L.A. Police and the Media

The Times and Shaw deserve congratulations on Shaw’s exhaustive series.

Perhaps no other newspaper would have the courage to print such articles which were not only critical of part of its own coverage but were complimentary of the excellent coverage of two of its print competitors--the Los Angeles Daily News and the Los Angeles Weekly.

There is, however, a serious error in your May 27 article. That article stated that “the ‘independent’ Christopher Commission . . . was, after all, appointed by Mayor Tom Bradley, Gates’ longtime foe. . . .”

The Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, chaired by Warren Christopher, was an amalgamation of two commissions, one appointed by Mayor Bradley, the other appointed by Chief Gates. Bradley appointed Christopher and six other members of the commission. Gates appointed Justice John A. Arguelles, the vice chair, as well as two other members, Willie R. Barnes and Richard M. Mosk.

The Times and other news organizations have never given sufficient attention to the fact that the Independent Commission, which recommended unanimously that Gates retire and urged reforms to curb excessive use of force by the LAPD, was appointed by both Bradley and Gates.

BRYCE NELSON, Los Angeles. Bryce Nelson, a USC journalism professor, served as the commission’s director for press information during the 1991 period when the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department prepared and released its report.