KNOWING WHEN TO INTERVENE BRATTON SAYS TRAINING NOT RESULT OF INCIDENT.

Byline: James Nash Staff Writer

Los Angeles police officers will get more training on when to intervene when fellow officers are doing something wrong - training which could have prevented the televised beating of a suspect this summer but which was not a consequence of it, Chief William Bratton said Tuesday.

In addition, new police recruits will spend more time in role-playing situations designed to test their decision-making skills, Bratton and Mayor James Hahn announced Tuesday morning.

The changes, they said, are designed to equip officers to deal with volatile and unpredictable situations in the field that test their judgment, ethics and ability to deal with a diverse population.

``We think that this will impact officers' attitudes throughout the LAPD, not just new recruits but also existing officers,'' Hahn said at a news conference outside LAPD headquarters. ``That partnership between the community and the police is the only way we can reach our goal of being the country's safest big city.''

LAPD officials said the new training would emphasize when an officer is duty-bound to intervene to stop other officers who appear to be out of control.

Bratton said the change is not related to the rough arrest in June of 36-year-old car theft suspect Stanley Miller, who was struck 11 times by a flashlight-wielding LAPD officer as several other officers looked on. Activists and several city officials have criticized the actions of the officers, saying they should have stepped in to stop the beating.

Bratton has moved to discontinue use of the large metal flashlights such as the one that struck Miller. But the new training, unlike the flashlight change, did not result from the incident, he said.

``This predates Miller significantly,'' Bratton said. ``The Miller case is simply a reflection of what this training is intended to deflect or deal with.''

LAPD officials are reviewing a variety of policy changes related to the June beating. Police Commission President David Cunningham said the LAPD is looking at when and how officers may use strikes to distract a combative suspect - an issue raised by the Miller beating.

Cunningham said the changes are intended to ``build on the goodwill we have in the community.''

Bratton disagreed with characterizations of the new training as ``touchy- feely,'' saying it simply was intended to bridge gaps between police and the communities they patrol.

``It's not touchy-feely; it's giving them better skill sets for dealing with the public,'' he said.

James Nash, [phone]

james.nash(at)dailynews.com