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MARK, MY WORDS -
Dear Mayor Bass,
Rumor has it, that your appointing or anointing of a new police chief for Los Angeles will possibly take place in the coming week. I chose those words to bring to light the importance of appointing the right person for the job vs anointing the politically correct person.
Though diversity is an important mandate in choosing a police chief, it must take a backseat to the candidate’s experience, qualifications and their history of successful crime deterrence. The lives of officers and community members are directly and indirectly affected by the chief, therefore that candidate must first and foremost have the ability to restore law and order while maintaining public trust.
Public trust in the LAPD creates a safer city for both officers and community members by encouraging witnesses and victims to come forward when a crime has been committed. A safer city also attracts home buyers and businesses which in turn, create a safer city through a sense of ownership and community.
As a concerned resident of Los Angeles, I have spoken with many community members and LAPD officers from multiple districts. I posed roughly the same question to all of them: “Who do you want as the new chief?”
Overwhelmingly, their answers went something like this: “I don’t know, but it has to be an outsider.”
For some, this was an expression of distrust of the LAPD and for others, a distrust in L.A. government. Either way, it should raise alarms and merits consideration. There is a need to break up a broken leadership culture that many have said harms morale and erodes public trust.
Appointing a chief with extensive experience as chief of a large law-enforcement agency in major urban cities is key. A leader who has extensive experience handling large disasters, protests, and other potential high stress issues that may present themselves. A Spanish speaking chief would go a long way to make our large Hispanic population feel that they were considered in your decision.
Angelenos have been pummeled by lockdowns, rising crime and an unresponsive, idealess city council that is, let’s face it, loved by no one and necessarily tolerated by the rest. Feeling helpless against our witless district overlords, we have only you to turn to with a request of a new chief that we can all be proud of from both inside and out of the department.
Only an outsider has a chance to change what has become, or at least perceived to become, an insular culture that demoralizes good officers and pits community members against the LAPD. Officers within the department seem to have been inculcated with that culture, which drags down the whole department by discouraging innovative policing that does not fit into the business as usual model.
A longtime insider who wishes to remain anonymous told me, “The best way to remove the tarnish from the LAPD badge…and put it back on the reform path…is to have an experienced law enforcement leader of national stature who has not yet carried the LAPD badge.”
You have inherited a city broken by unending groundless policies implemented by self-serving ideologues who have no inclination to common sense, vetting of policy sources or the opinions of the people who put them in office. The smell of disdain for the public is ever palatable at city council meetings and seems to be getting worse with every election, leaving the public desperate for a sane and objective voice.
Mayor, you are our hope for an outside voice unburdened by the historically fruitless efforts of a city council unwilling or unable to self-correct even in the face of utter ingeminated failure. Separating yourself and making an objective choice for chief will go much further with the public than any “apparent” DEI hire. Los Angeles residents are growing tired of suffering the consequences of a history of bad governance.
Our new chief can’t be political, that is your job. Nor can they be influenced by political opinion, but rather must objectively uphold the law for everyone, without consideration of political backlash. Clear communication between the chief, the mayor and law abiding residents must be the City’s first consideration.
Defunding the LAPD is obviously not the answer, but building a better LAPD can be. Better for cops, better for communities and better for Los Angeles. The right chief could make that happen; not the black, brown or white chief nor female or male chief, but the right chief.
Installing a “soft on crime” chief that does not have the faith of officers and law-abiding community members will predictably encourage valuable residents and LAPD staff to work and live elsewhere. The perception alone of a DEI hire over a qualified applicant is potentially enough to begin an exodus. As I am sure you know, when it comes to politics, things that appear to be a conflict of interest function as exactly that.
Criminals, whether formed from nature or nurture, are still criminals non the less. Waxing poetic about their origins means little to their victims. We need a chief who doesn’t need to be told to prioritize victims over criminals. LAPD officers and Angelenos alike want a chief with a proven track record outside the LAPD who will naturally and unapologetically prioritize law and order over politics and chaos.
You have a difficult job and a very important decision to make. I don’t envy you, but I do hope you can look beyond the toxic Malaise of Los Angeles government and make the right choice, for all of us. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mark Dutton and those who will take the time to forward this letter or perhaps one of their own.
P.S.
I intended to ask my readers and community members to copy and paste and respectfully forward this letter to your email in the hope that it will lend credence and validity to its contents. Since your office has chosen to remove all email communication from the public and opted for social media, I will instead direct them to your website.
mayor.lacity.gov
(Mark Dutton is a lifelong musician, music producer, and writer. He was arguing politics with his parents since he was a pre-teen. Majored in psychology and left college in his 3rd year on a 30 year magic bus trip around the world playing and writing music with some of the best in the biz. Mark is a contributor to CityWatchLA.com.)
