Parks’ Refusal to Aid Rampart Investigation

Re “Speak Up, Mr. Parks,” editorial, Aug. 27: It shouldn’t surprise anyone that L.A. Councilman Bernard Parks doesn’t want to cooperate with the panel investigating the Rampart police scandal. While Parks was chief of the LAPD we lost over 1,000 officers, recruitment was down and morale was at an all-time low. Because of Parks’ poor leadership, weak management skills and failure to investigate Rampart thoroughly when it should have been, our LAPD officers now have a brick hanging over their heads called the “consent decree.”

To add insult to injury, Parks now sits on the City Council and has had the audacity to criticize the LAPD. We should all be thanking Chief William Bratton for revitalizing a once-deteriorating department and making positive changes in the right direction to give officers back their pride and respect of wearing their badges.

Monica Harmon

Los Angeles

Mayor James Hahn, civil rights attorney Connie Rice and others have what they so desperately wanted, a new police chief. Now they need to get him the money that he needs to improve the LAPD. The Rampart report should be done by Rice’s committee members. They should make recommendations on improvements after reading all the reports that they already have.

Parks is now the councilman for the 8th District and is to represent and take care of that area until the next election. I’ve never heard of a person being asked to come back and help out on a job that he was removed from. Parks should not be asked to do any more than other council members are asked to do on Rampart. He should just say no to the overtures. It does not look like he has something to hide, from my viewpoint. It looks like you guys are picking on him.

Robbie Solomon

Los Angeles