GARCETTI DEMANDS BRATTON APOLOGY.

Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH Staff Writer

City Council President Eric Garcetti called Monday on LAPD Chief William Bratton to apologize for telling two city councilmen to ``mind their own business'' on the issue of the LAPD's hiring standards.

Garcetti joins five other City Council members, who last week asked the Police Commission to investigate Bratton's ``unprofessional and unnecessary'' comments.

In a letter sent directly to the chief, Garcetti said the remarks were inappropriate for a general manager, and he asked Bratton for a retraction.

``These unprofessional words on your part are significant because you are a high-ranking representative of our city, and your tone sets an example for all police officers.''

Last week, Bratton said he didn't see the need to apologize and that the personnel complaint against him would be investigated by the Police Commission.

The chief was returning from a conference Monday and could not be reached for comment.

The debate stems from the Los Angeles Police Department's decision to hire six recruits who had admitted to experimenting with drugs as teens.

Bratton and the Personnel Department have defended their hiring standards, saying it gives them the freedom to weigh limited drug use against an applicant's other qualifications and accomplishments.

Councilman Bernard Parks, a former LAPD chief, and Councilman Dennis Zine, a retired police sergeant, have criticized the decision. Parks wants to reinstate a zero-tolerance drug policy, against the wishes of Bratton and other top LAPD officials.

In a TV interview this month, Bratton called the concerns of Zine and Parks a ``bogus issue.''

``With all due respect to the two city councilmen who are raising this issue, they don't know what the hell they're talking about,'' Bratton said during the interview.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said he would speak with the council members to try to resolve the issue.

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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