RIORDAN GOES TO BAT FOR LAPD PROCEDURAL CHANGES SUGGESTED.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Declaring the time for rhetoric has passed, Mayor Richard Riordan issued a new agenda Friday for the future of the Los Angeles Police Department even as he supported implementing reforms.

In a speech to a Police Academy graduating class of 34 new officers, Riordan said he supported the reforms contained in a consent decree but that, after months of introspection and investigation, it was time to set a new course for the department.

``The future contains tremendous challenges for the LAPD - recruitment, deployment and morale,'' Riordan said. ``The time for talk has ended. The time for action has begun.''

Riordan said he wants the city to begin looking at ways to streamline the process in which complaints against police officers are dealt with so officers are not frozen in their careers. He also wants to raise the maximum age of recruitment of officers from 35 to 40 and find ways to get more officers out of desk jobs and put them on the street.

He said he didn't want to discount the problems that became evident as a result of the Rampart corruption case, the convictions this week of three officers on obstruction of justice charges and the release of the Rampart Independent Review panel report with dozens of recommendations.

``These men are not your role models,'' Riordan said of the convicted officers. ``There are more than 9,000 role models who protect our streets every day.''

And, while he still resents the federal consent decree, Riordan said the reforms it calls for are needed and that local officials will retain control and make it easier for officers to do their job.

Riordan said the department was at a pivotal point - much as it was in 1993 when he took office and morale was down because of the post-Rodney King riots and crime was rampant in the City of Angels.

``I pledged to set a new course that would lift the cloud of fear that cast its shadow over our great city,'' Riordan said. ``I stand here with you on this great day to tell you that - while some of the angels have taken a detour - the vast majority of them are coming back.''

The new mayoral initiatives have been in the works for several weeks, aides said, as Riordan has attempted to grapple with criticism of the LAPD, the consent decree, higher crime rates and attrition and the difficulty in hiring new officers.

Among the studies have been several - one by the Rampart Independent Panel and another by a joint USC-UCLA research team - dealing with morale of officers, in particular over the ``1.28 Form'' used for citizen complaints. Officers complain it can take up to a year to have the complaints resolved, during which time they are ineligible for promotions or raises.

``One of the biggest frustrations for officers in the field is that when a complaint is filed - however large or small - it can freeze your career,'' Riordan said. ``I propose streamlining this process to distinguish between serious complaints and complaints that should be addressed and put behind you expeditiously.''

Dennis Zine, a Los Angeles Police Protective League director, hailed Riordan's proposal to change the disciplinary system.

``It's about time,'' Zine said. ``We have been hollering about this for months, and it's about time someone was listening. We have been wasting millions of taxpayer dollars and crippled the police force in the name of this.''

The mayor also proposed raising the maximum hiring age for new officers to open up recruitment to those at or under the age of 40 to broaden the pool of eligible candidates.

Riordan said he has been advised there is a pool of military people who are looking for civilian careers at that age and would be interested in law enforcement.

Also, to bolster recruitment, the mayor proposed a training program for young people between the ages of 18 and 20 who are not in college to prepare them for law enforcement jobs.

In addition, he wants to revamp the recruiting process by hiring more staff, increasing finder fees and streamlining background checks.

On deployment, Riordan said he believes the department has begun to lag on technology issues and wants to see programs developed to get more officers on patrol duties.

Police Chief Bernard Parks said he supported the mayor's proposals and has been working on them with Riordan for several months.

On another issue, however, Parks said he was still uncertain about the Rampart Independent Review Panel report.

While saying he had not reviewed the entire report, he said he had concerns with two issues - discipline and creating two full-time Police Commissioners.

``I don't think we want to take discipline away from the police chief and turn it over to civilians,'' said Parks, who has been both praised and criticized for the level and severity of punishment he administers. ``This is something that was discussed during charter reform and it was felt, in the interest of accountability, that it should remain with the chief.''

As for full-time police commissioners, Parks said the idea should be carefully studied before being implemented because of its potential of changing the concept of citizen commissions.

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A class of 34 LAPD cadets stands at attention Friday prior to the Los Angeles Police Academy commencement ceremony in which Mayor Richard Riordan spoke of the force's brighter future.

Michael Caulfield/Associated Press