Pubdate: Tue, 04 Apr 2000
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2000 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053
Fax: (213) 237-4712
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Forum: http://www.latimes.com/home/discuss/
Author: Los Angeles Times staff
Bookmark: MAP's Rampart files: http://www.mapinc.org/rampart.htm
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POLICE UNION CHIEF URGES WITNESS CONFIDENTIALITY

Rampart: Request is similar to D.A.'s offer of amnesty to officers who
witnessed misconduct by colleagues.

LAPD officers who know of colleagues involved in the Rampart corruption
scandal should be allowed to testify confidentially to the civilian
inspector general without being disciplined by the department, the police
union president said Monday.

"This is for officers subject to LAPD administrative charges, not criminal
charges," said Ted Hunt, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective
League.

Hunt's request is similar to the amnesty offer made last week by Dist.
Atty. Gil Garcetti, who said he will promise confidentiality to police
officers who witnessed colleagues' crimes or misconduct but failed to
report it to their superiors.

Garcetti too said the promise of confidentiality will not be extended to
officers who participated in crimes. Garcetti said the offer was necessary
to combat the LAPD's prevalent "code of silence" and to move forward with
the corruption case, which has been fueled largely by the admissions and
allegations of former Officer Rafael Perez, an admitted drug thief and
perjurer.

"We believe there should be a moratorium on the section of the LAPD manual
regarding reporting misconduct, so officers who may have witnessed anything
can come forward," Hunt said. "We feel strongly that everything that should
have been reported has already been reported.

But we want to assure the public that every rock has been overturned and
that everything that could be exposed, will be exposed."
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MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst