RIORDAN: CHALEFF TO-DO MERE DIVERSION MAYOR STILL FOCUSED ON LAPD REFORMS.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Escalating his political battle over the future of the Los Angeles Police Department, Mayor Richard Riordan on Thursday dismissed controversy over his firing of Police Commission President Gerald Chaleff as an ``insider's game.''

``There is this total charade going on about this and it takes our eyes off the ultimate thing of how we improve the Police Department and complete reforms,'' Riordan told the Daily News.

``People have to hold myself, the chief and the commission responsible for how we cure these problems from here on in.''

Riordan said he will challenge the council on a series of issues in the coming weeks to reverse the trend of higher crime rates and fewer arrests.

Among the proposals being explored is to develop a uniform standard of punishment for officers - something police union officials have been pushing for years.

Officers have complained that they are punished differently by different supervisors for the same offense.

Riordan also will push for more community-based policing to ensure that the senior lead officer program - abandoned nearly two years ago - remains in effect.

The mayor found himself embroiled in controversy this week with his decision to fire Chaleff, with whom he and Police Chief Bernard C. Parks have had a tense relationship for months.

Critics have said it shows that Riordan is attempting to halt reform of the LAPD even as the mayor has said he is now supporting the negotiated consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.

``I knew it would create a political storm,'' Riordan said. ``But I don't think the general public cares about this. That's an insider's game. What the public cares about is how we resolve this and get on with improving the Police Department.''

The mayor said he has no objections to any move by City Council members to hire Chaleff as a consultant in the selection of a monitor.

``Who they hire is totally up to them,'' Riordan said. ``But it might take (Chief Legislative Analyst) Ron Deaton out of the picture then, and I'm not sure that would be in the best interests of the city.''

The mayor said he will not nominate a successor to Chaleff until the former commissioner decides whether he will appeal his firing to the full City Council.