officers - The Black Vault

FD-350 '{Rev. 5·8·81)
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T~:GATES
DAILY NEviJS
THURS. ~~R 28, 1991
FRONT SECTION, PAGE 1
PLAN
OFFERS 10-POINT
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1·""-t
. '·
Ex -justice i/
··will direct
::policy study :
By Rick Orlov
Daily News Staff Writer
Under fire for the police beating
of Rodney Glen King, Police
Chief Daryl F. Gates announced
a 10-point plan Wednesday to
overhaul the LAPD, including
appointment of a citizens commission
to help restore the department's
image.
At a Parker Center news conference,
Gates said he will impanel
a five-_ Related story:
member com
mission headed • Woo asks
by former state Gates to step
Supreme Court down. Back Page ·
Justice John Arguelles to study
policies regarding the use of force
as part of a plan to restore the de­
:partment's image in the wake of
·the King incident.
Afterward, Gates - who last
week said he will step down when
he has restored public confidence
in the department - said in an·
interview that he had been close
to a decision to retire before the
King incident occurred.
.. 1 don't have a siege mentality
at all," Gates told the Daily
News ... 1 feel very calm, collected,
at ease.
"My wife has been after me for
~.years to retire," said Gates, 64.
.. This changed things so dramati-
:·cally. That's why I want to get the
;.issue of whether I should stay or
not stay behind me and deal with
.:those issues that I think are im- ·
~portant." •.:.<
King, a 25-year-old black and
an unemployed construction
~worker, was beaten by white officers
in Lake View Terrace March
3 after he was stopped for speeding
following a short pursuit. The
.incident was recorded on videotape
by a bystander and sparked
outrage from the White House to
Sacramento.
. Disclosures that some of the
'officers involved made racist
comments on police communica­
!tions systems increased calls by
1
'civil rights advocates for Gates to
resign. Mayor Tom Bradley has
called for a review of racism in
the department and has repeatedly
said the "healing process"
·would be helped if Gates retires. •
Joining Arguelles on the panel
reviewing use of force will be Dr.
James Zumberge, the retiring
,-.0
president
.. ·-- -of ------
USC. Three
. -· ... others
- -.
to be named will represent a
cross-section of the community
and be subject to Arguelles' approval,
Gates said. He said he
hopes to have the report within
three months.
.. The overall goal will be to reduce
the number of incidents of
unnecessary force and the atten­
. tlant ·liability suffered by the
city," Gates said.
"The aftermath of the Rodney
King incident has been an exceedingly
difficult and trying
time," Gates said ... We must
look for any and all conditions
that may have contributed to the
development of attitudes and
patterns of behavior that could
have led to this kind of gross misconduct."
Gates also said he wants a psychological
profile on all officers
involved in the King incident or
other cases of excessive force, a
review of the department's policies
and training, and he will re-
SEARCHED•--- INDEXED•---1
SERIAliZED, ___ fiLED•----1
APR :s 1991
FBI -
LOS ANGELES I
quire high-ranking command officers
to make spot checks of field
-operations.
Also, Gates said he was start-
. ing a 24-hour hot line Friday at I
(800) 339-6868 for people to call
Internal Affairs Division officers
to report complaints of excessive
force and discuss community
concerns.
Part of Gates' proposal to re­
, pair the department had been
submitted earlier to the Police
Commission.
Four officers have been indict­
. ed on felony charges for the beating.
Late Wednesday, Gates
. briefed the Police Commission in
·closed session on the depart­
: ment's investigation into 17
other officers suspected of witt:
·,