LAPD FIRINGS PROPER, CHIEF SAYS; PARKS SAYS SEVERITY OF INCIDENTS JUSTIFIES INCREASE.

Byline: Beth Barrett Daily News Staff Writer

LAPD Chief Bernard C. Parks defended his record as a disciplinarian Tuesday, saying an increased number of officers were fired in his first year solely because of the seriousness of their offenses.

A report on disciplinary actions shows officers were fired for domestic violence, sexual harassment, theft, an illegal pyramid scheme, drunk driving, fraud and involvement with known felons.

The details of the two dozen firings authorized by Parks since he took over the 9,600-officer force in August 1997 were released by the Los Angeles Police Department in response to police union charges that Parks has been draconian.

``I believe this report dispels the myth that there is unnecessarily harsh treatment in the disciplinary system,'' Parks said in a written statement before he met with the Los Angeles Police Commission in San Pedro.

``The bar has been raised,'' added LAPD spokesman Cmdr. David Kalish. ``This chief holds his employees to a very high standard. In my opinion, that's exactly what the people of this city want.''

Gary Fullerton, a vice president of the Police Protective League, said the union agrees bad apples should be weeded out, but will continue to argue that Parks and the system slap many officers with suspensions disproportionate to the allegations, rather than provide them better training as correction.

``Our department doesn't believe in training,'' Fullerton said. ``They believe in discipline.''

During the first seven months this year, 19 officers were fired - nearly twice the number fired during 1997, the report states.

Sixty-five officers have been suspended for 22 days or more since Jan. 1, 1997, the report adds.

The LAPD has shifted to a more aggressive policy in firing officers partly because of new zero-tolerance policies on misconduct such as domestic violence and sexual harassment, department officials said.

The records show that four officers were fired for sexual misconduct, while two lost their jobs because of domestic violence.

Ten fired officers were accused of varying misconduct. The report says the unbecoming conduct included peeping into an apartment complex, soliciting Dodgers tickets in exchange for not processing a traffic citation, unlawfully detaining a citizen, spitting on a handcuffed person and battering a police officer.

One officer was fired for the unnecessary use of force. He was the one accused of kicking, pushing and spitting on a suspect in custody.

Two others were suspended for more than 22 days for excessive force, according to the records.

Historically, the department has not vigorously disciplined officers accused of using excessive force, which was a central criticism made by the Christopher Commission in the wake of the March 1991 beating of Rodney King.

Fullerton said that while the union agrees serious misconduct should be punished, officers are giving up some of their privacy rights by being held to unreasonably high standards when they are off duty. He said one officer got into serious trouble because, while driving off duty, she was accused of making an obscene gesture at another driver. She denied the gesture, he said.

In addition, Fullerton said the union objects to the makeup of the board of rights in each disciplinary case: two captains and one private citizen not in the department. Parks can exert too much influence on the captains, he said. ``The officers are so afraid of the chief, they realize that when an officer is sent to a board of rights it means the penalty should be greater than 22 days.''

Kalish said the chief reviews each case on an individual basis, taking histories into account.