Edward M. Davis
Encyclopedia
Edward Michael Davis was the chief
of the Los Angeles Police Department
from (1969–1978), and later a California State Senator
from (1980–1992) and an unsuccessful Republican
candidate for the United States Senate
in 1986. Davis' name was familiar to a generation of Americans since it appeared on its own card for "technical advice" in the closing credits
of the popular television programs Dragnet
(1967–70) and Adam-12
(1968–75).
Born in Los Angeles
, California
to James Leonard Davis and Lillian Fox Davis, Davis graduated from John C. Fremont High School
in Los Angeles. He married Virginia Osborne in 1940 before serving in the United States Navy
during World War II
.
Davis inherited a police department that was essentially the creation of Chief Parker and which held strong institutional values and views within its ranks. The result was a department that saw itself as a bastion for peace and the traditional American values of old Los Angeles.
He instantly became well-known internationally in 1969 when he held a press conference announcing the arrests of Charles Manson
and his followers for what are known as the Tate-La Bianca murders. His role is well-documented in the book Helter Skelter, written by Vincent Bugliosi
, the prosecutor in the case.
As the power and numbers of street gangs increased, the community of Los Angeles became the victim of increasing escalations of violence, intimidation, and other felonies. In response, Davis escalated police responses, authorizing the use of Terry stop
s, large raids on gang strongholds, created the infamous anti-gang unit C.R.A.S.H, and increasingly forceful and violent means of securing suspects such as chokeholds during arrests. Although the chokeholds were less violent than older pre-War era methods of beating recalcritrent suspects, they were also more forceful and were often applied until the suspect passed out. By the time the policy was halted in May 1982 by the Police Commission, 15 people had died. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a lawsuit seeking an injunction to halt the practice permanently, because Adolph Lyons could not prove that there was a substantial and immediate likelihood that he personally would be choked again. City of Los Angeles v. Lyons
, .
Davis increased resources toward monitoring and investigating political circles and simultaneously attempted to squash vice. In 1972, Hayden White
, acting as sole plaintiff, brought suit against Davis, alleging the illegal expenditure of public funds in connection with covert intelligence gathering by police at UCLA. The covert activities included police officers registering as students, taking notes of discussions occurring in classes, and making police reports on these discussions. White v. Davis, at 762. The Supreme Court found for White in a unanimous decision. This case set the standard that determines the limits of legal police surveillance of political activity in California
; police cannot engage in such surveillance in the absence of reasonable suspicion of a crime ("Lockyer Manual").
Under Davis the LAPD and its vice squad were known for active policing against gays. Zealous officers are purported to have dangled a youth over a cliff to try to make him reveal names of a pedophile ring. On April 10, 1976 over a hundred officers, with Davis present, raided a charitable "slave auction" event and bragged to reporters that they had freed the slaves. Dozens of men were detained on charges of violating an 1899 anti-slavery statute, but the expensive raid was criticized by the city council and no one was convicted.
Davis was often known for some of his colorful language. For instance, in one of his most famous off-the-cuff news comments, Davis said, in 1972, concerning airline hijackers: "I recommend we have a portable gallows, and after we have the death penalty back in, we conduct a rapid trial for a hijacker out there, and hang him with due process out there at the airport."
Davis retired in 1978 to run for Governor of California
but lost the Republican primary election
. Two years later, he was elected to the California State Senate. He would serve for 12 years (during the first two years of which Tom McClintock
served as his Chief of Staff
). Davis additionally lost a bid in the Republican primary for the United States Senate
in 1986. In contrast to his earlier policy of actively investigating the homosexual movement, as a Senator he supported a gay rights protection bill. He also became a vocal environmentalist in his later years.http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-davis23apr23,0,5859140.story?page=2&coll=la-home-headlines
In 1992, when he decided to retire from the California State Senate
, he went out of his way to recruit former State Assemblywoman
Marion W. La Follette
to run for his seat. This despite the fact that the area's current Assemblywoman, Cathie Wright
, had already declared for the seat.
The last TV interview with Davis was videotaped in March 2002 where he recalled his years as LAPD Chief and described the values and traits necessary to be a successful Chief of Police. He also related his impressions of a young LAPD Lt. named Bernard Parks who went on to become Chief. In this interview he described how he implemented the "community policing" program during his administration. The hour long interview was conducted by Emmy Award winning host Leslie Dutton on the Full Disclosure Network.
Ed Davis died from pneumonia, on April 22, 2006, in San Luis Obispo, California
. He was 89. At the time of his death, Davis was survived by his wife, Bobbie Nash Davis; three children from his first marriage to Virginia Davis, a son, Michael Edward Davis, a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, and two daughters, Mary Ellen Burde and Christine Coey; four stepchildren; and 10 grandchildren.
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
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 (1969–1978), and later a California State Senator
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
from (1980–1992) and an unsuccessful Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1986. Davis' name was familiar to a generation of Americans since it appeared on its own card for "technical advice" in the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
of the popular television programs Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
(1967–70) and Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
(1968–75).
Born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to James Leonard Davis and Lillian Fox Davis, Davis graduated from John C. Fremont High School
John C. Fremont High School
John C. Fremont Senior High School is a Title 1 co-educational public high school located in Los Angeles, California, United States.Fremont is in a region known as South Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles. He married Virginia Osborne in 1940 before serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Davis inherited a police department that was essentially the creation of Chief Parker and which held strong institutional values and views within its ranks. The result was a department that saw itself as a bastion for peace and the traditional American values of old Los Angeles.
He instantly became well-known internationally in 1969 when he held a press conference announcing the arrests of Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
and his followers for what are known as the Tate-La Bianca murders. His role is well-documented in the book Helter Skelter, written by Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
, the prosecutor in the case.
As the power and numbers of street gangs increased, the community of Los Angeles became the victim of increasing escalations of violence, intimidation, and other felonies. In response, Davis escalated police responses, authorizing the use of Terry stop
Terry stop
In the United States, a Terry stop is a brief detention of a person bypoliceon reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity but short of probable cause to arrest.The name derives from Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S...
s, large raids on gang strongholds, created the infamous anti-gang unit C.R.A.S.H, and increasingly forceful and violent means of securing suspects such as chokeholds during arrests. Although the chokeholds were less violent than older pre-War era methods of beating recalcritrent suspects, they were also more forceful and were often applied until the suspect passed out. By the time the policy was halted in May 1982 by the Police Commission, 15 people had died. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a lawsuit seeking an injunction to halt the practice permanently, because Adolph Lyons could not prove that there was a substantial and immediate likelihood that he personally would be choked again. City of Los Angeles v. Lyons
City of Los Angeles v. Lyons
City of Los Angeles v. Lyons, 461 U.S. 95 was a United States Supreme Court decision holding that the plaintiff, Adolph Lyons, lacked standing to challenge the city police department's alleged chokehold policy. Lyons, an African American, had been subjected to a chokehold after being stopped for...
, .
Davis increased resources toward monitoring and investigating political circles and simultaneously attempted to squash vice. In 1972, Hayden White
Hayden White
Hayden White is a historian in the tradition of literary criticism, perhaps most famous for his work Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe...
, acting as sole plaintiff, brought suit against Davis, alleging the illegal expenditure of public funds in connection with covert intelligence gathering by police at UCLA. The covert activities included police officers registering as students, taking notes of discussions occurring in classes, and making police reports on these discussions. White v. Davis, at 762. The Supreme Court found for White in a unanimous decision. This case set the standard that determines the limits of legal police surveillance of political activity in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; police cannot engage in such surveillance in the absence of reasonable suspicion of a crime ("Lockyer Manual").
Under Davis the LAPD and its vice squad were known for active policing against gays. Zealous officers are purported to have dangled a youth over a cliff to try to make him reveal names of a pedophile ring. On April 10, 1976 over a hundred officers, with Davis present, raided a charitable "slave auction" event and bragged to reporters that they had freed the slaves. Dozens of men were detained on charges of violating an 1899 anti-slavery statute, but the expensive raid was criticized by the city council and no one was convicted.
Davis was often known for some of his colorful language. For instance, in one of his most famous off-the-cuff news comments, Davis said, in 1972, concerning airline hijackers: "I recommend we have a portable gallows, and after we have the death penalty back in, we conduct a rapid trial for a hijacker out there, and hang him with due process out there at the airport."
Davis retired in 1978 to run for Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
but lost the Republican primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. Two years later, he was elected to the California State Senate. He would serve for 12 years (during the first two years of which Tom McClintock
Tom McClintock
Thomas Miller McClintock II is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator...
served as his Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
). Davis additionally lost a bid in the Republican primary for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1986. In contrast to his earlier policy of actively investigating the homosexual movement, as a Senator he supported a gay rights protection bill. He also became a vocal environmentalist in his later years.http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-davis23apr23,0,5859140.story?page=2&coll=la-home-headlines
In 1992, when he decided to retire from the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
, he went out of his way to recruit former State Assemblywoman
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
Marion W. La Follette
Marion W. La Follette
Marion W. La Follette is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican party.-Early career:La Follette began her political career in the '60s as an aide to then Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty. In 1969 she won a seat on the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees...
to run for his seat. This despite the fact that the area's current Assemblywoman, Cathie Wright
Cathie Wright
Cathie M. Wright is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican party.-Early career:...
, had already declared for the seat.
The last TV interview with Davis was videotaped in March 2002 where he recalled his years as LAPD Chief and described the values and traits necessary to be a successful Chief of Police. He also related his impressions of a young LAPD Lt. named Bernard Parks who went on to become Chief. In this interview he described how he implemented the "community policing" program during his administration. The hour long interview was conducted by Emmy Award winning host Leslie Dutton on the Full Disclosure Network.
Ed Davis died from pneumonia, on April 22, 2006, in San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
. He was 89. At the time of his death, Davis was survived by his wife, Bobbie Nash Davis; three children from his first marriage to Virginia Davis, a son, Michael Edward Davis, a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, and two daughters, Mary Ellen Burde and Christine Coey; four stepchildren; and 10 grandchildren.