GORE BOLSTERS CALIFORNIA TIES IN VISIT TO L.A.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Vice President Al Gore, courting California voters for a possible presidential bid in two years, urged the state's Democrats on Saturday to capitalize on the improved economy under the Clinton administration.

While not discussing the scandals involving President Clinton or leaving himself open to questions, Gore met with key groups and organizations on Saturday that would be needed to help him in his own presidential campaign.

Gore began with a rousing, partisan speech at the California Democratic Party Convention at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, gave a luncheon speech to the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce and attended a dinner hosted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

In between, he managed a meeting with Mayor Richard Riordan and Police Chief Bernard C. Parks to get a demonstration of some of the new computer programs used by the LAPD to fight crime.

``This is my fourth trip to California in six weeks,'' Gore told the nearly 1,400 Democratic delegates at the convention. ``I'm looking for a voter registration form.''

Gore took note of the key role California played, with its 54 electoral votes, in the first election of Clinton - an election he said that turned around the country.

Ticking off a number of statistics involving the economy, crime and the national debt, Gore stressed the improvements that have been made since Clinton was elected President.

``Will we allow the Republicans to . . . return us to the Republican policies that sank the California economy faster than the Titanic?'' Gore said.

The vice president also urged the Democrats to remain united during the upcoming election and reach out to different groups.

Democrats should take advantage of what he described as Republican disunity and its alienation of minority groups with divisive issues such as illegal immigration and affirmative action.

At Parker Center, Gore was given a hands-on demonstration of the various computer programs put into effect in the last three years, funded both by the federal government and a private alliance formed by Riordan.

Gore got down on his knees at one point to manipulate a computer mouse to pull up forms, send e-mail and bring up crime statistics.

At one point, he engaged in a video teleconference with a detective at the Hollywood Division.

``This is quite impressive,'' Gore said. ``This is the way computers should be used, as a tool to improve efficiency and get information.''

Gore met with Riordan and Parks privately after the demonstration, where the mayor said he would be ``begging'' for more funds for both computers and police officers.

Going to computers has resulted in dramatic efficiencies in the LAPD, Riordan said, allowing officers to spend more time in their patrol cars on the streets and less time with paperwork.

As an example, officials said a video teleconferencing system in use allows police to talk with prosecutors directly from their station without having to travel downtown to file a case. It saves two hours per case, it was estimated.