..PARKS = LAPD Chief Steps Down Early

KCAL-TV Los Angeles ^ | 04/22/2002 | ALOHA RONNIE

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET

...LAPD Chief BERNARD PARKS has just announced in a Los Angeles TV Press Conference at LAPD's Parker Center Headquarters that he is stepping down early as Police Chief, staying on only until an interim LAPD Chief can be appointed after he returns from a couple of days vaction. He stated that he is considering his future options in civilian life, including running for a Los Angeles City Council that fired him as LAPD Chief. He will NOT be suing the City of Los Angeles over his being fired.

...LAPD Chief BERNARD PARKS was fired for saying from beginning to end that LAPD Officer Morale DOES NOT MATTER ...when IT DOES.

NEVER FORGET

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET

...It's Time for a real Leader in a LAPD Chief who protects our Protectors in a new -Time of War- in a new Century ...with an Enemy that is now Within ...BIG TIME...?

NEVER FORGET

[snopercod]

The new chief will have to be black, hispanic, and/or female, of course.

[spald]

What does he mean he is "stepping down"? Two weeks ago, the City Council voted NOT to extend his employment contract. Lame Duck Police Chief.

[Restorer]

Not extending someone's contract is not exactly the same thing as firing them.

[blam]

"What does he mean he is "stepping down"? Two weeks ago, the City Council voted NOT to extend his employment contract. Lame Duck Police Chief."

How much did they pay him not to sue?

[r9etb]

Not extending someone's contract is not exactly the same thing as firing them.

The only difference is that they take the doorknob off before they slam the door behind him.

[spald]

No idea how much, if any. I listened on radio to the Council Leader's explanation of the Chief's performance review. Crime was trending up for the past year or so and the Council felt, for the most part, the Chief did a good job in some areas but there was a definite problem with police morale. In the announcement, the significant loss of veteran policemen (a lot to other Police precincts out of the city limits) was laid right on the Chief's doorstep.

[mgstarr]

While I agree that his tenure here in LA has been horrible, at least give him some credit for deciding not to sue the city for his own performance issues.
At least that shows some tiny degree of character.

[Feiny]

You missed the "early" part. His contract was through August of this year. It seems he is not going to fulfill his contract....can the city sue him for that? ;^)

[DoughtyOne]

I won't forget. This guy was detested all the way around. It's time for him to go.

[DoughtyOne]

That's a good comment, but I'm not so sure any longer. We've had two insufferable Chiefs who were black. At this point I believe we're looking at a situation where a white guy might actually be accepted if he was a strong candidate.

It doesn't matter that much to me. I simply want to strong law and order guy in there that can reorginize the department in a manner that the rank and file will respect him and regain some stature from the community.

The LAPD has taken a real beating in the last decade.

[spald]

"...can the city sue him for that?"

Heh heh. That's what I love about this place. Everyone sees a different angle. I think many are just relieved to see the Chief go which stabilizes the veterans on the force to stay on the LAPD.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...Perhaps PARKS did not really have a legal leg to stand on in any lawsuit against a City Government that he now wants to become of an elected part of representing the only people in the City of Los Angeles who wanted him back a LAPD Chief...?

[DoughtyOne]

I'd have given him that respect if he would have expressed his desire to stay on, then accepted the decision without taking it to the City Council. After five years, you've either shown your capabilities or you haven't. He hadn't. It was time for him to go. He didn't do it with grace. IMO

He was doing the typical shooting off the mouth routine that's become the norm for a member of a minority when it's time to gracefully bow out. Again, IMO.

[DoughtyOne]

I would agree with that. The department was losing officers at an alarming rate.

[DoughtyOne]

I believe there were issues of compliance with the Warran Commission directives, and lack of implementation. That's why Williams was booted I believe. Now Parks was tagged with the same issue to a degree.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out when whitey is blamed for not instituting these changes around a decade or two from now during the next riots.

Of course those changes are another issue.

[Frohickey]

I heard about the LAPD cops saying that they do not want Chief Parks in their funeral if they were ever killed in the line of duty. That, and the silly Affirmative Action policy that pretty much bars whites from getting into the LAPD is what is driving a lot of otherwise qualified candidates away.

The last chief that was worth having was Chief Gates. And he was hated by Mayor Bradley, who was pandering to every single special interest that came across him.

[DoughtyOne]

Well, you're right. The last descent chief we had was Gates. The guy was a little quirky, but I had a lot of respect for him. More importantly, his men did too.

I have always maintained that the Rodney King incident was not what it was portrayed to be. The LAPD payed heavily for that smear. A number of careers were ruined over that. Equally important, it's been a decade since we've had good leadership in the department, and the city of Los Angeles has paid dearly for that.

[DoughtyOne]

Right now the LAPD has something like 1000 funded police openings. From what I have heard, qualifications have been devalued to an embarassing level. The education end of it isn't the issue. Past records are being overlooked in some instances. At least that's the impression I've been given. I'd appreciate it if someone who's on the force could strike that down if it's not accurate. I believe it to be.

[mgstarr]

Perhaps PARKS did not really have a legal leg to stand on

Well neither did Willie Williams, and he managed to scam $350,000 from the city. Knowing this city's habit of settling things out of court to avoid potential racial schisms, I am quite surprised Parks didn't pursue the legal route - especially since Gloria Allred is his lawyer.