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[HUFFKAR - 010]
la. NAME OF INTERVIEWER: Julie Huffman
lb. DATE OF INTERVIEW: June s, 1991
le. LENGTH OF INTERVIEW: l~ Hrs.
ld. NOTES:
2. I.D. CODE: 010
3. SEX: Male
4. RACE: White
s. AGE:.
6. DIVISION: Hollywood Vice
7 • CURRENT RANK/ASSIGNMENT:~
8. MISC. PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
9. MISC. L.A.P.D. BACKGROUND:
10. FIELD TRAINING -- SELECTION OF F.T.O.s:
CONFIDENTIAL
This officer was on the force for 3 1/2 years before he took
the test to become a PIII. He passed the test on the first try,
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[HUFFMAN - 010] CONFIDENTIAL
and began working with probationers right away. He took the test
because he felt he had exhausted his opportunities as a PII, and
because he wanted to get a promotion.
11. FIELD TRAINING -- TRAINING OF F.T.O.s:
Officer took the Academy's field training course about one
year after he got his first assignment as a PIII. He believes that
everyone should take the course, and they should take it as soon
as possible after they are promoted. He remembers the course as
really emphasizing the partner relationship between training
officers and their probationers, and training techniques. He also
indicated that the course included materials on the Department's
nondiscrimination policy and on the appropriate use of force.
12. FIELD TRAINING MISCONDUCT BY I DISCIPLINE OF F.T.O.s:
13. FIELD TRAINING EVALUATION OF F.T.O.s' PERFORMANCE:
Officer indicated that training officers, like other police
officers, get evaluated every six months. Evaluations always
comment upon a training officer's training skills. But this
officer thinks that supervisors should look at a person's training
skills before they get hired to become a training officer. He
doesn't think the Department necessarily needs to emphasize
training skills in training officer evaluations more than they
already do.
14. FIELD TRAINING -- ASSIGNMENT(S) TO PROBATIONERS:
This officer indicated that he was frequently assigned to a
new probationer every month. It depended on how many probationers
were at the division, sometimes you would keep a probationer
longer, and sometimes shorter.
15. FIELD TRAINING
PROBATIONERS:
RELATIONSHIP WITH I TRAINING OF
This officer believes that it's very important to train new
probationers in how to appropriately deal with people. It's a
difficult skill to learn, because every situation is different.
You can't treat an average citizen the way you do a suspect. This
officer does not believe that recruits come out of the Academy
being too aggressive. Although they are sometimes scared, they are
willing to learn people skills. He likes to teach probationers
that they ought treat the people they encounter the way you would
want your mother to be treated. He also teaches probationers to
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explain to people why they have been detained or stopped every time
they encounter a person. People are curious, they have a right to
know why they've been stopped.
This officer believes that the No. 1 priority for training a
new probationary is to instill good officer safety skills. The
lack of poor officer safety skills is the No. 1 reason people get
terminated while they are on probation. "If they won't follow you
down a dark alley, that's a problem."
This officer indicated his belief that it is nearly impossible
to terminate an unsatisfactory probationer and it shouldn't be.
He indicated that he is not a person who is quick to recommend that
someone be terminated. "The last think I want to do is put a guy
out of a job. It defeats what I'm there to do." He has, however,
seen people with seven or eight unsatisfactory ratings pass through
probation. The rule of thumb is, however, that termination
proceedings are begun after a probationer receives three
unsatisfactory ratings. This officer was involved in two
terminations, both of which were motivated by the probationer's
lack of officer safety skills .
This officer indicated on numerous occasions that it is
important for training officers to spend time with their
probationers, to give them extra training if they need it.
Training officers need to be willing to take the time to talk to
their probationers, to explain to them what they have done wrong,
and to suggest to them alternatives for handling situations
differently in the future. He indicated that not all training
officers are willing to take that time.
This officer also indicated that, when he is involved in a
pursuit or a "hot call" with a probationer, he always takes a
moment to talk with the probationer before they arrive at the scene
so that they can decide how they're going to handle it. He makes
it a point to do a lot of role playing with his probationers,
during quiet periods, so that they will know what to do when a
situation gets hot.
16. FIELD TRAINING --EVALUATION OF PROBATIONERS: This officer
indicated that there are a lot of training officers at 77th who
probably shouldn't be training officers. These officers have a
"John Wayne attitude," and ask themselves, "What can I do to fire
this person?" This officer believes that it is not his job to
terminate probationers, rather it is his job to train them and to
make them into good police officers.
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17. ROLL CALL TRAINING:
18. USE OF FORCE: This officer expressed the view that use of
force is really not a problem in the Police Department, and
especially is not a problem in 77th Division. "There's so much to
do at 77th, that you don't have time to unnecessarily throw your
weight around." In his seven years at 77th, he indicated that he
had never seen a situation in which an officer used excessive
force. He also indicated that he had a reputation at 77th for
being a "clean cop." He thinks that this reputation probably kept
him from seeing what little misconduct occurred.
19. RODNEY KING INCIDENT: This officer indicated that he had
watched the Rodney King video tape several times and was shocked
by what he saw. "It was wrong. That's all there is to it." He
believed that the excessive force began to occur after King was
knocked to the ground. "Once he's down, you jump on top of him
and cuff him up. And I don't care if he is on PCP." The officer
also related that he had seen a lot of "grizzly situations," that
had never seen anything even remotely approaching the Rodney King
incident .
Officer indicated that he was surprised that no one at the
scene intervened to stop the use of force. He thinks that someone
should have gone to Stacy Koon, to one of the other officers
involved in the beating, and said "gee, that's enough, you've got
him." He indicated that he probably would have done that if he had
been on the scene.
This officer indicated that he had worked for Stacy Koon while
Koon was stationed at 77th and never saw Koon do anything "even
remotely out of line," or encourage anyone else to do so. He liked
working for Koon, and found Koon to be an approachable, available
sergeant who always knew the answers to questions he was asked by
police officers.
Although this officer agreed that police officers given an
adrenaline rush when they are engaged in high speed pursuits, he
didn't think that the pursuit of Rodney King excused the use of
force in the King incident. "Common sense has to take over at some
point." He indicated that, while involved in a pursuit, police
officers are constantly talking to their partners, and preparing
themselves for the termination of the pursuit. He thinks that if
officers discuss how they're going to handle the termination of the
pursuit appropriate, when they get to that point, they will handle
it the way they've discussed.
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This officer also commented on the "gorillas in the mist,"
comment made by one of the Rodney King officers. "What an idiot."
Although he acknowledged that sometimes officers use the MDT for
personal information, he has never encountered any use of the MDT
to transmit racist or sexist comments. He seemed to think that the
officer who transmitted that message was just asking to be
disciplined.
20. CITIZEN COMPLAINTS:
21. INTERNAL DISCIPLINE:
This officer believes that the Department's internal
disciplinary system generally works. His attitude is that if you
see misconduct, you have an obligation to report it. He believes
that police officers are, and should be, held to a high standard
than are other citizens. He makes it a point to tell his
probationers to report any misconduct they witness. "If you don't
tell us about it, you'll be out of a job because that's what you're
supposed to do."
This officer also indicated his belief that police officers
who commit crimes ought to be terminated. He feels this way
especially with regard to officers who are arrested for driving
under the influence. He doesn't understand how a person who has
committed a drunk driving can be employed in a job that requires
him to arrest people who commit the same offense. He feels the
same way about theft, assault, and drug use. He did indicated,
however, that officers who are subject to discipline for doing
things like hitting their wife or their children probably ought to
be referred to counseling first. He thinks repeat offenders who
do things like this ought to be terminated.
Finally, this officers indicated, that, at least with respect
to minor personnel complaints, a lot of people will simply admit
to the conduct and take their lumps. He believes this is
especially true with regard to "mouth beef."
22. PROMOTION: This officer thinks that police officers ought to
have some seniority before they are allowed to apply for a PIII
position. He thinks it's silly that a person can complete
probation, work for another year, and take the first available PIII
test. People need more seniority before they are equipped to
appropriate train other officers.
This officer
promotion system.
did not express strong feelings about the
He believes that the system is generally fair.
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He did express the view that officers ought to have more seniority
before they can become training officers.
23. ASSIGNMENTS/TRANSFERS:
24. COMMUNITY POLICING I COMMUNITY RELATIONS:
25. GAYS/LESBIANS:
This officer indicated that he doesn't know any police
officers who are openly gay or lesbian. In his opinion, it doesn't
matter whether an officer is gay or lesbian, as long as they're a
good cop. He indicated that he knew Mitch Grobson while Grobson
was at 77th, and thought he was a good sergeant. This officer says
that he was not exposed to the pranks that were played on Grobson
because he worked a different shift. He did, however, express his
opinion that the pranks occurred. "There's no doubt in my mind
that it happened." The officer did not express an opinion as to
whether other officers ont the force shared his view that gay and
lesbian people could be good police officers.
26. WOMEN:
This officer indicated that he has no problem working with
women, "if they're qualified." For the most part, he thinks that
women police officers, "go a step further because they now they
have to prove themselves."
27. RACIAL MINORITIES:
This officer doesn't believe that racism is a big problem in
the Department. He indicated that he has friends on the Department
who are Black, but he doesn't socialize with them after work
because when he leaves work he wants to go home to his family and
not socialize with other police officers. He has never been
exposed to racist comments or jokes, although he knows that those
comments and jokes are made. "They don't do it around me because
they know I won't tolerate it."
28. ATTITUDES/OPINIONS RE: L.A.P.D.:
29. REFORM SUGGESTIONS:
1. The Academy should be a de-selector. In this officer's
experience, a number of recruits graduate from the Academy without
being able to write a complete sentence. Because 90% of the job
is writing, he thinks this is a significant failing. He has
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noticed especially poor writing skills among black probationary
officers, and doesn't believe whites who exhibited the same poor
skills would have been graduated from the Academy. He did
acknowledge, however, that there are white officers who have poor
report writing skills.
2. The public and the media should get off Gates' back. This
officer believes that Gates has done good job running the
Department, and setting high standards for the police officers who
work for him. Although Gates should "choose his words more
carefully, he has a heart of gold." This officer does not believe
that Gates is responsible for the Rodney King incident, and
believes that the public should stop seeking his resignation.
30. CODE OF SILENCE:
This officer expressed the view that he would always report
any misconduct that he witnessed, and that most police officers
share his opinion that misconduct should be reported. He thinks
that, especially after the Rodney King incident, everyone on the
Force is "really fired up," about being a good cop .
50. MISCELLANEOUS:
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