Don’t Let LAPD Candidates Do ‘Tryouts’--and Leave Ethnic Politics Out

Some City Hall politicians want to have the candidates for Los Angeles chief of police do tryouts at public hearings, just as the aspirants for school superintendent did last month.

The hearings would have no direct impact on the result. The Police Commission selects three finalists for the job, and Mayor Richard Riordan chooses the chief from that list. But the public hearings could have an impact on public opinion.

I’m not surprised that there’s enthusiasm for the hearings among some politicians. For an elected official, a vote to approve a public hearing is harmless feel-good populism--a vote for a popular idea that, unlike voting for higher taxes or program cuts, carries no political risk.

But if the advocates had attended the school superintendent hearings they would certainly understand the downside of the arrangement.

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The school hearings were an exercise in ethnic politics. The main players were Latino political and community leaders cheering their choice, Ruben Zacarias, who Friday was named superintendent by the Board of Education.

He has deep roots in the community, and over the years has proved himself to be a dedicated and caring educator. However, that wasn’t really the tone of his supporters at the hearings, who seemed determined to play the Latino card.

Ethnic politics are great--in an election. Each one of L.A.’s ethnic groups has issues of particular concern, and a lively debate before election day gives these matters a needed public airing.

At such a time, however, ethnic issues are part of a big mix, usually not dominating the debate. For example, Latino community concerns--mainly disgust with poorly run and rundown Los Angeles schools--were reflected in the last city election. Latino votes were essential to the upset victory of Proposition BB, the school bond issue. But the BB campaign was big picture politics, with the school bond accurately described as something for all the people.

In contrast, ethnic politics at the school superintendent hearings were strictly little picture. Supporters said: Zacarias is our guy. The majority of students are Latinos. A Latino should be boss.

The coalition of organizations backing Zacarias bused supporters to the Saturday forum at El Camino High School in the San Fernando Valley. They stood outside the auditorium with Zacarias signs. Inside, they cheered Zacarias’ pedestrian statements with great enthusiasm.

Up to now, there is no evidence that many political and community leaders want race to be injected into the search for a police chief. That may be because the leading candidates are all dedicated reformers and strong foes of racism.

A favorite is Deputy Chief Bernard Parks, a tough, effective, by-the-book cop who is the department’s highest-ranked African American, and a product of South Los Angeles. But before you label him the “black candidate,” remember he’s highly regarded by Mayor Riordan, who was beaten in African American precincts in the last election. In fact, friends of the mayor think he’ll pick Parks if he’s on the final list.

Another hot contender is Deputy Chief Mark Kroeker, a dynamic man with considerable personal warmth who restored the morale of San Fernando Valley cops after the beating of Rodney King. The conventional wisdom makes Kroeker the “white candidate.” But after serving in the Valley, Kroeker took charge of policing in South Los Angeles, where he won the respect and affection of many black community leaders who had long been critical of the LAPD.

Also in the top tier is Deputy Chief David Gascon, who supervises the department personnel expansion and, while top media spokesman, was the voice of the LAPD during the O.J. Simpson case. Gascon will be labeled by some as the “Latino candidate.” But, like Kroeker and Parks, Gascon has moved far beyond racial boundaries. He has been an influential top aide to Willie Williams, the outgoing African American chief.

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These are all good men. All are capable of leading an increasingly diverse department in a city of many races and cultures.

They don’t need their effectiveness reduced by the kind of politicized school superintendent forum that cemented Ruben Zacarias’ image as the Latino candidate.