L.A.'S REPUTATION TARNISHED; EVEN GOOD COPS PAINTED WITH DIRTY RAMPART BRUSH, RIORDAN SAYS.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Acknowledging that the Rampart Division corruption case has tarnished the image of the city, Mayor Richard Riordan on Wednesday offered a strong defense of Police Chief Bernard C. Parks and the panel named to review an internal inquiry of problems within the Los Angeles Police Department.

Emphasizing his belief that the scandal involves only a few officers, Riordan told members of Town Hall Los Angeles that the corruption case has served to diminish the successes of the city.

``Our quality of life is at its highest,'' Riordan said. ``Crime is at its lowest and we enjoy a robust and dynamic economy. And yet, clouding this otherwise bright picture of Los Angeles is one of the worst instances of police corruption in the city's recent history.

``The scandal has tarnished the reputation of the vast majority of men and women on the police force who serve the people of Los Angeles with honor and dignity. All it took was a few bad police officers.''

In a related development, District Attorney Gil Garcetti made a brief appearance before the City Council on Wednesday to give an update on his department's progress on Rampart corruption.

While Garcetti said he could not discuss any specific case in public, he said his priority has been to free the innocent from prison and develop prosecutable cases against officers suspected of wrongdoing.

``We are proceeding as professionally and as carefully as we can,'' Garcetti said.

Garcetti and Parks had been at odds for several weeks over what the chief had seen as a slowness to prosecute. This week, Garcetti announced the filing of charges against three officers on allegations that they planted evidence on a suspected gang member.

In his speech, the mayor noted it was the department itself that uncovered the scandal with the arrest of former Officer Rafael Perez on drug charges. Perez has since told police of that Rampart anti-gang officers beat suspected gang members, planted evidence on them and lied in court to win convictions.

``I speak for all Angelenos when I say that we will not abide criminal behavior, not on the streets of Los Angeles and never - let me repeat, never - in the halls of the Police Department.''

The speech marked the most extensive public remarks the mayor has made about the Rampart case and its fallout.

It did not offer any new initiatives by the mayor as he continued his support of Parks and voiced his backing of the panel appointed by the Police Commission to review the Board of Inquiry report into the LAPD's problems.

Riordan said he has questioned himself on how the scandal could have grown and how warnings could have been ignored.

``Essentially, many of the problems boil down to people failing to do their jobs with a high level of consistency and integrity,'' Riordan said.

The mayor acknowledged that the city had not implemented all the reforms recommended by the Christopher Commission after the 1991 beating of African-American motorist Rodney King, but that enough were in place to develop a warning system of the Rampart scandal.

And he pointed to the refusal by Warren Christopher, who had chaired that reform panel, to convene a similar commission for the Rampart case.

``The review panel is independent,'' Riordan said. ``It will investigate wherever the leads take them. It will deliver its own findings and recommendations to the public and the Police Commission at the same time.''

The mayor noted that cases are proceeding against bad cops and those wrongly convicted are freed.

And, he said, as the city investigates the corruption, it also must work to restore the morale of the good officers.

``We must work together to make sure that their professionalism remains intact and the quality of life for Angelenos is not harmed,'' Riordan said.