LAPD WILL RE-EVALUATE FIREPOWER, CHIEF SAYS.

Byline: Eric Wahlgren Daily News Staff Writer

A day after a botched bank heist left two robbers dead and 17 police officers and bystanders wounded, the city Saturday began to focus on whether to arm the LAPD with more powerful weapons.

The masked suspects, protected by customized body armor, were able to keep Los Angeles police officers at bay by spraying armor-piercing bullets from machine guns.

The overwhelming firepower became obvious as soon as the first officers arrived at the bank about 9:15 a.m. Friday, only to find that their standard-issue 9 mm handguns and pump-shotguns were useless. Their bullets bounced off the robbers like so much hail.

On Saturday, Police Chief Willie L. Williams said during a news conference that the LAPD will re-examine whether it needs more powerful bullets and guns.

``No matter what we have, we will be outgunned,'' Williams said, flanked by officers involved in the gunbattle. ``We are going to examine all these issues and re-examine them.''

A police union leader questioned why top LAPD officials have balked at requests to allow officers to carry .45-caliber handguns, more powerful than 9 mm pistols.

``The 9 mm is just not effective in putting down suspects,'' said Sgt. Dennis Zine, vice president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League. ``The .45-caliber may not break through the armor but it knocks them down.''

``The problem is that certain command officers are resistant to the change,'' Zine added. ``They don't think it is necessary. Hopefully, their eyes have opened from the situation on Friday.''

Top LAPD officials were not available Saturday to respond to Zine's charges.

Only certain elite divisions of the LAPD are now allowed to carry .45-caliber guns; the department has yet to approve their use by uniformed officers.

Before the LAPD could issue .45-caliber handguns for all officers, the five-member Police Commission would have to approve the change.

Reached by phone Saturday, Police Commission members Art Mattox and Bert Boeckmann said they would support the issuance of these guns.

``If you hit somebody, you are going to take somebody down with the 45, if it is used when it needs to be used,'' Boeckmann said. ``I have always been supportive of its use, mainly because there is a lot more firepower on the street.''

Although Chief Williams did not address the union's request for .45-caliber pistols, he questioned whether police need the same class of high-powered rifles used by the gunmen.

``You can't arm a police officer in an urban society with an AK-47,'' Williams said. ``It is just not practical and feasible to give them the kind of firepower that these guys were carrying.''

Special LAPD units including the Metro Division do carry semiautomatic rifles.

But on Friday, as the officers found themselves defenseless against the robbers, they went to B & B Sales on Oxnard Street for more powerful weapons and ammunition. Williams defended the visit to B&B as appropriate.

Zine said the need for B&B's guns highlights the LAPD's vulnerability. ``It was a sad day,'' Zine said.