officers - The Black Vault

FD-350.-..(Rev. 5·8·81)
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•(Indicate page, name of
newspaper, city and state.)
(Mount Clipping in Space Below)
Letters to The Times
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Mayor Bradley·
on Firing Gates
• In response to Glenn Bunting's news
analysis, "Mayor's Truce With Gates Seen
as Effort to Cut Losses" (Part A, Aprilll):
The purpose of this letter is to outline, in
· clear terms, my reaction to the Rodney
King beating and the controversy over the
: Police Department.
1
As mayor, my job is to protect this city.
We have been thrust into the midst of a
storm of controversy tbat is unlike any­
.thing our city has ever seen. The horrors of
the Rodney King beating, and the racist
comments contained in computer transcripts
of conversations between officers
·that evening, proved to me that the
problems of police brutality and rac~sm in
our Police Department cannot be demed.
After giving Police Chief Daryl Gates
ample time to reach what I hoped would be
the best decision for the city of Los
Angeles, I called for his resignation. Since
our City Charter gives civil service,protection
to general managers, I used moral
persuasion and added my voice to the
chorus of calls-from The Times, Daily
News and thousands from the community-for
the chief to resign.
Meanwhile, the Police Commission took
its separate and· indepenc:Ient action of
placing the chief on a paid administrative
leave while the investigation was under
way. That's when the City Council attempted
to substitute its politica~ will for
"the good-faith decision of our Pollee CoJ?-
mission. Under our City Charter, the. C1ty
Council does not have authority to over-
. r~le a decision by a commi~~i~n. The courts .
• • ~ - r •"'"" c'' ';, •
will now decide the legality of this"l;>la,tant
grab for power on the part of the C9lll}cU~ ...
· The media turned the debate lro:tp,. .. the
very real issues of police brri~.~i~~- ·tP.
simply a personality dispute between the
chief and myself. Public opinioa