LAWSUITS TORMENT GOOD, NOT BAD, OFFICERS.

Byline: Sunil Dutta Local View

JUBILATION of civil rights' attorneys over the possibility that federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act could be used against the Los Angeles Police Department in Rampart cases is understandable.

Police departments suffer from many problems; however, we need to keep a balanced perspective and not destroy the morale of honest cops, preventing them from doing their jobs in the communities that need police presence.

Though the public might be unaware, every arrest made by officers can be considered as a violation of the civil rights of the suspect and a lawsuit can be brought against the department. Taking the statements of criminals at their face value is naive and dangerous. Ask any gangster about the police and you will hear: Cops harass me all the time and violate my civil rights. Of course, law enforcement interferes with their criminal lifestyles.

Some weeks ago, a Venice Crips member was lured outside a bar in the San Fernando Valley and executed by the Pacoima Piru Bloods. Twenty minutes after the incident, a retaliation drive-by resulted in the fatality of an innocent apartment dweller. The same night, Venice Crips killed one of their rivals execution-style.

I was with a team that served a search warrant at the home of one of the suspects, who fled before our arrival. As the detectives were gathering evidence at the home of this parolee, his girlfriend accused us of harassment, racial profiling and violation of her boyfriend's rights.

Recently, in my division, gang members drinking outside an apartment building, inhabited by working-class poor, accosted a middle-age man. The victim, in fear, ran inside but was followed by the gangsters, who shot at him with a sawed-off shotgun. His right palm was completely shredded, and he sustained wounds to his torso.

Police officers are the ones who pick up the pieces after criminals, preying on the innocent, spill blood.

Is it fair to consider us all as gang members and our department as a criminal enterprise? Please do not confuse individual corrupt officers with the entire Police Department.

Cops abusing their power must be swiftly discovered and severely punished. On the other hand, those who complain about police corruption should not ignore the devastating effect of criminal activity on the poor neighborhoods.

Lawyers can make profits out of misery. They don't have to exist with the criminals in poor neighborhoods. If demoralized cops reduce their activity in these neighborhoods and crime goes up, lawyers and activists are not touched by it.

I say this from experience. I have been a radically progressive community activist, and I used to be a member of the American Civil Liberties Union. I have lived in secure neighborhoods all my life and never experienced crime.

Sick of reading about police brutality and with a desire to make a difference, I joined the LAPD in 1997. I left a safe and comfortable academic life to patrol the streets of Los Angeles as a cop.

Now I realize that several of my assumptions were so naive - completely based upon ignorance. I now know that most officers are not corrupt, rude or baton-hungry. I also know that in our deeply troubled society there is still a need for the police.

While it could be argued that attorneys and million-dollar lawsuits against police keep the officers honest, I disagree.

After numerous lawsuits and victories against the city and the police department, officer misconduct should have been brought to an end. Lawsuits don't change a cop's conduct.

All officers recognize that misconduct and abuse brings negative publicity and cuts community support. Those who are crooks in our midst don't care about the law, the lawsuits or community support.

Individual officers can indulge in criminal activities. No supervisor can ride in patrol cars and keep an eye on the cops continually. Supervisors have to rely on the cops' words and arrest reports. The sergeants cannot divine each move by the officers out in the field. This fact alone suggests that no number of supervisors and harsh laws can stop a cop who has decided to become a criminal.

It is essential to investigate complaints and prosecute low-life criminals, such as former Officer Rafael Perez and his cohorts. It is even more important to evaluate a recruit's character before he or she enters the Police Department.

Ultimately, the solution to criminal cops lies with other cops. It is the responsibility of honest cops to expose their colleagues who are indulging in excessive force, planting evidence and dope-dealing. Turning their heads away will not make the problems disappear.