Support for Williams

The problems at Florence and Normandie, reported in your Dec. 16 article (“LAPD Widely Saluted for Swiftly Quelling Incident�) concern many of us in the South-Central area. That area is my home. The Los Angeles Police Department, demonstrators, observers and reporters all saw different actions that Monday. But our new police chief, Willie Williams, has my support in the way he and his officers handled the situation.

Of course the demonstrators had the right to march and to distribute leaflets. But the observers had no right, even if they thought an injustice has been done, to throw bottles and rocks. When they did, the police had to think about everyone’s safety first. And that may have meant ordering people to move, to disperse and to go home. That is what police officers are supposed to do when matters look like they may be getting out of hand.

With strong and fair police, and everyone’s respect for them, we can survive and make progress in our city--but not otherwise. Williams has taken many good steps to restore that kind of a police force.

Some of us agree with the reasons why the peaceful demonstrators marched on Dec. 14. But all of us must help those who vented their anger, especially our young people, to respect their parents and neighbors, to get a better education and to find jobs. We must help them understand that throwing rocks, damaging property with graffiti, and worse won’t solve any problems but will only make them worse.

VERA GRAVES

Los Angeles