Insiders May Have an Edge for LAPD Job

When the Los Angeles Police Commission today begins interviewing 13 police chief candidates, it will apply guidelines that favor applicants who know the inner workings of the LAPD and can show an emotional connection to the city.

It is not enough to be a good crime fighter and leader under the selection criteria developed for the commission by a citizens committee. Commissioners say they want a chief who appreciates Los Angeles’ diversity, and has the skills to overhaul the department while navigating a treacherous political terrain.

Those requirements would seem to give an edge to the eight applicants who have worked in the Los Angeles Police Department. Still, officials say, East Coast candidates such as William Bratton and John Timoney, both veterans of the New York Police Department, could make up for their lack of local experience with their proven track records in big-city police departments.

“There is an advantage from being from within [the LAPD],� said Police Commission President Rick Caruso. “You understand the history of it, you understand how it operates. The downside is you might not have the experience of turning something around because you’ve never been given the opportunity. That is what we ultimately have to balance.�

In the end, the choice will rest with Mayor James K. Hahn, who said in an interview this week that LAPD experience is just one measure he will apply in selecting the person to replace Bernard C. Parks, who was denied a second five-year term by the Police Commission in April.

The mayor said he is looking for four things: someone who can lower the crime rate, reform the department, motivate the rank and file and strengthen community-policing efforts.

“We are not saying it is an absolute that someone has to be from the inside,� Hahn said. “That was certainly a strong sentiment of the people who were on the citizens committee. But at the end of the day, we want the best person, regardless of what their background is.�

Meeting in a private suite in a Westwood high-rise, the Police Commission will be guided in its interviews by a 31-page report prepared by the citizens committee.

The five-member commission wants to submit a list of three finalists to Hahn by the end of the month. Under the City Charter, the mayor is charged with selecting the chief from the list of three.

Hahn is certain to come under some political pressure as he makes his decision, but so far there has been no organized public lobbying for candidates of a particular race or gender. He will make his choice in the face of lingering anger, particularly in the black community, over his refusal to reappoint Parks, and at a time when the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood are contemplating breaking away to form their own cities.

The LAPD veterans have a wide range of experience, some strong in the area of community policing and others in training and recruitment.

Asst. Chief David Gascon is the highest-ranking LAPD official up for the job. With 32 years on the force, he is best known for his prominent role as the department’s spokesman during the O.J. Simpson murder case. He’s the one who told the city that Simpson was on the run. Gascon was a finalist for the chief’s position five years ago. He may be at a disadvantage, however, because of his strong ties to Parks’ administration.

Also under consideration is Deputy Chief Margaret A. York, who is in charge of all department operations in downtown Los Angeles and has 33 years on the force. York, the first woman in the history of the LAPD to reach the rank of deputy chief, once served as head of Internal Affairs. That job provided insight into the problems and culture of the LAPD, but also may have put her at odds with rank-and-file officers who were charged with misconduct.

Another woman up for the job is Cmdr. Sharon Papa, who was head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department until it merged with the LAPD in 1997. Unlike York, Papa did not rise through the ranks of the LAPD, and may not have the same cachet as someone who spent his or her career with the department.

LAPD candidates with strong connections to the community include Deputy Chief David Kalish, who is in charge of the department’s Westside operations, and Cmdr. Jim McDonnell, a Medal of Valor winner who is leading the department’s efforts to revitalize its senior lead officer program.

A Los Angeles native, Kalish joined the LAPD in 1975. Some activists hope he will become the first gay chief of a major police department. Known for being fair and approachable, Kalish is well liked by members of the department and the community.

Another insider set to be interviewed is Cmdr. George Gascon (no relation to David Gascon). Gascon, also a Los Angeles native, is in charge of the department’s officer training program. He is considered an expert on police use-of-force issues and community policing, and got a high-profile boost when former LAPD officer and crime writer Joseph Wambaugh touted him in a newspaper column.

Two other LAPD veterans being considered left the department to head agencies elsewhere.

Portland, Ore., Police Chief Mark Kroeker, a deputy chief when he left the LAPD five years ago, headed the San Fernando Valley Division for 2 1/2 years. Some people have speculated that Hahn would be willing to appoint Kroeker to the LAPD’s top job in an effort to appease secessionists. Kroeker has come under criticism recently, however, for making disparaging remarks a decade ago about gays--something that could ultimately undermine his candidacy.

Oxnard Police Chief Art Lopez, meanwhile, held a number of jobs during his tenure in the LAPD. He was in charge of the Hollenbeck Division, headed the department’s training efforts and oversaw the Hollywood vice squad. He also served as the Watts field commander during the 1992 riots.

The five candidates without LAPD experience will stand on other strengths and connections to the city.

Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters, who has spent 31 years in Santa Ana, helped Hahn develop the LAPD’s flexible work schedule last year. Arturo Venegas worked for the Fresno Police Department before becoming Sacramento police chief in 1993. He was a finalist for the LAPD job five years ago.

Bratton was in charge of the New York Police Department under former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He is widely credited for dramatically cutting the crime rate in New York City. He also was the head of the Boston Police Department and the New York City transit police. Outspoken and dynamic, Bratton has written a book on policing and has appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines. Some City Hall insiders believe that Bratton’s huge personality could overshadow the low-key Hahn, making the mayor reluctant to give the Boston native the LAPD post.

Bratton has spent the last year monitoring the LAPD’s progress in implementing a variety of reforms outlined in a federal consent decree. Because of that, he believes he has the inside knowledge it takes to be the city’s chief.

Timoney, meanwhile, is seen as a more compatible match for Hahn. An Irish immigrant who grew up in poverty in New York City, Timoney is down to earth and affable. He is a career cop with an Irish brogue who worked his way up the ranks of the New York Police Department, becoming one of Bratton’s top deputies.

Until recently, he was head of the Philadelphia Police Department, where he forged strong ties with the community. With a love for the East Coast, he faces the challenge of proving to Los Angeles officials that he is familiar with the workings of the LAPD and the city. Also, the fact that former Chief Willie L. Williams came from Philadelphia could prove to be a detriment for Timoney.

Ronnie Watson, chief of the Cambridge, Mass., Police Department, faces the challenge of showing that he can make the transition from his 270-member department to the LAPD, which has more than 9,000 officers. Los Angeles officials say his candidacy is bolstered by the fact that he spent more than 30 years in the Chicago Police Department.

Los Angeles civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who served on the citizens committee that developed the LAPD selection criteria, said she recognizes that there is no perfect candidate for the job.

“It would take an action superhero to do everything,� she said. “But you need someone who has the leadership abilities and the know-how to get things done in this city. Most importantly, we need someone to reunite this department. It is in tatters right now.�