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Los Angeles Versus the LAPD

Slow Burn host Joel Anderson explores the complicated path toward accountability for the LAPD in the aftermath of the L.A. riots.

Joel Anderson

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Daryl Gates had been chief of the Los Angeles Police Department for 13 years when the videotape of four officers beating Rodney King became public. At first, Gates seemed to share in the public’s outrage over the video. He recommended felony prosecutions for the officers who battered King, and promised to punish the officers who stood by and watched.

But Gates also called the beating “an aberration.” He continued to defend the department, including during a contentious meeting with the City Council. The chief was facing his most dire crisis yet. Local media called for his resignation. Eventually, city officials did, too. The LAPD, however, was the most powerful political force in the city and the chief wasn’t going to leave without a fight.

During this season of Slow Burn, we are exploring the people and events behind the biggest civil disturbance in American history. On the third episode of the season, we tell the story of Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Police Department. How deep did the problems with the police department run? Could anyone hold LAPD accountable? And what happened when the political establishment went toe-to-toe with Daryl Gates? Below you’ll find some of the links that helped me understand the history of the LAPD and the city’s attempt to hold those in power accountable. —Joel Anderson

Frontline Interview: Daryl Gates

Joel Anderson: “In this Frontline interview, Daryl Gates reflects on the history of the LAPD and the crisis he faced in 1991. Gates says that he thinks the tape of King’s beating was taken out of context and that the beating didn’t stem from racism. He also says that he was ‘surprised’ by the riots after the LAPD officers who beat King were acquitted.”

Woo Takes Call for Gates to Quit to Black Churches, Ministers

JA: “City councilman Michael Woo was the first elected city official to call for Gates’ resignation. This came after a fiery exchange with the chief during a city council hearing. Woo spoke with us about his thinking at the time and the political implications of the decision. This L.A. Times article from the time got into some of it as well, including Woo’s mayoral ambitions.”

Daryl F. Gates, L.A.P.D. Chief in Rodney King Era, Dies at 83

JA: “The New York Times obituary after Gates’ death in 2010 lays out his legacy, including what he did after resigning as police chief. It also provides an interesting backstory into his first encounter with the LAPD: he punched an officer who was writing him a parking ticket.”

‘It’s Not Your Grandfather’s LAPD’—And That’s A Good Thing [LISTEN]

JA: “On the 25th anniversary of the riots, Code Switch did an episode about what changed—and what didn’t—after Gates resigned.”

L.A. Express: Mayor Tom Bradley Gets Ahead by Hanging Back

JA: “Tom Bradley, L.A.’s first Black mayor, operated behind the scenes to try to push Gates out after King’s beating. This Washington Post article from 1981 foreshadows how Bradley would react to the crisis he faced in 1991.”

Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department [DOWNLOAD]

JA: “Four months after King’s beating, an independent commission headed by attorney Warren Christopher released the findings of its ‘full and fair examination of the structure and operation of the LAPD.’ The full report details a number of abuses, including a ‘significant number’ of officers who use excessive force against civilians. It also unanimously called for Gates’ resignation.”

L.A. Doctor Recalls Bizarre Phone Call From Then LAPD Chief Daryl Gates [WATCH]

JA: “Gates had once contended that Black people were more likely to die from chokeholds than ‘normal people’ because their necks had different anatomy. In this interview, Dr. Richard Allen Williams recalled Gates asking him in 1982 if the anatomy of Black and white people’s necks were different; Gates floated his theory about chokeholds, and Williams rejected it.”

Hidden in Plain Sight: Racism, White Supremacy, and Far-Right Militancy in Law Enforcement

JA: “Former LAPD chief William Parker was Gates’ mentor and had a lasting influence on the department. Parker did his part to maintain the racial hierarchy of Los Angeles. He was alleged to find police officer candidates at Ku Klux Klan rallies, and only begrudgingly hired Black and Mexican American officers. This study discusses the continued issue of white supremacist infiltration of law enforcement.”

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