O.C. POLICE OFFICIALS BACK BILL

Legislation:The measure to restrict the use of teen informants is called
reasonable.

A bill passed Tuesday by the Assembly that prohibits law enforcement
agencies from using juvenile informants under age 15 and includes other
restrictions got a thumbs-up from several Orange County police officials.

"It sounds very prudent and very appropriate," said Santa Ana Police Chief
Paul Walters. "This will set a new standard and will make sure no one goes
outside those boundaries."

The legislation was prompted by the torture-slaying of Chad MacDonald, 17,
of Yorba Linda, whose body was found March 3 in a south Los Angeles alley.
His family has said he spent the weeks before his death making undercover
drug deals at the direction of the Brea Police Department.

The teen informant bill was approved by a 62-1 vote, and now heads for the
Senate, where passage is expected. The only no vote Tuesday was cast by
Assemblyman Jan Goldsmith, R-Poway, who opposes the bill because it would
take away a tool used by police.

Under the bill, police could use teen informants ages 15-17 only with the
consent of parents and a judge.

Police said there was no previous law on using teen-agers undercover, and
that most agencies rarely do so.

"It is a reasonable thing," Huntington Beach police Lt. Jon Arnold said of
the bill. "You normally check with parents for any number of things. It
really doesn't restrict police ability to do what they need to do." He said
he cannot recall his department ever using a juvenile.

While several police officials praised the bill as proactive, others said
the legislation could have some unintended consequences.

Costa Mesa Lt. Ron Smith pointed out that drug dealers might begin to use
13- and 14-year-olds to execute deals because they would be assured, by
law, that the teens would not be informants.

"I just hope it is not (so) overly restrictive that the criminal element
takes over," he said.

Brea Police Chief Bill Lentini could not be reached for comment.

Lloyd Charton, spokesman for the MacDonald family, said, "One of our goals
has been accomplished. Chad would rest easier in his grave knowing other
teens are safe."