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LA City Council considers names for new LAPD headquarters
The Los Angeles City Council today takes up the question of what to name the LAPD’s new downtown headquarters. KPCC’s Frank Stoltze reports that one idea is… Parker Center.
The Los Angeles City Council today takes up the question of what to name the LAPD’s new downtown headquarters. KPCC’s Frank Stoltze reports that one idea is… Parker Center.
Frank Stoltze: That’s the name of the current LAPD headquarters, a tribute to former Police Chief William Parker. He served from 1950 until 1966 and he’s credited with rooting out corruption at the LAPD and professionalizing the department.
Anthony Pacheco: But, there were still sides of Chief Parker that represented a time that was very turbulent in our community and a time that was not progressive in its thinking relative to people of color in those communities.
Stoltze: Police Commission president Anthony Pacheco stopped short of calling Parker a racist. African-American and Latino leaders also oppose using Parker’s name. Pacheco says that to do so would be insensitive.
Pacheco: My own preference would be that it not be named after any one individual and frankly I would be quite comfortable with Police Administration Building.
Stoltze: Former police chief turned city councilman Bernard Parks, an African-American, is behind retaining the name Parker Center. He argues that it would uphold a department tradition.
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