The passing of a chief

When word of Daryl Gates’ death hit the news today, I immediately thought back to the years of our overlapping tenures, when I served on the Los Angeles City Council.

We both held strong views about law enforcement and its practices and passionately defended those positions. Our often tempestuous relationship is well documented.

But one of the things I always respected most about Chief Gates was that he never let our disagreements—over the issues of civil liberties, police intelligence practices or excessive use of force—get in the way of the things about which we agreed, such as growing the police department and addressing the LAPD’s other pressing budgetary needs.

On a personal level, I will always remember his generosity. Despite our differences, Chief Gates never turned down my requests to join me in charitable undertakings on behalf of the Los Angeles Free Clinic or the legendary mile race that we ran at UCLA to raise funds for the young girl who was run over in Westwood Village the night before the opening of the 1984 Olympic Games.

I last spoke with Chief Gates a few months ago at the swearing-in of Chief Charlie Beck. We both reminisced about our confrontations, but we also acknowledged the mutual respect we had for one another.

Daryl Gates will go down as one of the most important leaders in the LAPD’s history. With my wife Barbara, whom he really admired, we extend our deepest sympathies to his family.

Posted 4-16-10

Click here to read the Los Angeles Times’ obituary of Chief Gates

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