The Mayor and the City Council must demand that unless the Los Angeles Police Department hires 43.4% women, they will not be allowed to fill the positions gained through the crime bill. In other words, half of the police officers hired with crime bill money must be women. The City Council must immediately implement the Bias Investigation Unit designed by the Police Commission. The Public Safety and Personnel Committees of the City Council should immediately convene and Implementation Task Force to assist the LAPD in implementing the Christopher Commission reforms and the recommendations of the Women’s Advisory Counci l to the Los Angeles Police Commission. This Task Force should consist of the Chief and command level members of the LAPD, Police Commissioners, members of the Public Safety and Personnel Subcommittees of the City Council, City Personnel Department, the Police League and members of the public who have knowledge and expertise in these areas. The Mayor and the City Council must provide the necessary funds to implement the programs that will bring about reform in the LAPD. No matter what the cost of these reforms, it will be cheaper than continuing to pay out tax payer dollars on police ex cessive force and sex and race harassment lawsuits brought about by the “Mark Fuhrmans” and the officers involved in the Rodney King beating and in the falsifying of evidence. The Mayor and the City Council must make it clear to Chief Williams that he will be held responsible for any continuing discrimination or harassment against women and the failure to gender balance all future academy classes. It is not enough to issue statements proclaiming a “zero tolerance” policy toward discrimination and harassment. Women officers in LAPD are still subjected to daily harassment and devaluation of their abilities and contributions to policing.
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