Valley TiesOne did community relations in the...

Valley Ties

One did community relations in the West Valley. Another did a stint in North Hollywood. A third did some narcotics and metro work here. The fourth oversaw all Valley operations. And now, all are vying for the Los Angeles Police Department’s top job. A new chief could be selected by late summer.

Quick Study

Deputy Chief Bernard Parks, above, widely considered the mayor’s choice for chief, has spent much of his career at Parker Center. But he worked for West Valley community relations in 1976--for a month. No matter, he says. “It has to do with the breadth and depth of your knowledge of the city and the department.�

Long Haul

Deputy Chief Mark Kroeker, meanwhile, made his name in the Valley: He commanded the Valley Bureau for 2 1/2 years after the Rodney King beating, spearheading community policing. Deputy Chief David Gascon got to know the area through his narcotics and metro work years ago and believes it’s the three outside candidates who will have a tough time: “They don’t know the entirety of the city, its politics, its geography.�

Inside Knowledge

Cmdr. Art Lopez, a former NoHo officer, calls knowledge of the Valley “vitally important.� Said Lopez, the only Valley resident in the bunch: “The chief needs to . . . provide the highest quality of service to the Valley.� Kroeker lives in the Santa Clarita Valley, and several police commissioners, who will help make the final decision, also have Valley ties.