New report demands change in L.A. police force
mLOS ANGELES (At’) The rage.
resentment and deprivation that
trtggnrnd thn Los Angeles riots still
IWliniFW plague the city anti "it could hup
U&UbSmXmS pen again." the head of an invest!*
native panel wamodFWednesday.
William H. Webster commented as ho released a
thick report that laid heavy blame on former Police
Chief Daryl Cates for falling to properly prepare his
force for the violence that struck April 20
"Preparation and training cannot lie conducted in the
midst of a crisis," said the former Mil director
Cates responded by defending his record and saying
the study's leaders are liars
The report blasted city officials for becoming "a dys
functional family" whose personal hostility and mis
trust kept them from working as a team
Webster warms) that Ihe police department must be
come closer to the community, with more officers pa
trolling the streets. If future violence is lo Is- averted
The March :i. mil beating of black motorist Rodney
King by while LAI’D officer* was seen as the beginning
of a crisis thal culminated tn the April 29 acquittals of
four offliers on most charge*
When rioting broke out after the at qullluls, the report
said. "Neither the city nor the LAI’D had a real plan for
what lo do In this emergency." When the riots were fi
nnlly quelled three days later. 5!1 people were dead and
damage was estimated at more than SI billion
Webster and Huliorl Williams, president of the Wash
ington-based Pollen Foundation, conducted a five
month study of the riots More than HHl volunteers
worked on the Investigation at the request of the Los
Angeles Police Commission
Webster faulted dates for not grasping the enormity
of the situation In the riot's first hours when he could
have sought aid from other law enforcement agencies
"There was a tendency for the LAPD to stand alone."
Webster said "They gave aid hut didn’t ask for it
Of Gales' management style, he said "There was a lot
of tradition about the LAPD. You tain lend to believe
your own movies after awhile ”
Gatos responded quickly, tolling radio station KFWB
"I haven't read the report, but I can just tell you that
both Hubert Williams and William Webster and 1
make this charge — are liars.”
Later, on his own radio show on KFI, Gatos held a
news conference during which ho defended his record
and blasted the commission and the news media.
“If you trashed the military the way you've trashed
the LAPD. you'd lose every single war," he told report
ers.
Asked why there was no specific plan for a riot, ho
answered: "How often do you have a riot In your city?"
As for complaints of no visible police presence dur
ing the riot's Ixjginning, Gale* snapixwd: "Maybe wh.it
we should have done was blown a lew heads off and
maybe your TV cameras would have seen that "
Webster tried to put to rest persistent speculation
that Gates purposely held hack his forces out of pique
"I don’t think he's the kind of man who would do
that." Webster said "I don't think he could or would
try to cause Injury to people or property. We do not
question his loyally "
Gatos' main failing was that "he thought that the
LAI’D could handle anything,” Williams added. "He
underestimated the situation."
The report concluded: "The chief of police, in partic
ular, did not take personal command of the depart
ment's response as ho seemingly should have, given the
seriousness and confusion of the situation."
Gatos was not the group's only target. The two-vol
ume report blamed the mayor. City Council and chief
administrative officer for failing to work as a team.
"Such was the cast; in the period of time leading up
to the April violence when Los Angelos city govern
ment resembled nothing so much as u dysfunctional
family," the report said.
"The mayor and the Police Commission and the
LAPD deputy chiefs all appeared to have had poor
working relationships and communication with tho
chief of police, a condition aggravated in no small part
by the City Council's reversal of the attempt to suspend
the chief following the King beating."
New Police Chief Willie Williams said Wednesday
that improvements have been made but even now there
is no complete plan for dealing with such a crisis.
"We ore in the? process of reorganizing,” fie said.
Soldier kills two others,
then fatally shoots self
FORT CAMPBELL. Kv (Al»)
A soldier shot and killed two
sergeants after returning from o
field exercise, then fatally shot
himself, the Army said
Wednesday.
Spec. Gregory Kaddiff, 25, of
Chicago was upset with his ser
geant over something that hap
pened during the military ma
neuvers at Fort Campbell and
asked to see him in his office
Tuesday, the Nashville (Tenn )
Banner reported.
Ho poked a pistol into the
sergeant's face ami fired, killing
him, said the newspaper, citing
an anonymous source close to
the investigation Kadc liff then
killed another soldier who
heard the shot and hail come to
investigate!, and shot himself
Ixtforo ho could bo stopped, it
said
Kill mi wore 1st Sgt George
Brewster, 39. of I’lnson, Ala ,
and Staff Sgt Elijah Miller, 34.
of Kornbert. SC. It was unclear
which one was Kadcliffs ser
geant.
A Fort Campbell spokesman,
Maj Ed Gribbtns, said the .357
callber Magnum used was pri
vately owned, not military is
sue.
Army officials said they had
not established a motive for the
shootings. Operation Mega
Gold, a field exercise involving
3,300 soldiers, is in its second
week at Fort (Campbell.
Official to stop shredding papers
WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Agriculture
Department official accused of improprieties
involving hiring and contracts was ordered
Wednesday to slop shredding documents, a
USL.A spokesman said.
A document shredder was removed from the
office of Sarita Schotta after whistleblowers
complained to the Senate Agriculture Commit
tee and The Associated Press that she was de
stroying documents.
USDA's Office of Inspector General, in a
Sept. 29 audit, said Schotta was responsible
for numerous Improprieties involving contract
ing, training, hiring and travel. Schotta, a poli
tical appointee. Is the deputy administrator for
management at Ihe Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation Service.
USDA spokesman Roger Runningen said
Schotta had been shredding draft copies of her
response to the audit and replacing them with
updated versions. Schotta contends the audit
is vindictive and full of mistakes. She has
promised to respond to tho investigators' find
ings by the end of the month.
Kunningcn said the shredder was taken out
of Schotta's office and movod to her bosses' of
fice. The administrator's office must now re
view any documents that Schotta wants de
stroyed. ho said.
Jim Cuble. chief counsel to tho Senate Agri
culture Committee, questioned USOA about
Schotta's use of tho shredder after
whistleblowers called tho panel to say she was
destroying documents Wednesday morning
"In light of tho inspector general's report,
even though she might have good mason for
having a shredder, she shouldn't have a shred
der in hor office at this time,” Cuble said.
He said a top aide to Agriculture Secretary
Edward Madigan assured him that the shred
der had been removed from Scholia's office.
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