The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.39           November 4, 1996 
 
 
New Rules Allow L.A. Cops To Set Up `Red' Squads  

BY HARRY RING

LOS ANGELES - Taking its cue from Washington's "antiterrorist" drive, the Los Angeles Police Department has shrunk the guidelines that are supposed to ensure against illegal activity by its Anti-Terrorist Division (ATD).

The rule changes were approved October 15 by the Police Commission, which is supposed to be a civilian oversight panel, but is in fact a rubber stamp and window dressing for the cops.

The new rules authorize the ATD to engage in secret surveillance and infiltration on the basis of "reasonable suspicion" of criminal activity, not the "probable cause," currently stipulated.

ATD cops will now be authorized to begin a probe with electronic spying and other techniques. Presently, they're supposed to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if such measures are justified.

Authorization by the ATD commander to put someone under surveillance is now deemed "impractical" and will no longer be required.

The revision of the rules won early endorsement from Police Commission president Raymond Fisher. The Los Angeles Times touts him as "a trusted member of the city's civil rights community." Fisher says he will personally monitor police compliance.

Police Chief Willie Williams was asked if the new rules would safeguard people from police spying. He replied, "I'm confident that under my leadership they will."

The American Civil Liberties Union and others urged that the present rules be maintained. ACLU spokesman Allan Parachini told the Times that while he did not question the motivations of Williams, Fisher, and the commission, he was concerned about those who might come after them.

The ATD was created in 1984, replacing the Public Disorder and Intelligence Division. The PDID had been crippled by revelations of wholesale trampling on civil liberties.

Like the earlier "red" squads, the PDID was charged with policing "subversion." It was found to have spied on, infiltrated, and disrupted unions, left-wing organizations, groups opposed to the Vietnam war, civil rights groups, and others it took a dim view of. Then Mayor Thomas Bradley and members of the Police Commission were among those spied on.

With the disclosure of some of these facts, the ACLU and others filed a court suit, but then settled out of court. The PDID was replaced by the more up-to-date Anti-Terrorist Division and the guidelines were adopted, supposedly to ensure against abuses of democratic rights.

But the leopard hasn't changed its spots. For example, in February 1995 the city abruptly dropped its prosecution of 20 members of the Revolutionary Communist Party rather than provide information about ATD involvement in the case.

The defendants were charged with hurling rocks and bottles at cops during several protests. They responded they had been clubbed by the cops.

On learning of the role of the ATD -which supposedly limits its activity to dealing with terrorism - they made a motion for specific information. When the judge ordered the prosecution to comply, the case was dropped. The new rules are subject to review by the city council. The Police Commission said there was no indication that the council intends to exercise that option.  
 
 
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