officers - The Black Vault

• •
"' I . .'
Los ANGELES BusiNESS J ouRNAI
NUMBER 18 WEEK OF MAY 6-12, 1991
Page20
Gates must go
Los Angeles business and professional
communities should actively demand the
resignation of Police Chief Daryl Gates.
For two years (1988-90) respected civic
leaders of South Central Los Angeles
Southern California Christian Conference
informed Gates of repeated police brutalities,
beatings of black minority citizens.
For two years Gates did nothing. Atlanta
Mayor Maynard Jackson claims that firm
policies to prevent police brutality meant
75 percent drop in complaints in first 17
months, to none later.
Had Gates enacted firm policies preventing
police brutality against minorities at
LETTERS
end of year 1988, after hearing of these
police abuses for 12 months, by end of
year 1989 (following Atlanta's experience)
75 percent of these needless police assaults
would have been prevented. By the end of
1990 few, if any, complaints would have
been made, and four police officers would
not have kicked and beat the face and head
of Altadena motorist Rodney King, helpless
before them, nor would police have
joked later of the beating.
Gates continued meeting with Southern
Conference leaders and was informed of
police brutalities. Gates\ 1ack of effort to
limit police brutality was a clear insult to
Southern Conference and minority community.
Gates' refusal to act was clearly
inciting officers under him to continue brutalities,
laugh off assaults. Gates does not
claim he acted decisively to prevent police
brutality.
In business, accountability would be
asked. A person in Gates' position, as
chief, would be asked to resign, in rank
failure of community responsibility and
corporate position: blind to human justice,
decency, civil rights of minorities and
eventual civil liabilities of $60 million,
added to $12 million annual taxpayer costs
by Rodney King's lawsuits and others.
JOAN TAYLOR, Ed. D.,
- Beverly llilio
My letter WiS published in Los Angeles Business Journil,
May 6, 1991.
~';//1" J f/ ~ 114' ?j J"~~
SEARCHED l INDEXED
SERIAUZEO l\ ri~Wb..·-2~--l
MAY 1 5 1991
FBI -
LOS ANGELES I
--------------···----------------------------