On Monday, the Police Commission will meet with Chief Bernard Parks as part of the evaluation process that will be used to decide whether or not the chief will be appointed to another term. While we have not taken a position on the merits of Chief Parks' reappointment, we feel that the public and the chief are entitled to a fair and open process in determining who will be Los Angeles' Chief of Police for the next five years.
Many of our close allies in the struggle for civil rights and police reform have actively supported Chief Parks' bid for another term, and that's understandable, when Chief Parks' record is compared to that of police chiefs past, such as Daryl Gates.
Chief Parks is a man of integrity, and has done much to improve relations between the LAPD and the communities it serves. Nevertheless, much remains to be done, and in many of the critical battles over reform of the LAPD, as well as in the statewide battle for police accountability on racial profiling, Chief Parks has resisted the systemic reforms that we believe are necessary.
For these reasons, the ACLU of Southern California has not taken a position on Chief Parks' reappointment. We call on the Police Commission to carry out its review thoroughly, fairly, and openly.
