INDEPENDENT PROBE OF L.A. POLICE ANNOUNCED

CRIME: Twenty Four Experts Are Named To The Rampart Independent
Review Panel.

LOS ANGELES- In the wake of a massive scandal in which officers are
alleged to have framed innocent people, the city Police Commission on
Wednesday named an independent panel to investigate the department and
make recommendations.

"The citizens of Los Angeles have rightly sought an independent body
to investigate the corruption within the police department," said
Gerald L. Chaleff, president of the Police Commission.

The Rampart Independent Review Panel, 24 experts including attorneys,
professors, management consultants and veterans of the Christopher
Commission probe of the Los Angeles Police Department, plans to issue
its recommendations in the fall.

About two dozen Rampart station officers have quit, been fired or been
relieved of duty amid allegations that an anti-gang unit framed, beat
and shot innocent people.

Fifty criminal cases involving arrests by Rampart officers have
already been dismissed, and District Attorney Gil Garcetti said
Wednesday he will seek the dismissal of 10 more today.

The appointment of the new panel by the Police Commission, the
civilian body that sets department policy, was immediately criticized
by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. The
ACLU not truly independent and it must release its report directly to
the public to be trusted.

The model for the new panel will be the Christopher Commission, which
investigated allegations of brutality and racism in the LAPD stemming
from the Rodney King beating.

Richard Drooyan, former chief assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles
and deputy general counsel for the Christopher Commission, and
Jeffrey Eglash, inspector general of the LAPD, will oversee eight work
groups that will probe specific areas of concern.

"There are no limits on what this group can do," said Drooyan, who
will also be general counsel to the task force.