Interviews remaining to be completed, 1992-08-03

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Content TO:
PROM:
RB:
OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL ADVISOR
TO THE BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
Privileged and confidential
Attorney Work Product
August 3, 1992
All Deputy General Counsel n,II
Richard J. Stone \~
General Counsel and Staff Director
Interviews Remaining to be Completed
For each team, please fill in the information regarding
interviews remaining to be completed by your team requested below
and bring this form with you to the Deputy meeting on Friday,
August 7, 1992. Please prioritize the remaining interviews by
listing first the interviews most important to completing your
team's work. Please add additional sheets as necessary.
1.
2.
3.
4.
s.
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7.
a.
9.
10.
INTERVIEWS REMAINING TO BE COMPLETED
TEAM:
SUBJECT AREA INTERVIEWER
PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT
SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW OF JACK WHITE
Jack White is currently the Chief of the Bureau of
Investigation of the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office,
a position which he has held for the last 8 years.
Previously, White served for 27 years as an officer with the
LAPD, retiring in 1985 with the rank of commander. As Chief
Investigator with the D.A's office, White directed the
investigation of the King beating incident and worked
closely with the D.A. during the trial of the four officers.
White thought that acquittals of all four officers
were possible and anticipated a violent reaction from the
public when the verdicts were announced. He personally
conducted meetings with his staff to review their emergency
plan in detail and to make sure everyone understood his or
her individual assignment or responsibility. White thought
LAPD would do the same type of planning, but was told by
Deputy Chiefs Dotson and Frankel that Gates would ignore or
discourage planning efforts.
White learned, through contacts still with the
Department, that Gates mistrusted and had ceased
communicating with his deputy chiefs. He stated that Gates
was trying to run the Department himself, through a select
group of commanders and captains, thus bypassing his top
staff and circumventing the normal chain of command. White
believes that Gates' mistrust of his top staff, combined
with the constant bickering among Gates, the Mayor's office,
the City Council and the Commissioners, lead to a breakdown
of the organizational structure of the LAPD. This, in
White's view, was the primary cause of the LAPD's poor
response to the civil unrest.
White believes that neither officer training nor
the ability to plan were the reason LAPD failed to respond
adequately. White feels that execution and leadership
"from the top" are the particular areas in which the LAPD
failed in this instance. Because of the general breakdown
in the highest segment of the command structure, LAPD did
not have the kind of "well-oiled machine" necessary to
respond to a situation of the magnitude experienced
following the verdicts.
LL922110.154
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I
LAW OFFICES
IRELL & MANELLA
CONFIDENTIAL
A Partnership Including ProfeHional Corporation•
MEMORANDUM
File: Webster Commission Study Date: August 4, 1992
To: Richard J. Stone,
General Counsel & Staff
Director
From: Arif Alikhan Re: SUMMARY of Interview with Assistant
Chief Jim O'Neill of the Los Angeles
City Fire Department cc: Kenneth R. Heitz
PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY WORK-PRODUCT
SUMMARY
This interview with Assistant Chief Jim O'Neill refers to the role of the
Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) during the civil disturbances in Los
Angeles. Chief O'Neill is the commander of the Supply and Maintenance
Division of the LAFD. In addition to organizing logistical support for the LAFD,
Chief O'Neill also served as a commander for the Hollywood Tactical Area.
This interview summary focuses on the following areas: (1) pre-verdict
planning by the LAFD; (2) logistical support and coordination; (3) strike team
deployments; and (4) post-action analysis.
Larry Ng and I interviewed Chief O'Neill on July 8, 1992 at 10:35 a.m.
This interview took place in Chief O'Neill's office at the Supply and
Maintenance Division Headquarters located at 140 North Avenue 19, Los
Angeles. The following is a summary of this interview which includes our
questions, comments, mental impressions and conclusions, based upon this
meeting, regarding the LAFD's response to the civil disturbances in Los
Angeles.
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To:
From:
SHARENOW & CORBIN
IAWYERS
A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
MEMORANDUM
PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT
Office of Special Advisor,
Richard J. Stone
Leonard Sharenow
Julie Huffman
Date:
Re:
July 30, 1992
Interview of California
Highway Patrol Assistant
Commissioner (Chief of
Staff), Ted Starr
File: WB3SfER STUDY/lnteragency Group
Summary of Interview
On July 29, 1992, Leonard Sharenow and Julie Huffman interviewed California
Highway Patrol Assistant Commissioner, Ted Starr in Sacramento. This interview
involves the activities of the CHP in providing logistical support for CHP operations in
Southern California and elsewhere, both before and during the riots.
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