PANEL CHOOSES VETERAN ATTORNEY TO OVERSEE LAPD.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

The Police Commission tapped veteran prosecutor Katherine Mader on Tuesday to serve as the panel's first inspector general - a post proposed by the Christopher Commission to oversee the LAPD's processing of citizen complaints against police officers.

Mader, a deputy district attorney for the past 11 years and co-author of a book about notorious L.A. crimes, said she hopes to improve communication between residents concerned about police misconduct and police officers whose job it is to fight crime.

``I hope in my new position to be a bridge between the citizens of the community, the police commissioners and the Los Angeles Police Department, and to be able to hopefully bring people together and encourage some communication where perhaps there have been some problems in the past,'' Mader said at a news conference at Parker Center.

Selected from a field of 200 applicants, Mader will have a staff of six people and will be responsible for monitoring and auditing the LAPD's processing of citizen complaints, as well as the department's disciplinary process.

Mader will have the power to focus attention on problems and recommend reforms to the Police Commission where she sees the complaint investigation process failing.

The chief of police has final authority over disciplining officers, but the Police Commission can recommend that the chief modify discipline.

The Christopher Commission formed in 1991 after the police beating of Rodney King found a disciplinary and complaint investigation system that was not holding officers accountable for misconduct. The commission said the department's process did not have the trust of the public.

``Katherine brings unique abilities to the job, both having been a prosecutor and a public defender, having worked intimately with officer-involved shootings and with officers on the department,'' said Police Commissioner Deirdre Hill.

The commission has come under criticism for taking five years to fill the position. Hill said one delay occurred when the panel decided to go to the voters to exempt the position from civil service to make the inspector more accountable to the commission.

``It's been a very difficult task, but things can be done even in a bureaucracy, we see today,'' Hill said.

Mayor Richard Riordan said Mader's appointment is an ``important milestone'' in the LAPD's history.

``This was a key element of the Christopher Commission report,'' Riordan said. ``Angelenos wanted a fair, independent process for reviewing complaints. That's exactly what Katherine Mader will do.''

Police Chief Willie L. Williams also praised the appointment.

``I think the management, the rank and file, sworn and nonsworn employees, should feel very comfortable that they have a professional in that organization,'' Williams said.

Elsewhere, there was a mixed response to the appointment of Mader, who will be paid an annual salary of up to $90,000 when she starts her position July 1.

Police union director Gary Fullerton worked with Mader on a murder case and watched her in an unsuccessful prosecution of police Officer Douglas Iverson, who was accused of wrongly shooting a tow truck driver to death after the driver refused to stop.

``We thought she was kind of overzealous,'' Fullerton said of Mader's prosecution of Iverson. ``We don't know if she has a balanced view. But we have an open mind. She's a very good prosecutor.''

Private attorney Stephen Yagman, who has frequently sued the LAPD on behalf of clients alleging police brutality, said the appointment is ``seriously flawed,'' because of Mader's background as a government prosecutor and her role with the commission.

He also noted that Mader cannot take action independently against officers. She can only bring problems to the attention of the Police Commission, which itself has only advisory power on disciplining police officers. Ultimately, all disciplinary decisions are made by the chief of police.

``The appointment of a so-called inspector general is high-falutin' window dressing to describe a person who allegedly will do what the Police Commission is supposed to do - evaluate police officers and make policy,'' Yagman said.

Yagman said Mader has been part of the prosecutorial system that also includes police officers, raising questions about her objectivity.

``An outsider should have that position to ensure objectivity and forcefulness,'' he said.

Mader said she has worked with police officers on cases ranging from death-penalty offenses to drunk-driving violations. As a member of the Special Investigations Section for three years she has also prosecuted two officers, including an LAPD officer convicted of stealing money from a corpse.

She noted that she also worked for 15 years as a criminal defense attorney.

Mader said she was born and raised in Los Angeles, adding ``I grew up with the notion and really still have the notion that the Los Angeles Police Department is the finest anywhere. Obviously there have been problems that have occurred over the years.''

The co-author of books including ``Fallen Angels, Chronicles of L.A. Crime and Mystery,'' Mader is part of the district attorney's team prosecuting former Los Angeles City Councilman Art Snyder on charges of conspiring to launder political contributions.