY, MARCH 22: "I suspect that if he remains, there will continue to
be the ferocity of demands we've seen for his retirement. I think it's
going to be very unlikely that anything constructive can take place
with regard to healing the city until the storm has settled with regard
to Chief Gates."/ ::-
MONDAY, MARCH 25: Asked if he was disappointed that Gates had ~e- .
·fused to step down, the .may6r replied:~ "He thinks by remaining, ·he
can restore the prestige and reputation of the department. There are
. many who disagree and I'm one of those.''
Police Chief Daryl F. Gates
agreed on Friday to turn over to Other Southern California law to the Foothill Division.
the FBI the names and home ad- enforcement official~- in Sacra::. . .In other developments Moodresses
·of Foothill Division offi- men to for the California State day, Mayor Tom Bradley repeatcers,
but he criticized. the Sherifrs Association convention ed earlier comments that the deagency's
plan to interview the of- -criticized the FBI for invading .partment's "healing process"
fleers at their homes. officers' privacy by· contacting could not begin unless Gates re-
Between six and 10 agents .. set them at home. · . SJgllS. · · · .
up shop inside the Foothill D 1Vl- _ "They're not talking about · ••He thinks by remaining, he
sion station Monday to question people who are charged," said -can restore the prestige and repuofficers
as they went on and off Los Angeles County Sheriff Sher- tation of the department," Bradshift
while other officers were man Block .• "They are going to .·ley said. "There are many who
contacted at hom~,_A_!i~n~ ~id. .inteJ!'iew ev~ry officer assigned :disagree and rm one of those.