Korean Wins LAPD Lieutenant Bars
A native of Seoul has become the highest ranking officer of Korean descent in Los Angeles Police Department history, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Paul Kim, 37, was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant earlier this month, said police spokesman Don Lawrence.
The department, which has been the target of numerous lawsuits over its hiring and promotion of minorities, has made an effort recently to bolster its minority ranks.
Kim has been assigned temporarily to the department’s vice section, Lawrence said. Earlier assignments included the LAPD’s Asian Task Force, narcotics and patrol duties in the Rampart, Newton and Hollywood divisions.
Kim was hired by the department in November, 1977. He became a detective in April, 1981, and a sergeant in November, 1985. He graduated cum laude from Pepperdine University.
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