Bernard C. Parks
Encyclopedia
Bernard C. Parks is an American
politician
. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council
, representing the 8th District
in South Los Angeles
. He served as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
from August 1997 to May 2002. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
, received a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University
, and earned a master's degree in public administration
from the University of Southern California
.
involving the elite C.R.A.S.H.
anti-gang unit of the Rampart Division
in the overwhelmingly Latino Pico-Union
and Westlake
districts. The department was placed under a federal consent decree and there was concern that morale was low in the department. The Police Commission, under Commission President Rick J. Caruso
did not recommend Parks for reappointment as police chief. Parks was succeeded as chief by William Bratton.
' black population to win a vacant seat on the city council. Parks' most frequent media quarrels have been with his successor as police chief, William Bratton, due to their differing stances on LAPD policies. Parks unsuccessfully ran for mayor in the 2005 elections
, placing fourth in the primary.
In 2008, Parks unsuccessfully sought to succeed Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
, losing to Mark Ridley-Thomas
in a runoff election.
Parks, as Los Angeles City Councilman, sponsored a successful 2011 City Charter Amendment, Measure L. The Measure passed by 63 percent of the Los Angeles Vote. This guarantees a minimum level of funding for Library services. By fiscal year, 2014-2015, the guaranteed percentage will be 0.0300% of "assessed value of all property in the City as assessed for City taxes." (Los Angeles City Council File No. 10-1057)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
, representing the 8th District
Los Angeles City Council District 8
Los Angeles City Council District 8 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council, covering much of South Los Angeles. The current council member is Bernard C. Parks....
in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
. He served as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
from August 1997 to May 2002. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Personal life and education
Parks attended Los Angeles City CollegeLos Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
, received a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
, and earned a master's degree in public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Tenure as LAPD Chief & Rampart Division scandal
Appointed chief of police on August 12, 1997, Parks oversaw a significant drop in violent crime throughout the city, and especially in South Central. However, during his tenure, the LAPD was rocked by a corruption and police brutality scandalRampart Scandal
The Rampart scandal refers to widespread corruption in the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums anti-gang unit of the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Division in the late 1990s. More than 70 police officers in the CRASH unit were implicated in misconduct, making it one of the most...
involving the elite C.R.A.S.H.
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums
Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums, usually known by the acronym C.R.A.S.H., was an elite, but controversial special operations unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. It was established by then-chief Daryl Gates to combat the rising problem of gangs in Los Angeles, California...
anti-gang unit of the Rampart Division
LAPD Rampart Division
The Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department serves communities to the west and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles including Echo Park, Pico-Union and Westlake, all together designated as the Rampart patrol area. Its name is derived from Rampart Boulevard, one of the principal...
in the overwhelmingly Latino Pico-Union
Pico-Union, Los Angeles, California
Pico-Union is a district in Los Angeles, California. Its name derives from the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Union Avenue. The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency officially adopted the name in 1970, when it launched a neighborhood renewal program that continues to this day...
and Westlake
Westlake, Los Angeles, California
Westlake is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It should not be confused with Westlake Village, an independent municipality in Los Angeles County near Thousand Oaks and close to the Ventura County line....
districts. The department was placed under a federal consent decree and there was concern that morale was low in the department. The Police Commission, under Commission President Rick J. Caruso
Rick J. Caruso
Rick J. Caruso, founder and chief executive officer of Caruso Affiliated, is a developer and retail operator who has designed and built properties in Southern California...
did not recommend Parks for reappointment as police chief. Parks was succeeded as chief by William Bratton.
Los Angeles City Council
Parks capitalized on his popularity among South Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
' black population to win a vacant seat on the city council. Parks' most frequent media quarrels have been with his successor as police chief, William Bratton, due to their differing stances on LAPD policies. Parks unsuccessfully ran for mayor in the 2005 elections
Los Angeles mayoral election, 2005
The 2005 Los Angeles mayoral election took place on March 8, 2005, with a runoff election on May 17. Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa defeated the sitting mayor, James Hahn, becoming the city’s first Hispanic mayor since the 19th century...
, placing fourth in the primary.
In 2008, Parks unsuccessfully sought to succeed Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
Yvonne Brathwaite Burke is a politician from Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. She was the Los Angeles County Supervisor representing the 2nd District . She has served as the Chair three times . She was the first African-American woman to represent the West Coast in Congress...
on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the five-member nonpartisan governing board of Los Angeles County, California. Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district. They were as of December 2, 2008:*District 1: Gloria Molina...
, losing to Mark Ridley-Thomas
Mark Ridley-Thomas
Mark Ridley-Thomas , often referred to by his initials, MRT, is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for District 2, who succeeded Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke...
in a runoff election.
Parks, as Los Angeles City Councilman, sponsored a successful 2011 City Charter Amendment, Measure L. The Measure passed by 63 percent of the Los Angeles Vote. This guarantees a minimum level of funding for Library services. By fiscal year, 2014-2015, the guaranteed percentage will be 0.0300% of "assessed value of all property in the City as assessed for City taxes." (Los Angeles City Council File No. 10-1057)
External links
- Official city website
- Alex Alonzo, "It's Not About Crime and Never Was: Bernard Parks' ouster as LAPD Chief, Streetgangs.com, April 12, 2002
- "Bernard Parks' record as LAPD chief and city councilman is a mixed blessing in his race for L.A. County supervisor"--LA Times
- Gillian Wolf, "Bernard C. Parks," Gale Contemporary Black Biography