Warren Christopher
CHAIR
John A. Arguelles
VICEOWR
MEMBERS
Roy A. Anderson
Willie R. Barnes
Prof. Leo F. Esirada
Mickey Kantor
Richard M. Mosk
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION
ON THE Los ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
June
7th
1 9 9 1
John W. Spiegel
CENEW. COUNSEL
DEJ>lTTY GENERAL COUNSEL
Percy Anderson
Richard E. Drooyan
Gary A. Fccss
Raymond C. Fisher
Ernest J. Getto
Lawrence B. Gotlieb
Thomas E. Holliday
Andrea Sheridan Ordin
John Brooks Slaughter
Robert E. Tuwquada, M.D.
Barbara J. Kelley
Louise A. LaMothe
Yolan da Oroz.co
Gilbert T. Ray
EXEC1JTIVE DIRECTOR
Prof. Bry ce Nelson
DIRECTOR FOR PRESS
INFORMATION
Mr. Herman Siegel
President
Man ageme nt Engineering Affiliates
P.O. Box 8114
Calabasas , CA 91372
Dear Mr. Siegel:
Dennis M. Perluss
John B. Sherrell
Brian A. Sun
On behalf of Warren Christopher and the Independent
Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, I am writing
to thank you for your letter of May 30, 1991.
With its very short deadline and heavy
re sponsibilities, the Commission h opes that you will
understand that it is not possible to respond in detail to
your l etter . However , your letter has b een read and will be
made a part of the Commission files for further review by the
Commissioners and staff .
GTR:lrg
We again thank you for writing .
Very truly y ours,
Gilbert T . Ray
Executive Director
Suite 1910 400 So uth Hope Street Los Angeles, California 9007 1- 2899 Tel ephone (213) 622-5205 Facsimile (213) 622 -7318
(818) 888·6507
(818) 712 -9934
FAX (818) 702-6411
PO Box 8114
Calabasas, CA 9 1372
MANAGEMENT
ENGINEERING
AFFILIATES
PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT
Herm Siegel
President
MANAGEMENT ENGINEERING
AFFILIATES
Hon . Warren Christopher, Chairman 30 May 1991
Independent Commtsston on the Los Angeles Poltce Department
400 South Hope Street, Su1te 191 O
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2899
Subject: My Personal Statement to the Commission
r-E c 'c:J .
~ ( 5( c1 I
l.ll f I. c .
Reference: Commissslon Pub11c Hearing in Woodland Hills 29 May 1991
Dear Mr . Chistopher:
I attended the referent hearing but was unable to address the Commission
at that time . I prepared the attached statement in lieu thereof and offer It
to you at this time.
One of the speakers at the hearing was a reserve LAPD officer and I
wholeheartedly support his remarks . As a reserve deputy sheriff, with the
LASD for almost 30 years, I bele1ve that such views should be of vital
import to the Commission. As citizen/law enforcement persons we have a
foot In both camps , so to speak. For myself, be assured that I have no axe
to grind and consider the attached statement to be responsibly ob jectlve.
I am interested In the well being of this community and feel th1s act
contributes to that circumstance .
It must be stated here that I do not condone the brutal use of excessive
force shown 1n that portion of the tape of the beating of Rodney Klng . It
must also be stated here that I have never seen the use of excessive force
by LASD or LAPD or other PDs during the course of my many years in the
fteld. Finally, I have nothing but admiration for Chief Gates, both now and
In the past, and nothing but disdain for Mayor Bradley who has divided this
community as never before for what I interpret as petty polltlcal gains .
PRODUCT IVITY IMPROVEMENT
P.O . Box 811 4 • Calabasas, CA 91372 • (818) 888-6507 • (818) 712-9934 • FAX (818) 702-6411
MANAGEMENT ENGINEERING
AFFILIATES
Page 2 of 2 Pages
I hope you can conduct your review and make recommendations without the
undue political infuence we have seen applied in the past. I would be
pleased to make any statement you may wish, under oath , at a mutually
convenient time .
"Jr. truly : s,
~~1egel ~
HS :jg Attach 3 pgs
CC Mayor Bradley
Chief Gates
Sheriff Block
Councilman Ferraro
29 MAY 1991 Page 1 of 3 Pages
To : The "Christopher Comm1ss1on"
From : Herman Siegel
Subject : A Statement for the Comm1ss1on
My name 1s Herman S1egel. We res1de at 22808 Gershwin Dr1ve, Woodland
H1lls CA 91364. We have resided 1n Cal1forn1a for 35 years; I was
educated at n1ght at El Camino J.C. (AA), U.S .C. CBS and MBA). My wife
Rosalyn and I have been marrted for 44 years; we have two ch11dren and
two grandch1ldren . We have been ltvtng at th1s address for 20 years.
I am early retired from the Hughes Aircraft Company; at retirement I was
Corporate Director of Special Projects. Since 1981 I have headed my own
consulting company, MEA Inc., tnvolved with Productivity Improvement. My
w1fe also retired early from Hughes as a Computer App11cat1on Specialtst.
S1nce 1964 I have been a fully POST qualif1ed reserve member of the Los
Angeles County Sheriff Department(LASD). I am a Level One Reserve
Officer w1th the rank of Lieutenant. Presently I am assigned to a
Special1st Reserve Company and perform analytic and administrative tasks
tn support of the LASO activities. I had a s1gn1f1cant role tn Olymptc
security planning, for example, and conttnue to perform vartous planning
and analysts tasks .
With regard to LASO reserve activities by persons such as myself, the
following Is for your Information. A Reserve Deputy takes almost the same
training at the Sheriff Academy as a Regular but does so on weekends and
evenings . Difficult entrance requirements are established and many
candidates are dismissed from each class matriculating. We are paid one
dollar a year and therefore considered employees of LASO. It ts not
possible for an outsider to distinguish between an LASO Uniformed
Reserve and an LASD Uniformed Regular deputy . This ls equally true of
Reserves and Regulars performing detective functions. Depending upon the
Reserve Level one achieves and maintains, you are expected as a Level One
to perform as either the driver or operator (book man) of a patrol unit on a
normal station shift and accomplish all requisite duties as would a
regular. In plainclothes as a detective, the same ts true . Level Two
Reserve Deputies perform fn slightly different ways and have slightly
different obligations. The State Penal Code and the LASO Manual of Policy
and Procedure spell out these matters. LAPD are organized in a similar
fashion. A specia l Bureau administers to LASO Reserve needs, the Reserve
Forces Bureau, headed by a regular Captain and both sworn and civilian
personnel .
•
Page 2 of 3 Pages
Of the past 26 years of this association, 18 have been spent In Unlf ormed
Patrol, Adult Felony Detective and Juvenile Detective activity. After
completing a full course of Instruction at the LASD Academy at night and
on weekends, I was assigned to the Lennox Station and performed most of
my Patrol and Detective activities there on the PM shift. We would be
assigned to other Stations In emergent situations and I have worked the
Firestone, Malibu and Temp l e Stations under those circumstances . I also
worked the Early Morning and Day shifts when necessary, though
Infrequently.
In order to maintain my classification, I periodically qualify at the LASD
shooting range; take special training courses; undergo First Aid and other
periodic POST requirements .
During my Patrol activity period of service I worked the Watts Riot and
two of the three East Los Angeles Riots and also was assigned to special
details on various occa1slons. I have made many arrests during normal
Patrol periods and attended numerous pre-trial hearings.
During my Patrol and Detective activities I would come In contact with the
Los Angeles Poltce Department patrol, supervisory and detective units fn
the field. Often we would support each other In an event t hat was
unfo l ding. These events of frequent cooperation took place most often in
the Vermont patrol area of the Lennox Station. Additionally we would be
In contact with and In support of or by other Police Departments< Le
Gardena, Inglewood, Hawthorne, etc) In other Patrol Districts of the
Lennox Station such as Ladera Heights, View Park, etc.
With respect to all of these primary patrol activities with LASD as well
as supportive activities with LAPD and other PDs I have never once seen
the use of excessive force In the course of accomplishing an assignment or
In support of or by another PD and I specifically Include the LAPD here.
Be assured that many of these events required the use of force. My
observations and recollections are clear In this matter In that not once did
I observe the use or excessive force, nor have I ever been accused of using
excessive force myself nor was my Regular or Reserve partner so accused
or observed to use excessive force .
Page 3 of 3 Pages
Also be assured that on occas1on dumb things were done and good pol1cy
and procedure were not followed; thfs on the part of LASO, LAPO other POs
and myself . I m1ght also note that this was also true during my service as
a Combat Alrcrewman In the U.S.Navy flying with carrier based composite
squadrons during WW 11. In the heat of the moment ft was and Is not that
uncommon to fa11 to follow the "Book" . People are people and fallible.
CONCLUSION
Then In my LASO career and even more so now I think the thing creating
the greatest feeling of frustration and disappointment to me, and perhaps
to many other officers of the Jaw, ls the failure of the California Cr1m1nal
Justice System to most frequently perform one of Its most Important
functions of 'letting the punishment flt the crime·, and the total failure of
the Juvenile Justice System. Some may argue as to what Is the primary
function of a Justice system; I believe that justice to be just, must as
one of Its primary attribute, make crime not pay . That Is not the case in
the State of California.
Another thought for your consideration Is my observation that the
continuous construction of Class A jails In California Is totally
unreasonable. The need for Incarceration of a greater percentage of our
population Is self evident; and for incarceration for longer periods of time.
There Is absolutely no need to house non-violent or non-dangerous
prisoners in such costly to construct and maintain, elaborate fac11 ltles.
Use of existing but unused Federal facilities, such as Camp Roberts, for
example, would more than suffice. Additionally, the rate of recidivism
might drop considerably because of the plain pipe rack type of fac111tles
these type are.
Similarly, privatisation of detention fac111tles for both pretrial and
sentenced persons, male and female adults, whose records Indicate
non-violent/dangerous behavior should be established. This can both
reduce cost and Improve the handlfng of suspects and convicted persons.