CHIEF DEFENDS RECORD PARKS FAILS IN BID FOR OPEN MEETINGS.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Chief Bernard C. Parks issued a lengthy defense Monday of his nearly five years as head of the LAPD - including glowing past reviews of his performance - and outlined his goals to reduce crime and improve the department if given a second term.

The chief's decision to go public with his defense followed the Police Commission's rejection of his request for an open meeting on issues that will determine whether he's reappointed.

The commission's decision, taken after a 20-minute briefing by a top aide to City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo on legal issues, angered Parks' supporters, who have been organizing behind him since Mayor James Hahn announced he opposed a second term for the chief.

``The commission has decided because of confidentiality provisions dealing with other individuals, officer-involved shootings, promotions and discipline as well as security, that they should meet in executive session,'' Executive Director Joe Gunn said.

The commission decided to hold its deliberations behind closed doors in four sessions scheduled between today and next week.

The issue has sparked a major dispute among officials and within the African-American community, which strongly backed Hahn for mayor. Members of that community feel Hahn betrayed them when he announced in February that he opposed a second five-year term for Parks, a 37-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran and the city's second African-American police chief.

Councilman Nate Holden was one of the most vocal critics of the commission decision to meet privately.

``This isn't fair,'' Holden said. ``If there are issues involving confidentiality, they can separate those, but they should give the chief a chance to talk about this in public.''

Danny Bakewell of the Brotherhood Crusade said he was convinced the commission did not want the public to see its members bending to Hahn's will. The mayor appointed the five-member panel.

``This is just continuing the code of silence,'' Bakewell said. ``What about the chief's rights? What about the rights of the citizens.''

The Rev. Frederic Murph of Brookins AME Church said the public wanted to be assured of a fair process - that could be attained only by open meetings.

``This is America, not a Third World country,'' Murph said. ``This proceeding could be handled like a court. People want to see that justice is done.''

Park's wife, Bobbi, said she would have preferred to see an open session but would live with the commission decision.

``They said it would be based on merit and if that's the case, we'll be OK,'' she said.

``All of us have had bosses we didn't like but were able to do our job,'' Bobbi Parks said. ``(Parks) has worked for several chiefs, for several mayors and several City Council members. If it comes to doing his job, he will do it.''

To that end, Parks released his response to the criteria created by the Police Commission on everything from crime and community policing to management and future goals. In opposing him, Hahn had cited recent increases in violent crime as well as what he perceived as Parks' opposition to police reform and community policing.

Parks also included the reviews he had received in the past giving him the highest marks possible.

While crime has gone up over the past two years, Parks said it still is below the levels of when he took office in 1997. Also, he said, recent state figures show Los Angeles' crime has grown at a slower pace than the rest of California.

``While crime increases are always cause for concern, Los Angeles' crime increases are substantially under the statewide trend and these preliminary figures have not been adjusted for population increases,'' Parks said.

Also, he said he has had to revamp the scandal-plagued anti-gang units of Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums with a new force as well as stepping up efforts to deal with career criminals and tracking where crime is occurring in the city.

On reform issues, Parks acknowledged that he agreed with former Mayor Richard Riordan in opposing a federal consent decree.

``My opposition was based primarily on the findings of the Rampart Board of Inquiry which, I believe, drew the road map for the department and city to implement a series of reforms,'' Parks said.

But, overruled by the council, Parks said he has aggressively moved to implement the reforms under the decree and several other reports dating back to the Christopher Commission.

Parks said he also attempted to take a middle ground on restoring the Senior Lead Officer program after his original efforts to make it a program doing away with specialists.

``The specialist versus generalist approach to community policing is an issue throughout the law enforcement community,'' Parks said.

He said he thought a compromise had been reached to have the SLOs work four days a week on community problems and one day a week in a basic car, but would implement the older system ordered by Hahn and the commission.

Likewise, Parks pointed to his opposition to the flexible work schedule favored by Hahn and the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

``I disagreed with implementing a flexible work schedule for uniformed officers,'' Parks said. ``While (it) contains significant benefits for employees, it reduces available manpower in the field.''

Despite that, he said he has moved to implement the program placing patrol officers on three-day, 12-hour or four-day, 10-hour shifts more quickly than the commission had ordered.

Parks said he also has worked to improve communications with the Police Commission, including its staff in briefings and meetings with individual commissioners.

Despite the intense campaign waged against him by the Protective League, Parks said he was willing to hold regular sessions with its leadership to discuss issues.

As for the next year, Parks laid out goals of dealing with crime as the top priority of the department, while addressing issues of service and the potential of secession with the San Fernando Valley and other areas looking to break away from the city.

PARKS MEETINGS

The Los Angeles Police Commission has scheduled additional meetings on whether Police Chief Bernard C. Parks should receive a second term for 11 a.m. today, 10 a.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. April 9. The meetings will be held at Parker Center, 200 N. Los Angeles St.

PARKS' ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Here are the key accomplishments Police Chief Bernard C. Parks cited in his efforts to seek a second term:

--Has reorganized the LAPD since taking over in 1997 to include more planning and staff development.

--Has kept crime below 1997 levels, although he concedes an increase over the past two years.

--Has implemented nearly 75 percent of all reforms called for in various reports dating back to the Christopher Commission.

--Despite his own opposition, has implemented flexible work schedules for officers and restored the Senior Lead Officer program.

--Has reorganized the anti-gang Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums unit after the Rampart Division controversy.

--Oversaw the merger of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority police force into the LAPD.

CAPTION(S):

2 boxes

Box:

(1) PARKS MEETINGS (see text)

(2) PARKS' ACCOMPLISHMENTS (see text)