At LAPD’s Top, a New Look : Williams, revamping his command, names Latino deputy chief

Chief Willie L. Williams, true to his promise to reform the Los Angeles Police Department, has reshaped the top command, selecting Robert S. Gil to become the LAPD’s first Latino deputy chief. In a city that’s 40% Latino, this historic step is long overdue.

Tuesday’s promotions of Gil and others represent a new way of doing business in the LAPD. No longer are officers locked in a rigid, pyramid-like hierarchy. That system favored a select group of insiders and bypassed other talented officers.

Williams also elevated Cmdr. Frank E. Piersol--who has never been a deputy chief--to the higher post of assistant chief. Piersol was the liaison to the Police Commission.

Also moving to assistant chief is Deputy Chief Bernard C. Parks, an African-American who came in second to Williams for the job as top cop. (Unfortunately, the list of finalists did not include a Latino officer, though Gil was a semifinalist.) Historically, the LAPD has not been very hospitable to minorities. A poor record led to a federal mandate in 1980 that required greater minority recruiting. A more recent state settlement addressed promotion inequities.

The new command, though handicapped at present by a marked shortage of patrol officers, must embrace community policing, boost the perception of public safety and wage a more effective battle against crime.