0:01

Just a quick warning. This episode has some explicit language.

0:03

When

0:03

footage

0:03

of

0:03

Rodney

0:03

King's

0:03

beating

0:03

took

0:03

over

0:03

the

0:08

news. Daryl gates had been to Los Angeles police chief for nearly 13 years under gates.

0:14

The LAPD had built a reputation for toughness.

0:16

The chief didn't do political correctness.

0:19

He stood up for his officers.

0:21

He was the cops cop, but even the chief, the face of the LAPD knew that he couldn't defend a behavior caught on George holiday's video camera Five

0:31

days after the incident LA police chief Daryl gates recommended felony prosecution for the officers who beat king.

0:38

And he vowed to discipline the 12 officers who watched This

0:42

is not representation of the good work of Los Angeles police department.

0:46

And you won't find anyone.

0:49

You will not find a police officer in this, in this city that will in any way, attempt to justify what those officers did.

1:00

Gates might've hoped he could blame the right knee kingdom sedan on a few bad apples and move on, but that's not the way the public saw it.

1:06

Two thirds of LA residents believe the LAPD regularly used excessive force.

1:11

According to a Los Angeles times poll local black activist called for gates as resignation soon, they were joined by the ACLU and the local chapter of the AFL CIO.

1:21

Two weeks after the beating, the editorial board of the Los Angeles times to come around.

1:27

The newspaper said that the king case was a symptom of a larger problem issues with command and control training and the values of LAPD officers, gates that and solve those problems.

1:39

And in some cases had exacerbated them the paper road.

1:43

If he is a true Patriot of the city and a true believer in the LAPD for the good of Los Angeles, he should resign.

1:51

The chief was facing the most dire crisis of his career.

1:55

The

1:55

day

1:55

after

1:55

that

1:55

LA

1:55

times

1:55

editorial

1:55

was

2:01

published. Gates was scheduled to speak before the city council Alatorre

2:06

Bernardi Brunson, bratty Farrell Flores Yaroslavsky Ferraro, 10 council members present, and a quorum Mr.

2:12

President Gates turned up late.

2:14

So the meeting began with public comment.

2:16

Public Confidence has been shaken to the core.

2:19

Clearly there's no confidence in the police chief at this time.

2:23

Gates must go. That is, that is just it.

2:25

The bottom line gates must go.

2:28

Now, There was never a time when I saw That's

2:32

Zev Yaroslavsky.

2:33

He was a member of the LA city council in practice.

2:37

Just the police chief was, was very powerful and the department was very powerful.

2:41

LAPD was the most powerful political force in the city.

2:46

Eventually gates took a seat in front of the council.

2:48

He wasn't there to apologize or offer concessions gates was there to make a demand.

2:53

He wanted the council to make a statement of support for him and the LAPD.

2:58

I Just say, once again, this is your police department.

3:01

This is a police department that has supported you.

3:03

Each of you, you know that we are there when, when your constituents ask us to be there, you know that we do our very, very best to inquire into any, any complaint that comes to your attention.

3:17

What if you let this police department down, if you don't speak out on behalf of the men and women, the Los Angeles police department to their serve the people, this city.

3:27

Well, if you don't do that at this crucial moment in our history, and I'm going to tell you, you're going to have a police department that is not going to be the kind of department that you want, the kind of department that the people expect, the kind of department that people deserve.

3:42

It just is not going to be there.

3:45

City council member, Michael Booth had a question for gates.

3:48

They want to know. Did you mean that as a threat?

3:50

In other words, that if, if, if I or other members of the council are going to be criticizing you or the department, are you saying that you will, will withhold support of these neighborhood or street services to fight crime in our districts?

4:07

That is the most insulting thing I have heard on this council floor and all the time I've been here and I've been here a lot longer than you've been alive.

4:15

Absolutely not.

4:18

It's a professional organization.

4:20

What do you think we are?

4:21

That is an insulting, insulting question.

4:27

Whoo told me recently that for him, that exchange with Gerald Gates was a turning point.

4:32

I'm basically a fairly mild-mannered person, but I reached my living.

4:36

You know, the chief had stepped over the threshold that I could tolerate.

4:44

We'll thought the tide might finally be turning against gates and the LAPD, he had been on the council for six years and was hoping to run for higher office will realize that calling for gates to go would be a way to get some attention.

4:57

I was having these phone conversations with my political consultant, figuring out, is this the time should I, should I do this or not?

5:05

And then I was also trying to do this before other members of the council were doing it.

5:11

That was also a consideration.

5:13

It was, if it was worth doing, I shouldn't be number two or number three, I should do it when I can still be the first one to speak out A

5:25

week after gates appeared before the council, we'll call it a news conference at city hall.

5:30

The time has come for chief gates to resign.

5:34

Michael Wu was the first elected city officials who call for gates to step down.

5:41

This is slow bird. I'm your host.

5:43

Joel Anderson, the Rodney king tape had exposed.

5:48

The brutality of Daryl. Gates is LAPD to the world.

5:51

Now the city's most powerful institutions were calling for an end to gates this career and to the department's culture of contempt that he embodied.

5:59

But the chief had no plans to go without a fight.

6:02

How

6:02

did

6:02

Los

6:02

Angeles

6:02

respond

6:02

in

6:02

the

6:02

face

6:02

of

6:02

video

6:02

evidence

6:02

of

6:02

its

6:02

cops

6:02

at

6:02

their

6:09

worst? Could anyone hold the LAPD to account?

6:12

And what happened when LA political establishment went toe to toe with Daryl gates?

6:17

This is episode three.

6:20

The chief Slow

6:28

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6:59

Daryl gates was a 23 year old college senior.

7:01

When he found out that his wife was pregnant, he'd hoped to go to law school, but now we had a family to provide for.

7:08

So he dropped out of college to join the LAPD.

7:11

It was 1949.

7:13

Within

7:13

a

7:18

year. Gates was promoted from patrol officer to, for police chief bill Parker.

7:22

It turned out to be a plum assignment.

7:25

He studied at the right-hand of Parker and that had an influence.

7:30

That's Jim Newton. He covered law enforcement for the LA times.

7:34

Certainly starting with Parker.

7:36

The department saw itself and men Parker is really responsible for a lot of this as a paramilitary organization, primarily white, almost all male and viewed its fundamental charge as maintaining the peace Parker's

7:55

police department help maintain the racial hierarchy of Los Angeles.

7:59

He sanctioned segregated patrols and only begrudgingly hired black and Mexican-American officers.

8:04

His mostly white police force brutally enforced the racial boundaries of the city.

8:10

Her notoriously a racist among other things would, was reputed to find police officer candidates at KU Klux Klan.

8:19

Right? Once during an interview, Parker said black people who migrated to the city had flooded a community that wasn't prepared to meet them.

8:28

He added, we didn't ask these people to come here.

8:32

It was a department that really saw itself as the thin blue line, right?

8:37

I mean, it really believed that in its absence, the violence of Los Angeles would just spread across the city.

8:44

And instead of being tamped down, Gates

8:47

spent 15 months driving Parker around in a Buick Dynaflow.

8:50

He described the experience as a tutorial on how to be a, that time in the driver's seat, served gates.

8:57

Well, he rose to the LAPD ranks at a steady clip, becoming a Sergeant, then a Lieutenant, then a captain, and then a commander in 1965.

9:07

Gates was charged with leading the department's response to the Watts riots.

9:12

Six days of unrest that began when a traffic stop turned violent, more than 30,000 people participated in the riots.

9:21

It began with police and rioters clashing on a hot Wednesday night.

9:23

Some believe it could have been stopped, right? Then if law officers moved in and forced and sealed up the area, perhaps so perhaps not, but within a matter of hours, it was completely out of hand.

9:34

The Watts riots were a shocking event in the psyche of Los Angeles.

9:38

I think among those who are most startled by them were liberal leaders who thought the depth of these problems were already behind LA During

9:49

the riots Parker empowered gates to put the rebellion down by force gates, use mass arrests more than 3,400 to restore order to the area 34 people died during those six days, 23 of them at the hands of the police and national guard property damage was estimated at $40 million, about 351 million in today's dollars.

10:11

In

10:11

the

10:11

years

10:11

after

10:11

the

10:11

Watts

10:11

riots

10:11

gates,

10:11

his

10:11

profile

10:11

grew,

10:11

he

10:11

created

10:11

a

10:11

new

10:11

unit

10:11

within

10:11

the

10:11

LAPD

10:11

special

10:11

weapons

10:11

and

10:11

tactics

10:11

or

10:23

SWAT. It was the first SWAT team in the country.

10:25

The idea was to better equip the police to fight the guerrilla style warfare gates claimed as officers encountered in Watts, he went on to speak about riot control to agencies all over the country.

10:38

After

10:38

Parker's

10:38

death

10:38

in

10:38

1966,

10:38

gates

10:38

was

10:38

promoted

10:38

to

10:38

deputy

10:38

chief

10:38

and

10:38

then

10:38

a

10:38

year

10:38

later

10:38

to

10:38

assistant

10:47

chief. Finally in 1978, the city's police commission selected him to lead the LAPD here's former council member, Zev Yaroslavsky.

10:58

He was the most moderate of the top three candidates.

11:01

So everybody thought he was going to be a, you know, a guy we could work with kind of thing.

11:05

And, and it didn't turn out that Like

11:12

his predecessor bill Parker gates projected the power of the police.

11:15

He was tall tan and always impeccably dressed.

11:20

I mean, this is LA, he was the celebrity.

11:22

He had the uniform, you know, he was Guy

11:26

that's Dermot givens.

11:28

He was a law student and community organizer in south central LA.

11:33

I know who my daddy is. I know Daryl gates, Gates

11:39

followed Parker's example. In another way, he took an aggressive approach to policing Les minority communities.

11:45

They had The squads that were, I forget what they call them in LA, but you know, the cars that would go around and black folks, she has new that's the car.

11:55

They will, they get you. They will beat your ass.

11:57

And it was high to keep niggas in place.

12:03

Gates use the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles as an opportunity to hire more officers addressing his longtime complaint that the LAPD was undermanned.

12:12

He mostly deployed those officers in LA black and Latino neighborhoods calling them gang sweeps.

12:18

They'll pitch this a security measure for the Olympics.

12:21

The sweeps continued long after the closing ceremony over the next five years, citizen complaints about excessive force by LAPD officers rose 33% that McNeil Lara NewsHour sat down with gates for a long interview in the wake of the king beating gates made no apologies for focusing his policing efforts on black neighborhoods Question,

12:45

we do spend a good deal of our time in the black community.

12:48

There is a great deal of crime in that community.

12:51

There's been a great deal of violence in that community.

12:53

And so we spend time trying to protect the people, trying to do our very best to ferret out the crime.

13:01

That means we're going to contact many people who have not done anything, but we are inquiring into what they have done or what they might be done be doing because we have no way of ascertaining, whether they're good or bad people, Gates

13:16

could be even more direct than that at a us Senate hearing in 1990, he said casual drug users ought to be taken out and shot.

13:24

And he wants, suggested that black people were more vulnerable to death from show colds than what he called normal people.

13:32

Zev. Yaroslavsky Some

13:34

horrible comments about the veins of the arteries of, of black people have always wondered.

13:41

Where did he get that? You know, who, who, who whispered that in his ear?

13:44

That was such a bizarre thing, but no, nobody said, well, he could have, he could have left the city on fire with that comment.

13:51

We're going to fire him.

13:53

No, because he knew he couldn't fire him.

13:56

Yaroslavsky and his fellow council members didn't have the authority to fire gates.

14:00

According to the Los Angeles city charter, the only group that did have the power to get rid of the chief was the city's police commission.

14:07

And even they were extremely constrained in what they could do.

14:12

Counsel couldn't fire him. The American firearm, only the police commission could fire them.

14:15

You could only remove a police chief in the same way.

14:20

You could remove any other civil servant. You have to remove them for cause he had to commit a crime moral turpitude.

14:25

So you can't just fire somebody because he makes a ridiculously racist comment.

14:30

You can't, you couldn't do that. Legally.

14:32

He'd go to court. He'd stop you.

14:33

So there was never, it was never an issue of whether he would be fired.

14:37

The issue is whether at the end he could be persuaded to leave The

14:44

city charter, put the mayor in a tough spot.

14:46

Tom Bradley was the first black mayor of Los Angeles as a black liberal in a city with the predominantly white voter base.

14:53

Bradley was vulnerable to the perception that he was soft on crime.

14:57

That stereotype had heard him in the 1969 mayor's race, which he lost to incumbent Sam Yardi.

15:06

Bradley was scarred by the 1969 mayoral campaign.

15:09

He never got over it psychologically.

15:12

So when there were reforms to be proposed and implemented, he wasn't the leader, he wasn't the alpha dog.

15:20

He, he let the police commission do it because the last thing he wanted to do was have a York city guy or, or Yardi himself who was still on television in those days to say told you, so look what he's doing.

15:32

You know, he's, he's handcuffing. The police Bradley

15:36

had started off his career as a police officer and the LAPD, he and gates were no friends of each other.

15:42

Jim Newton.

15:44

Why did they dislike each other so much?

15:46

My sense from Bradley's perspective is that Bradley grew up in the LAPD and he knew how bad it could be.

15:52

So I, you know, when allegations started coming out about police misconduct and particularly racially motivated police misconduct, Bradley had every reason to believe that they were true on the other side.

16:05

Gates's Pollstar the principle by which he set his watch was don't let politicians interfere in the operations of the boy's department.

16:14

And now what does he have to deal with is a politician who came from the police department, who knows exactly what its weak points are and who is determined to work on it.

16:23

So from gates, his perspective Bradley as the ultimate threat to his autonomy and Therese department's autonomy, The

16:32

king beating gave Bradley and opening.

16:33

He didn't have the authority to fire the chief, but suddenly he could make Gates's life.

16:38

Very, very uncomfortable.

16:40

More on that.

16:42

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18:06

Tom

18:06

Bradley

18:06

began

18:06

his

18:06

campaign

18:06

to

18:06

Al

18:06

scapes

18:06

by

18:06

playing

18:06

an

18:06

inside

18:17

game. He stocked the police commission with allies who he hoped would support a campaign to get gates out, any began assembling a blue ribbon commission to build a case for reform.

18:27

A blue ribbon commission is something politicians usually put together where they want to put off acting on an issue.

18:33

The commission listens to testimony and here's a wide range of views.

18:38

And then issues a report that's mostly ignored, but Bradley wanted a commission that could make a real impact.

18:44

He was looking for a blueprint to fix the problems that had plagued the LAPD for decades, and he hoped to build a damning case against gates.

18:52

So Bradley reached out to Warren, Christopher.

18:55

Christopher

18:55

was

18:55

a

18:55

national

18:55

hero,

18:55

a

18:55

decade

18:55

earlier

18:55

as

18:55

Jimmy

18:55

Carter's,

18:55

deputy

18:55

secretary

18:55

of

19:04

state. He had negotiated the release of 52 American hostages from Iran 15 years before that he served on the state commission that investigated the Watts riots.

19:13

That group had assembled a thick report on the social problems that it fed into the riots with detailed proposals for solutions.

19:21

Most of them were never implemented.

19:23

Christopher didn't want to repeat that experience.

19:26

Here's John Spiegel who worked alongside Christopher.

19:31

His point of view was we're not just going to have another commission.

19:35

And so when Chris took on the LAPD reform, it was we're going to make things happen.

19:43

And he knew that the LAPD needed radical change.

19:48

And you know, he probably also knew he was the only guy who could really make it happen With

19:54

Christopher. At his side, Tom Bradley was newly emboldened at the age of 73.

19:59

And in the Twilight of his political career, Bradley thought he might finally be able to take down as long time nemesis the day after the mayor announced his new commission, he called Daryl gates to his office.

20:12

Today. I met with police chief Daryl gates at that meeting.

20:16

I called upon TPA to resign as chief of police Jim

20:20

Newton. I don't know. So

20:22

at what point Bradley decided the gates had to go.

20:27

And whether this was sort of opportunistic on Bradley's part to fulfill a longstanding ambition, to get gates out of there, or to what degree he just believed that the time had finally come.

20:38

I don't know the answer to that, but at some point it became both Two

20:42

days later, the police commission, which Bradley had loaded up with allies announced that it was putting gates on a 60 day paid leave of absence.

20:50

Gates was furious.

20:52

I feel that I have been disgraced and defame, and I think it is a tragedy.

20:57

It will not heal the wounds of the setting Gates.

21:01

The suspension didn't last long.

21:03

He threatened to Sue the city.

21:04

It was back at his desk. The next day, the first attempt to rein in gates had failed later that same day gates attended a fundraising luncheon in the San Fernando valley.

21:17

The chief ended the crowded ballroom to a standing ovation.

21:22

The focus of the city's heated debate got a warm welcome at a luncheon hosted by his supporters.

21:26

Organizers

21:26

had

21:26

to

21:26

make

21:26

room

21:26

for

21:26

several

21:26

hundred

21:26

extra

21:26

people

21:26

who

21:26

showed

21:26

up

21:26

chief

21:26

gates

21:26

shared

21:26

the

21:26

day

21:26

as

21:26

with

21:26

George

21:26

holiday,

21:26

the

21:26

man

21:26

who

21:26

shot

21:26

the

21:26

Rodney

21:26

king

21:26

video

21:38

tape. It's the guy that never goes to the movies and loves home movies, lousy movie helicopters, the lighting would have been horrible.

21:52

So this was the situation that Warren Christopher had agreed to step into a public beef between the city's first black mayor and a powerful police chief with a strong base of support.

22:02

Christopher had to tread carefully.

22:09

I know he was very sensitive about, could he be seen as independent because of the rivalry and because of the fact that apparently the mayor already thought that the chief should go.

22:25

So he was very concerned about that.

22:30

That's Andrea Sheridan, Oregon.

22:31

She was one of the 10 members of the commission.

22:33

Christopher wanted his commission to be seen as fair and impartial.

22:37

He faced one challenge right away.

22:40

Gates had announced his own plan to restore confidence in the LAPD, including a commission with all the members appointed by Daryl gates.

22:50

You must look for any and all conditions that may have contributed to the development of attitudes and patterns of behavior that could have led to this kind of gross misconduct That

23:00

put Christopher in a tough spot.

23:01

If gates launched a rival group, his own commission would be seen as representing Bradley side.

23:07

So he set out to do something very clever and very difficult to persuade gates, his commission to combine forces with his own.

23:15

John Spiegel served as general counsel for the Christopher commission.

23:19

I remember at the time, you know, I just signed up with him to do this saying, Chris, you know, you're crazy.

23:25

You're never going to get the gates commission to merge with, you know, your commission and let you be the chairman Spiegel's.

23:33

And Christopher drove to orange county to meet with the head of gates panel, retired, California Supreme court justice.

23:39

John Arguayo says We

23:41

had lunch in the restaurant, in the office there in Newport beach and Chris cut this deal.

23:48

And so that was the first miracle.

23:53

The unified commission had 10 members, including our and two others from gates.

23:58

This group, they had a broad mandate to investigate almost every aspect of policing in Los Angeles.

24:04

And as autobiography gates said, the two commissions merged with his consent.

24:08

Warren Christopher set a deadline of 100 days.

24:12

I asked commission member, Andrea Sheridan Orton.

24:15

If that timeline sounded ambitious, I

24:18

have vicious to the extreme and vicious to the extreme.

24:21

You know, even by that time, I'd been doing commissions and, and various reports.

24:28

And so I I'd worked on these things before, but they didn't have that, that, that engine, that this had Warren Christopher was able and Bradley and others, they were all able to say, this is important.

24:44

This is not going to be a waste of your time.

24:48

The commissioners were assisted by 60 staff attorneys.

24:50

Most from elite law firms around town.

24:53

They rented a floor in a downtown high rise tower and held public hearings in local churches in schools, Sheridan, Oregon, worried that that establishment makeup meant the commission and its staff couldn't possibly address the concerns of the streets They've

25:08

driven for years and never, ever been stopped for a tail light or a, a windshield wiper that was not working properly.

25:19

The commission and its staff were largely white and white collar, but they made an effort to bring in other perspectives, Mr.

25:26

Chris was like, yeah, we're going to do something.

25:28

We need black people.

25:29

You know, especially like law students to getting engaged and stay engaged.

25:34

And Dermot

25:36

givens was president of the black law students association at the university of west Los Angeles.

25:41

I needed to be involved in it because these are the white folks that have the power and are going to do something about it.

25:47

So if you're serious about making change, you need to stay engaged with this process.

25:53

The commission interviewed 500 current and retired LAPD officers and 50 expert witnesses.

25:58

Community members were invited to speak at public hearings around the city.

26:03

No, first of all, black folks want to vent.

26:04

You don't want to ask a question.

26:06

They want to tell you In

26:08

May, 1991, givens write a short prepared statement to an audience that included the commission and other community members.

26:17

being violated every day by Los Angeles police officers use of unnecessary and excessive force At

26:24

two audiences. One, the powers that be the white folks, the Warren Christopher's to understand that as black folks are concerned about this, but I wanted the people in the room, you know, it's like preacher, I wanted them to be with me that they didn't look at me like some sellout nigga that's at law school Givens

26:44

closed by telling the audience that he was willing to give the commission a chance As

26:49

expressed by previous speakers agenda or this condition with skepticism.

26:54

However, as Mr.

26:56

Christopher had suggested, I put my skepticism aside and come here with an open mind, And

27:06

I want the audience to know I got the same skepticism that you have.

27:10

And you're here for the same reason, because we're all here because we think this is the vehicle to make change.

27:16

But we know we've been down this road so many times and it might be hope, but there's a little hope, a whole lot of hope.

27:26

Let's take a quick break.

27:27

Slow

27:27

burn

27:27

is

27:27

brought

27:27

to

27:27

you

27:27

by

27:27

better

27:27

help

27:27

is

27:27

something

27:27

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27:27

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27:27

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27:27

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27:27

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27:43

goals. What interferes with your happiness?

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28:29

H E L p.com/slow burn On Friday, June 14th, 1991, Darryl gates set before a room packed with staffers for his interview, with the Christopher commission, a majority of people on the commission had become increasingly certain that gates needed to go.

28:52

They believe that the LAPD had a culture of contempt for the public and that it was gates who set the tone.

28:57

This interview would be a chance to prove that he was unfit to lead the department.

29:01

So Warren Christopher approached the interview strategically.

29:05

He decided that John Spiegel, a former prosecutor would be the only one to question gate, Chris

29:12

and I spent a lot of time talking about it beforehand.

29:14

And the point was to be very deferential.

29:17

So it was not the kind of Perry Mason, cross-examination where you say, don't you admit to being a shitty chief of police like that.

29:28

Right? So it was very respectful, but you know, our theory was that gates would basically hang himself.

29:35

You get a sense that he knew that he was fighting for his job and ultimately his legacy.

29:41

No, he was so supremely confident when he felt him pregnant.

29:47

Well, thank you. Right? And I don't have any initial statement.

29:51

I'd rather just go forward. As John knows, I'll probably do a lot of elaborating as we go forward.

29:57

He's already told me that he will try and control the questioning, but that you're totally uncontrolled.

30:02

I

30:02

always

30:02

tell

30:02

the

30:08

truth.

30:12

As the session began, gates was on his best behavior.

30:14

He spoke at length about the difficulty of police work and the challenges facing his department.

30:19

He came across as charming commanding coolly, analytical.

30:23

The commission had reviewed more than a hundred thousand pages of messages that officers sent through computers in their patrol cars.

30:30

They included hundreds of racist, sexist, and homophobic comments.

30:34

Some of them joked about beating and shooting suspects, Spiegel S gates, what the department was doing about the officers who sent those messages.

30:43

We have district, But

30:45

obviously that's that not had enough enough impact and the officers are still using it and using it in a highly improper Ray.

30:54

Yeah. If at all possible, we'll do something that's positive out of this or bring something positive.

30:59

We can stop it. We will stop it, the auditing and we'll stop it.

31:02

Discipline. We'll stop it. And that will take place very soon.

31:08

Spiegel continued to press. Do you think, I

31:10

think that these, some of these comments are reflective of fundamental attitudes and comments about monkey, slapping time and comments about few encounter, Nico shoot first and ask questions later and you know, are these reflective on the part of some officers?

31:28

Obviously not all officers, You

31:31

know, I, my police officers working the garbage pail all the time, you know, they're constantly working in a very, very difficult arena and a very difficult arena.

31:44

And some of them get very cynical.

31:46

Some get very hard.

31:47

Some

31:47

of,

31:47

some

31:47

of

31:47

them

31:47

are

31:51

frightened. Some of them are stressed.

31:52

And

31:52

when

31:52

you

31:52

are

31:52

frightened

31:52

or

31:52

stressed,

31:52

a

31:52

lot

31:52

of

31:52

these

31:52

things,

31:52

things

31:52

come

31:52

out

31:52

that

31:52

perhaps

31:52

not,

31:52

not

31:52

to

31:52

come

31:52

out,

32:01

Not surprisingly gates was indicating he had more sympathy for officers accused of abuse.

32:06

Therefore the victims of their abuse about now we're into the interview.

32:10

Spiegel started to push gates on the fact that he'd already held his position for 13 years.

32:16

Experts had told the commission that that was too long for anyone to serve as chief gates suggested that he might've left already, if not for his critics

32:25

and

32:25

probably

32:25

if

32:25

people

32:25

leave

32:25

me

32:25

alone,

32:25

I

32:25

would've

32:25

left

32:25

sometime

32:33

ago. Gates was on the defensive and I'm a plan To

32:36

grow three to five years. I thought that's, that's going to be enough to be chief of police.

32:40

The Olympics, the Olympics came along.

32:43

I wanted to go through that. I thought that was a, a real challenge.

32:46

I wanted to meet that challenge.

32:47

I went through that had thoughts of retiring and there's been one thing after another.

32:53

And part of it has been controversy.

32:55

And part of it has been a desire to accomplish some things that I think needed to be accomplished.

33:02

And I, and I look up had things gone a little bit differently.

33:08

I probably would have been.

33:11

And his closing statement, gates acts the commission to help rebuild public support for him and the LAPD.

33:16

It was the same request he'd made to the city council almost three months earlier.

33:21

Then he carried himself with the swagger.

33:24

Now he seemed concerned that the commission might be a problem for him.

33:29

I think the job is true. We build confidence and I hope the effort of the commission is aimed at that and not a total disruption and change and a remodeling of the police department.

33:42

It is a troubling time in the city of Los Angeles.

33:46

I wish it were not so Gates

33:50

his appearance before the Christopher commission didn't help him.

33:53

But another LAPD veteran heard him even more Me.

33:57

I opened up honestly, be evaluated.

34:01

Daryl gates are performance.

34:05

That's David Dodson. He had served in the LAPD for 33 years.

34:09

Rising to assistant chief gates described Datsun is one of his closest confidant.

34:15

And to tell you the truth, I spent some sleepless nights before my testimony, trying to figure out what I should do.

34:24

And I finally said, well, to thine own self, be true.

34:29

You

34:29

know,

34:29

let

34:29

the

34:29

chips

34:29

fall

34:29

where

34:29

they

34:29

may

34:29

and

34:29

they

34:35

fell. All right.

34:40

I have a couple of caveats that I'd like to make at the very beginning is that I'm David Dotson.

34:46

And the things you hear from me are my opinions In

34:50

the past. That's an express reservations internally about gates, his approach to policing in south central LA, even in a senior position, Dotson struggled to be heard.

35:00

Now we finally had a receptive audience Essentially,

35:04

and I'm painting with a very broad brush, but essentially in the last 13 years in the Los Angeles police department with a couple of very moldable exceptions, we have not had it in my opinion, at the top very effective leadership.

35:21

I thought that Darryl had outlived his usefulness is achieved.

35:26

So I was not real kind to him.

35:32

That's been talked about gates and ability to hold anyone accountable.

35:35

Rats. I believe we have failed miserably in is Holding

35:40

people accountable for the actions of their people.

35:43

How high does that accountability Go

35:46

all the way I'm not held accountable?

35:49

I screw things up and the worst he can do is get a pound expression on his face.

35:57

That's an also plainly stated what he thought needed to be done to fix the department itself.

36:03

What you're saying, maybe this putting it too directly, is that what the department needs as new leadership?

36:09

I, that is very direct and it's very difficult for me to say that, but that's exactly what I believe.

36:14

All right.

36:16

It's exactly what I believe.

36:20

John Spiegel guide that testimony with Datsun, It

36:23

was really refreshing to have somebody come in and just tell it the way it was.

36:27

I just think it had a big impact.

36:29

It was like, holy shit.

36:34

A later interview with another assistant chief Jesse Brewer bolstered Dotson's case prior to his retirement.

36:40

A few days before the king beating brewer was the highest ranking black officer in LAPD history.

36:46

His words carried extra weight.

36:49

How would you rate the leadership of the department during the 13 years that chief gates NRG for police?

36:57

That's

36:57

a

36:57

difficult

37:01

question. I know I would not give him a good grade in his handling of discipline.

37:06

What grade would you give him?

37:07

I would probably give him a D I think I would be generous in giving him a D and discipline because I felt the way in which discipline was really not for the best for the department, nor for the people, the city, The

37:24

testimony of Dotson and brewer confirmed that something needed to be done about Daryl gates, but what's the commission partially appointed by the chief himself in a city charter that hamstrung all of the political forces in Los Angeles.

37:36

The question was how let's

37:40

take another break.

37:41

If

37:41

you're

37:41

listening

37:41

to

37:41

this

37:41

show,

37:41

then

37:41

you're

37:41

probably

37:41

a

37:41

fan

37:41

of

37:41

unique

37:41

and

37:41

interesting

37:50

stories. I want to tell you about pocket pocket is a website and app that finds the most interesting thought provoking and entertaining articles from trusted sources around the internet and puts them all in one place low on time pocket lets you save articles as well as anything else you find online like videos, recipes, and shopping pages to your personal pocket for digging into later pocket will even read the stories you saved aloud to you.

38:16

Like a podcast of back-to-back articles want to go deep on a topic.

38:20

They have some incredible curated collections that are hand-selected by pocket editors or an expert pocket partner like me.

38:27

Want to learn more about what we discussed on season six, a slow burn, go to pocket.com/slate and check out burn to see my collection Warren Christopher wanted the conclusions of his commission to be unanimous.

38:44

The majority of the commissioners wanted to call for gates as ouster, but a couple of the members who gates it originally appointed to his own commission.

38:52

Weren't ready to go that far.

38:55

And Chris said, you focus on the evidence.

38:56

Let me worry about that.

38:58

So he worked these guys one by one and eventually brought them around.

39:08

One of the holdouts was Richard mosque, an attorney who served under the commission that investigated the assassination of John F.

39:14

Kennedy. Chris, I would go running with him at five in the morning because they lived, they both lived near each other in Beverly Hills.

39:21

And so they chat Moscow

39:24

eventually sided with the rest of the group, the Christopher commission, even those who were originally appointed by Daryl gates would call for the chief's resignation.

39:32

Once

39:32

Christopher

39:32

had

39:32

finally

39:32

got

39:32

everyone

39:32

on

39:32

board,

39:32

the

39:32

commission

39:32

started

39:32

writing

39:32

the

39:40

report. They put together a 228 page document, one tightly focused on the use of excessive force.

39:47

Here's what they found a significant number of LAPD officers, repeatedly misused force, and the department made little effort to discipline or remove them.

39:57

The report also found evidence of an appreciable number of disturbing and recurrent racial remarks and an organizational culture that isolates the police from the communities and the people they serve.

40:10

The authors wrote witness after witness testified to unnecessarily aggressive confrontations between LAPD officers and citizens, particularly members of minority communities, the commission laid blame for those problems on supervising officers all the way up to gates here's commissioner, Andrea Sheridan.

40:30

Ordin There are lots and lots of paragraphs that are very careful to and balanced all the way through.

40:37

I mean all the way through. I recognize that.

40:40

But with today's roughness of language, the, what we put in there doesn't look like anything I say to anybody I think right now, but at the time this was, this was explosive.

40:57

The Christopher commission made 130 recommendations among them.

41:01

We're shifting to a community oriented form of policing and overhauling the police commission to give it more power over the chief.

41:08

But what captured headlines was the commission's recommendation for chief gates to step down and a call to change the city charter, to give the police chief term limits.

41:19

We believe that commencement of a transition and that office is now appropriate.

41:24

The report read the commission's recommendation was a significant victory for mayor Tom Bradley, who put all this in motion in the first place.

41:32

He hoped that he had finally found a way to depose Daryl gates.

41:36

This is no time to tinker with the commission solutions or to let political differences block our weight.

41:42

The commission's recommendations should be adopted as written without change, But

41:50

Darryl gates had other ideas.

41:51

He read the commission's recommendations closely and he seized on one line.

41:56

We hope that chief gates will remain in office while his successor is being chosen.

42:01

That little bit of wiggle room gave gates time to figure out his next move.

42:06

His attorney told the news hour, the chief would be in no rush to leave.

42:12

I don't see where they're urging and immediate retirement on the part of the chief city council is going to have to look at this report.

42:19

They're going to have to approve it, or we prove what portions they believe necessary.

42:23

And then they're going to have to submit it to the voters Gates.

42:27

His attorney's argument was a little slick.

42:29

Some of the commission's recommendations would have to go before the voters, but gates could resign at any time.

42:36

Gates. This position was that nothing could change until there'd been a referendum, which wouldn't take place for nearly a year.

42:42

Christopher held from other reports recommendation here.

42:46

He is talking to the news hour just after the commission's report was released.

42:49

The program devoted nearly half of their nightly broadcast to Christopher's findings.

42:55

All I can say is that our commission consisting of 10 members, three of whom were appointed by chief gates concluded on a unanimous basis that the transition and the office of chief of police should begin now.

43:09

But gates was committed to drawing this out.

43:11

He immediately retaliated against David Dodson, the assistant chief, who testified to the commission a day after the release of the report.

43:19

Gates strip Dotson of his position is the head of internal affairs.

43:24

I was very upset and then he told me he was upset.

43:27

So it was an asshole.

43:30

And you know, on and on Los

43:34

Angeles was finally ready to move past gates, but the city was still stuck with him, at least for a while for Derma givens, it was proof that the commission was a waste of time.

43:44

Oh, we got to have Hope for the future.

43:46

Well, fuck that. I don't need no hope for the future.

43:49

What about today?

43:50

I walk out here.

43:52

The police going to be fucking with me can y'all do anything about that.

43:57

It was hard to deny. LAPD largely remained intact.

44:00

Gates was still in charge and the department was still only distantly accountable to the city's elected officials at the close of his autobiography gates posted no one had run me out here's gates as attorney.

44:14

And in fact, I think it would be very detrimental to the citizens of this city and to the police department.

44:19

If he was to leave at this point, immediately, chief has always said, there's a point in his career that he would retire.

44:27

I think that things have to settle down.

44:32

Gates would remain chief for another 11 months, defiantly lingering in the job in a time of deepening crisis in Los Angeles.

44:39

During that time, no things did not settle down.

44:45

13 years are being battered, push and otherwise the tormented is a long, long time.

44:52

On the other hand, the support that I've had within this organization and with the community has been just outstanding.

45:00

And I don't expect you to just run away Next

45:13

week on slow burn. Rodney king tries to navigate his new life in the spotlight.

45:17

Oh, the only thing he could think about with the boots to the face, the boots to the ribs, the, just the beaten itself, he was having nightmares about it.

45:24

You know? So he was in bad shape.

45:28

Do you have done to deserve that?

45:30

You know, what was deserving of that?

45:32

Right, dear, I was like looking at the sky thinking, wow, why me?

45:37

And then I thought to myself, why not me?

45:42

Slow burn is a production of slate. Plus Slate's membership program.

45:45

You can sign up for slate plus to hear a bonus episode of the show this week and every week for the next two months.

45:52

And in this week's bonus episode, you'll be hearing more from Jim Newton who reported about the LAPD for the LA times, head over to slate.com/slow burn to sign up and listen.

46:04

Now it's only a dollar for your first month.

46:06

We couldn't make slow burn without the support of slate plus, so please sign up.

46:12

If you can head over to slate.com/slow burn, slow burn is produced by Jason de Leon, Ethan Brooks, Sophie, summer grad, Jasmine Ellis and me Joel Anderson, editorial direction by Josh Levine and Gabriel Roth artwork is by Jim cook.

46:32

Our theme music was composed by Don will mixing by merit.

46:35

Jacob, the audio you heard from the Christopher commission hearings is courtesy of the university of Southern California on behalf of the USC library, special collections, additional audio from archivist Michael Holland and the Los Angeles city archive office of the city clerk.

46:53

Special. Thanks to Stan, miss Rocky, Devin Schwartz, Jared Holt, lo and Lou Alison Benedict, Willa Paskin, Janae Desmond Harris, Amber Smith, bill Carrie Meredith Moran, Derek Johnson, Seth brown, racial strong child to Asha Solutia and Katie Rayford.

47:15

Thanks for listening.

47:16

If

47:16

you're

47:16

listening

47:16

to

47:16

this

47:16

show,

47:16

then

47:16

you're

47:16

probably

47:16

a

47:16

fan

47:16

of

47:16

unique

47:16

and

47:16

interesting

47:34

stories. I want to tell you about pocket pocket is a website and app that finds the most interesting thought provoking and entertaining articles from trusted sources around the internet and puts them all in one place low one time pocket lifts.

47:47

You save articles as well as anything else you find online like videos, recipes, and shopping pages to your personal pocket for digging into later pocket will even read stories.

47:58

You've saved aloud to you. Like a podcast of back-to-back articles want to go deep on a topic.

48:03

They also have some incredible curated collections that are hand selected by pocket editors or an expert pocket partner like me.

48:11

Want to learn more about what we discussed in today's episode, go to pocket.com/slate and check out slow burn to see my collection of articles that dig deep into everything we talked about.

48:22

Just quick warning. This episode has some explicit language. When footage of Rodney King's beating took over the news, Daryl Gates had been the Los Angeles police chief for nearly thirteen years. Under Gates, the LAPD had built a reputation for toughness. The chief didn't do political correctness. He stood up for his officers. He was a S6 cop. But even the chief, the face of the LAPD knew that he couldn't defend the behavior caught on George holiday's video camera. Five days after the incident, LA police chief Daryl gates recommended felony prosecution for the officers who beat Kim, and he vowed to discipline the twelve officers who watched. This is not representation of of the good work of Los Angeles Police Department, and you won't find anyone. You will not find a police officer in this in this citys will in any way attempt to justify what those officers did. Gates might have hoped he could blame the right knee king S6 on a few bad apples and move on. But that's not the way the public saw it. Two thirds of LA residents believe the LAPD regularly used excessive Two thirds of LA residents believe that De regularly used excessive force, according to a Los Angeles Times poll. Local black activists called for S6' resignation. Soon they joined by the ACLU and the local chapter of the AFL CIO. Two weeks after the beating, the editorial board of the S6 Angeles times had come around. The newspaper said that the King case was a symptom of larger problem, issues with command and control, training, and the values of LAPD officers, gates that and solve those problems, and in some cases had exacerbated them. The paper Road. If he is a true patriot of the city and a true believer in the De, for the good of Los Angeles, he should resign. The chief was facing the most dire crisis of his career. The day after that LA Times editorial was published. Gates was scheduled to speak before the city council. Please roll the roll, madam Clark. Issuatori Bernardo S6 Bradley Ferrell, Florence Glanter, Holden S6 with Yersklotsky, 4R0 ten council members, president, a quorum, mister president. Gates turned up late. S6 the meeting began with public comment. Public confidence has been shaken to the core. Clearly, there's no confidence in the police chief at this time. Gates must go. That is that is just it. The bottom line, gates must go now. There was never a time when I thought you could get rid of them. That's Zev S6 Javier S6. He was a member of the LA De Council. In practice. Just the police chief was, was very powerful and the department was very the police chief was was very powerful, and the department was very powerful. LAPD was the most powerful political force in the city. Eventually, Gates took a seat in front of the council. He wasn't there to apologize or offer concessions Gates was there to make a demand. He wanted the S6 to make a statement of support for him and the LAPD. I just say once again, this is your police department, This is a police department that has supported you, each of you. You know that we are there when when your constituents ask us to be there. You know that we do our very, very best to inquire into any any complaint that comes to your attention. But if you let this police department down, if you don't speak out on behalf of the men and women of Los Angeles Police Department and they S6 the people in this city well, You don't do that at this crucial moment in our history. And I'm gonna tell you you're gonna have a police department that is not going to be the kind of department that you want, the kind of department that the people expect, the kind of department that people deserve. It just is not going to be there. City council member, Michael Booth had a question for S6 Council member Michael Wu had a question for Gains. I want to know, did you mean that as a threat? In other words, that if if I or other members of the council are going to be criticizing you or the department, are you saying that you will will withhold S6 of these neighborhood or street services to fight crime in our S6. That is the most insulting thing I have heard on this counsel floor and all the time I've been here and I've been here a lot longer than you've been alive. Absolutely not. Is a professional organization. What do you think we are? That is an insulting S6 question. Whoo told me recently that for him, that exchange with Gerald Gates was a turning told me recently that for him, that exchange with Darryl Gates was a turning point. I'm basically a fairly mild mannered person but I I reached my limit. You know, the chief had stepped over the threshold that I could tolerate. Wuth thought the tide might finally be turning against Gates and the LAPD. He had been on the council for six years and was hoping to run for higher office. We'll realize that calling for S6 to go would be a way to get some attention. I I was having these phone conversations with my political consultant, figuring out, is this the time should I, should I do this or was having these phone conversations with my political cons consultant figuring out is this the time, should I should I do this or not? And then I was also trying to do this before other members of the council were doing it. That was also a consideration. If it was worth doing I shouldn't be number two or number 3. I should do it when I can still be the first one to speak out. A week after S6 appeared before the council. Wu called a news conference at citys The time has come for chief gates to time has come for chief gates to resign. S6 Michael Wu was the first elected city official to call for S6 to step down. This is slow is Slooper. I'm your host, Joel Anderson. The De King tape had exposed the brutality of Darryl S6 LAPD to the world. Now, the city's most powerful institutions were calling for an end to S6' career, and to the department's culture of attempt that he De, but the chief had no plans to go without a fight. How did Los Angeles respond in the face of video evidence of its cops at their S6. Could anyone hold the De to account? And what happened when LA's political establishment went toe to toe with Darryl games. This is episode three, the chief. Slow burn is brought to you by S6 burn is brought to you by Mailchimp. Mailchimp is in the business of growing businesses. So no matter what stage you're in MailChimp smart marketing platform can help you grow and get your brand out S6. So no matter what stage you're in, Mailchimp's smart marketing platform can help you grow and get your brand out there. You're more than a small business, and MailChimp's got intelligent marketing tools to help you grow it with marketing automation, design tools, and recommendations that all work together to help you sell more more than a small business, and Mailchimp's got intelligent marketing tools to help you grow it. With marketing automation, design tools, and recommendations all work together to help you sell more stuff. MailChimp built for growing Mailchimp, built for growing businesses. Daryl gates was a 23 year old college S6 was a twenty three year old college senior when he found out that his wife was pregnant. He'd hoped to go to law S6, but now we had a family to provide for. So dropped out of college to join the LAPD. It was forty nine. Within a year, Gates was promoted from patrol officer to show firm for police chief Bill Parker. It turned out to be a plumb assignment. He studied at the right hand of Parker and that had an influence on Gates. That's Jim S6 Jim Newton. He covered law enforcement for the LA Times. Certainly starting with S6, starting with Parker. The department saw itself and Parker is really responsible for a lot of this as a paramilitary organization primarily white, almost all male, and viewed its fundamental charge as maintaining the peace. Parker's police department help maintain the racial hierarchy of Los police department helped maintain the racial hierarchy of Los Angeles. He sanctioned segregated patrols, and only begrudgingly hired black and Mexican American officers. His mostly white police force brutally enforced the racial boundaries of the S6, Parker notoriously a racist among other things would was reputed to find police officer candidates at S6 clan rallies. Once during an interview, Parker said black people who migrated to the city had, quote, flooded a community that wasn't prepared to meet them. De added, we didn't ask these people to come here. It was an apartment that really saw itself as the thin blue line. Right? I mean, I really believed that in in its absence, the violence of Los Angeles would just spread across the city instead of being tamped down. Gabe spent fifteen months driving Parker around in a Buick DynaFlo. He described the experience as a tutorial on how to be a chief. That time in the driver's seat served Gates well. He roasted the LAPD ranks at a steady clip, becoming a sergeant, then a lieutenant, then a captain, and then a commander. In nineteen sixty five, Gates was charged with leading the department's response to the S6 arrives. 6 days of unrest that began when a traffic S6 turned violent. More than thirty thousand people participated in the Citys began with police and rioters clashing on a hot Wednesday night. Some believe it could have been stopped right then if law officers moved in and forced and sealed up the area. Perhaps so, perhaps not. But within a matter of hours, it was completely out of hand. The Watts riots were a shocking event in the psyche of Los S6 riots were up, shocking event in the psyche of Los Angeles. I think among those who are most startled by them were liberal leaders who thought the depth of these problems were already behind LA I I think among those who were most startled by them were liberal leaders who thought The deaths of these problems were already behind LA. During the riots, Parker empowered Gates to put the rebellion down by force. Gates S6 mass arrests, More than thirty four hundred to restore order to the area. Thirty four people died during those six days. Twenty three of them at the hands of the police and National Property damage was estimated at forty million dollars, about three fifty one million dollars in today's dollars. In the years after the S6 riots, Gates' profile grew. He created a new unit within the LAPD. Special weapons and tactics or SWAT. It was the first SWAT team in the country. The idea was to better equip the police to fight the Gorilla style warfare, Gates claimed his officers encountered and was. He went on to speak about riot control to agencies all over the country. After Parker's death in nineteen sixty six, Gates was promoted to deputy chief, and then a year later to assistant chief. Finally, in nineteen seventy eight, the city's police commission selected him to lead the LAPD. Here's former S6 member, Xavier S6. He was the most moderate of the top three He was the most moderate of the top three S6. De thought he was gonna be, you know, a guy we could work with kind of thing. And and S6 it didn't turn out that way. Like his S6, Bill Parker, Gates projected the power of the police. He was tall, tan, and always impeccably dressed. I mean, this is Alec. He was the S6. He had the uniform. You know, he was the guy. That's Dermatte Givens. He was a law student and community organizer in South Central LA. Might not know who my daddy is, but I know girl gates. Gates followed Parker's example in another way. He took an aggressive approach to policing LA's minority communities. They had the squads that were I forget what they called them in LA. But, you know, the cars that were going around and black folks just knew. S6 the card. They will they they get you. They will beat your S6. And it was hard to keep niggas in place. S6 used the nineteen eighty four Olympics in Los Angeles as an opportunity to hire more officers. Addressing his longtime complaint that the De was undermanned. He mostly deployed those officers in LA's Black and Latino neighbor calling them gang sweeps. Though pitched as a security measure for Olympics, the sweeps continued long after the closing ceremony. Over the next five years, citizen complaints about excessive force by De officers rose thirty three percent The McNeil Lara news hour S6 down with Gates for a long interview in the wake of the King beating. Gates made no APOLOGIES FOR FOCUSING HIS POLICING EFFORTS ON BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE'S NO QUESTION. WE DO SPEND A GOOD DEAL OF OUR TIME IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. There is a great deal of crime in that community. There's been a great deal of violence in that community. And so De spend time trying to protect the people. Trying to do our very best to ferret out the crime. That means we're going to contact many people who have not done anything, but we are inquiring into what they have done or what they might be done be doing because we have no way of ascertaining whether good or bad April. Gates could be even more direct than that at a us Senate hearing in 1990, he said casual drug users ought to be taken out and S6 could be even more direct than that. At a US Senate hearing in nineteen ninety, he said casual drug users ought to be taken out and shot. And he once suggested that black people were more vulnerable to death from choke holds than what he called normal people. Zevia S6. When he made some horrible comments about the veins of the arteries of of black people, I've always wondered, where did he get that? You know, who who who S6 that in his ear. That was such a bizarre thing. But no, nobody said, well, he could've he could've lit the city on fire with that comment. We're gonna fire him. No. Because we knew he couldn't fire him. Yaroslavsky and his fellow council members didn't have the authority to fire S6 and his fellow council members didn't have the authority to fire gates. According to the Los Angeles Citys The only group that did have the power to get rid of the chief was the city's police commission, and even they were extremely constrained in what they could De. Counsel couldn't fire S6 can fire him, the American can fire him. Only the police commission could fire him. You could only remove a police chief in the same way you could remove any other civil servant. You had to remove them for cause. You had to commit a crime, moral turpitude, S6 you can't just fire somebody because he makes a ridiculously racist comment. You can't you couldn't do that legally. He go to court. It's stop you. So there was never a it was never an issue of whether he would be fired. The issue was whether, at the end, he could be persuaded to leave. The city charter, put the mayor in a tough city charter put the mayor in a tough spot. Tom Bradley was the first Black May of Los Angeles. As a black liberal in a city with predominantly white voter base, Bradley was vulnerable to the perception that he was soft on crime. That stereotype had hurt him in the nineteen sixty nine mayor's race, which he lost to incumbent Sam Yardi. Bradley was S6 by the nineteen sixty nine Merrill campaign. He never got over it He never got over it psychologically. S6 when there were reforms to be proposed and implemented, he wasn't the leader. He wasn't the alpha dog. He he let the police commission do it. Because the last thing he wanted to do is have a Yardi guy or or Yardi himself who was still on television those Jayson. S6 told you so, look what he's doing. You know, he's he's handcuffing the police. Bradley had started off his career as the police officer in the LAPD. He and S6 were no friends of each other. Jim Newton. Why did they dislike each other so much? My S6. From Bradley's perspective is that Bradley grew up in the LAPD, and he knew how bad it could be. So I you know, when allegations started coming out about police misconduct and particularly racially motivated police misconduct, broadly had every reason to believe that they were true. On the other side, S6' poll S6. The S6 by which he set his watch was don't let politicians interfere in the operations of the S6 department. And now what does he have to deal with is a politician who came from the police department, who knows exactly what its weak points are, and who is determined to work on S6 from Gates's perspective, Bradley is the ultimate threat to his autonomy and S6 department's autonomy. The king beating gave Bradley and king beat gave Bradley an opening. He didn't have the authority to fire the chief, but suddenly he could make Capes' life very, very uncomfortable. More on that after the break. Slow burn is brought to you by Brooklinen, seasons are S6 burn is brought to you by Brook Linen. S6 are changing. And so where your personal taste fresh in your fall with a change in decor all while upgrading your and so are your personal S6. Fresh in your fall with the change in decor, all while upgrading your comfort. That's where Brooklyn comes in Brooklyn and was started to create That's where Brookline Inn comes in. Brookline Inn was started to create beautiful. 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So give yourself the comfort refresh you deserve and get it for less@brooklynandgotobrooklynand.com and use promo code, slow burn to get $20 off with a purchase of So Give yourself the comfort refresh you deserve and get it for S6 at brooklyn n. Go to brooklyn n dot com and use promo code slow burn to get twenty dollars off with a minimum purchase of one hundred dollars. That's BR00KLINEN dot com and enter promo code S6 burn for twenty dollars off with a minimum purchase of hundred dollars. S6 brooklynin dot com promo code S6 burn. Tom Bradley began his campaign to S6 by playing an inside game. He S6 the police commission with allies who he hoped would S6 a campaign to get S6 out. Annie began assembling a blue ribbon commission to build a S6 reform. A blue ribbon commission is something politicians usually put together when they wanna put off acting on an issue. The commission listens to testimony and here's a wide range of views and then issues a report that's mostly ignored. But Bradley wanted a commission that could make a real impact De was looking for a blueprint to fix the problems that had plagued the De for decades. And he hoped to build a damn in case against Gates. So Bradley reached out to warn Christopher. Christopher was a national hero. A decade earlier is Jimmy Carter's deputy secretary of state, he had negotiated the release of fifty two American hostages from Iran. Fifteen years before that, De with the state commission that had investigated the watch riots. That group had assembled a thick report on the social problems that had fed into the S6. With detailed proposals for solutions. Most of them were never implemented. Christopher didn't want to repeat that experience. Here's John S6, who worked alongside Christopher. His point of view was we're not just gonna have another commission, And so when S6 took on the LAPD reform, it was we're gonna make things happen. And he knew that the LAPT needed radical change. And, you know, he probably also knew he was the only guy who could really make it happen. With Christopher at his side, Tom Bradley was newly emboldened. At the age of seventy three and in the twilight of his political career, Bradley thought he might finally be able to take down his longtime nemesis. The day after the mayor announced his new commission, he called Darryl S6 to his office. Today, I met with police chief Darryl S6. At that meeting, I called upon TPH to resign as chief of police. Jim Newton. I don't know at what point Bradley decided the S6 had to go. And whether this is sort of opportunistic on Bradley's part to fulfill a S6 ambition to get gates out of there or to what degree he just believed that the time had finally come. I don't know the answer to that. But at some point, it became both. Two days later, the police commission, which Bradley had loaded up with allies announced that it was putting gates on a 60 day paid leave of Two days later, the police commission, which Bradley had loaded up with allies, announced that it was putting gates on a sixty day paid leave of absence. S6 was furious. I I feel that I have been disgraced, defamed, and I think that there's a tragedy. It will not heal the wounds of the city. Gates. The suspension didn't last S6' suspension didn't last long. He threatened to sue the city and was back at his desk the next day. The first attempt to reign in S6 had failed. Later that same day, Gates attended a fundraising luncheon in the San Fernando Valley. The chief ended the crowded ballroom to a S6 in Jayson. The focus of the city's heated debate got a warm welcome at a luncheon hosted by his supporters. Organizers had to make room for several hundred extra people who showed up. Chief gate shared the day S6 with George Holliday, the man who shot the Rodney King De tape. As a guy that never knows the movies and loves home movies. Allows a movie. It wasn't for all the characters. The lighting would have been horrible. So this was the situation that Warren Christopher had agreed to step into a public beef between the city's first black mayor and a powerful police chief with a strong base of S6 this was the situation that Warren Christopher had agreed to step into. A public beef between the city's first black mayor and a powerful police chief with a strong base of support. Christopher had to trade carefully. I know he was very sensitive about, could he be seen as independent because of the rivalry and because of the fact that apparently the mayor already thought that the chief should know he was very sensitive about could he be seen as independent because of the rivalry and because of the fact that apparently, the mayor already thought that the chief should go. So he was very concerned about that. That's Andrea Sherrod in Oregon. She was one of the ten members of the commission. Christopher wanted his commission to be seen as fair and impartial. He faced one challenge right away. Gates had announced his own plan to restore confidence in the LAPD, including a commission. With all the members appointed by Darryl S6, You must look for any and all conditions that may have contributed to the development of attitudes and patterns of behavior that could have led to this kind of gross misconduct. Gates announced. That put Christopher in a tough spot. If S6 launched a rival group, his own commission would be seen as representing Bradley's side. So he set out to do something very clever and very difficult to persuade Gates's commission to combine forces with his own. John S6 served as General Counsel for the Christopher Commission. I remember at the time, you know, I just signed up with him to do this saying, Chris, you know, you're crazy. You're never gonna get the Gates Commission to merge with, you know, your commission and let you be the chairman. Spiegel's. And Christopher drove to orange county to meet with the head of gates panel, retired, California Supreme court S6 and Christopher drove to Orange County to meet with the head of Gates's panel. Retired California S6 Court S6, John S6, De, you know, had lunch in the S6, in the office building there in Newport Beach and Chris cut this deal. And so that was the first miracle. The UNIFY Commission had ten members, including S6 and two others from S6 group. They had a broad mandate to investigate almost every aspect of policing in Los Angeles. In his autobiography, Gates said the two commissions merged with his consent. Warren Christopher set deadline of one hundred days. I asked commissioned member Andrea Sheridan Horton if that timeline sounded ambitious. I have vicious to the extreme and vicious to the S6 to the extreme, ambitious to the extreme, you know, even by that time, I'd been doing commissions and and various reports. And so I I I'd worked on these things before, but they didn't have that that that engine that this had. Warren Christopher was able and Bradley and others they were all able to say this is important. This is not gonna be waste of your time. The commissioners were assisted by sixty staff attorneys. S6 from elite law firms around town. They rented a floor in a downtown high rise tower and held public hearings in local churches and schools. Sheridan Ordin, worried that that establishment makeup meant the commission and its staff couldn't possibly address the concerns of the streets. They had driven for years and never ever been stopped for a taillight or a windshield wiper that was not working properly. The commission and its staff were largely white and white collar, but they made an effort to bring in other perspectives, The commission and its staff were largely white. And white collar. But they made an effort to bring in other perspectives. Mister S6 was like, yeah, we're gonna do something and we need black people you know, especially like law students to get engaged and and stay engaged. And in this. Dermat Givens was president of the Black Law S6 Association at the University of West Los Angeles. I needed to be involved in it because these are the white folks that have the power and are going to do something about I needed to be involved in it because these are the white folks that have the power and they're gonna do something about it. So if you're serious about making change you need to stay engaged with this process. The Commission interviewed five hundred current and retired De officers and fifty expert witnesses. Community members were invited to speak at public hearings around the members were invited to speak at public hearings around the city. You know, first of all, Black folks want a dent. They don't wanna ask a question. They wanna tell you shit. In May nineteen ninety one, Giveans read a short prepared statement to an audience that included the commission and other community members. Our constitution is being violated every day by Los Angeles police officers use if unnecessary in S6 force. At two two De. One, the powers that be the white S6, to warn Christopher's to understand that his black folks are concerned about this. But I wanted the people in the room. You know, it's like, preaching. I wanted them to be with me that they didn't look at me like some sellout niggas at law school. Givens closed by telling the audience that he was willing to give the commission a chance. As expressed by previous speakers, I turned him into under this connection with skepticism. However, as mister Christopher had suggested, I put put my skepticism inside and come here fine. Yeah. And I want the audience to know I got the same skepticism that you have and you're here for the same reason because we're all here because we think this is the vehicle to make change, but we know we've been down this road so many times and it it might be hope, but is a little hole. Ain't a whole lot of hole. Let's take a quick take a quick break. S6 burn is brought to you about better help. As something preventing you from achieving goals. What interferes with your interferes with your happiness? Check out better help.com/slow Check out betterhelp dot comsloper. burn. You can start communicating and under 48 hours send a message to your can start communicating in under forty eight hours. Send a message to your counselor anytime. You'll get timely and thoughtful responses plus you can schedule weekly video or phone sessions. Betterhelp is committed to facilitating great therapeutic matches. So they make it easy and free to so they make it easy and free to change. Counselors if counselors if needed. It's more affordable than traditional offline counseling and financial aid is available. I want you to start living a happier life want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you'll get ten percent off your first month. By visiting our sponsor at better help dot com slash burn. Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental Join over one million people who have taken charge of their mental health. Again, that's better Again, S6 better help. H E L p.com/slow burn On Friday, June 14th, 1991, Darryl gates set before a room packed with staffers for his interview, with the Christopher commission, a majority of people on the commission had become increasingly certain that gates needed to HELP dot com slash slobart. On Friday, June fourteenth nineteen ninety one, Daryl Gates set before a room packed with staffers for his interview with the Christopher Commission. A majority of people on the commission had become increasingly certain that S6 needed to go. They believe that the LAPD had a culture of contempt for the public and that it was gates who set the They believe that the De had a culture of contempt for the public. And that it was S6 who set the tone. This interview would be a chance to prove that he was unfit to lead the department. So Warren Christopher approached the interview S6. De decided that John Spiegel, a former prosecutor, would be the only one to question Gates. Chris and I spent a lot of time talking about it S6 and I spent a lot of time talking about it beforehand And the point was to be very deferential. So it was not the kind of preemation, cross examination where you say don't you admit to being a shitty chief of police or anything like that. Right? So it was very S6, but our theory was that S6 would basically hang himself. Did you get a sense that he knew that he was fighting for his job and ultimately his legacy? No. De was so supremely confident, you know, he felt impregnable. Well, thank you. Right? And I don't have any initial And I don't have any an initial S6, I'd rather just go forward. As John knows, I'll probably do a lot of elaborating as we go forward. Already told me that he will try and control the questioning, but that you're totally uncontrolled. I'm supposed to say that. Always S6 the truth. As the session began, S6 was on his best behavior. He spoke at length about the difficulty of police work and the challenges facing his department. He came across his charming, commanding, coolly analytical. The commission had reviewed more than a hundred thousand pages of messages that officers sent through computers in their patrol commission had reviewed more than a hundred thousand pages of messages that officers sent through computers in their patrol cars. They included hundreds of racist, sexist, and homophobic comments. Some of them joked about beating and shooting suspects. S6, what the department was doing about the officers who sent those messages. De have discipline, but obviously, that's S6 not had enough an impact and the officers are still using it in a highly improper way. If it are S6, we'll do something that's positive out of this or bring something positive. We can stop it. We will stop it. The auditing will stop it. The discipline will stop it. And that will take place very soon. Spiegel continued to S6 continued to press. Do you think that these some of these comments are reflective of fundamental attitudes, S6 about monkey slapping time and comments about if you would counter need to S6 shoot first and ask questions later. I mean, are these reflective on the part of some officers, obviously, not not all S6. You know, I might the police officers work in the garbage pail all the time. You know, they're constantly working in a a very, very difficult arena. And a very difficult arena. And some of them get very cynical, some get very hard, Some are some them are frightened, some of them stressed. And when you were frightened or stressed, lot of these things. Lot of things come out that S6 not not to come out. Not surprisingly, Gates was indicating he had more sympathy for officers accused of abuse than for the victims of their abuse. About now, we're into the interview. S6 started to push S6 on the fact that he'd already held his position for thirteen years. Experts had told the commission that that was too long for anyone to S6 his chief. Gates suggested that he might have left De, if not for his critics, probably I S6 longer than I should. And probably for people who lived me alone, I would have left some time ago. Gates was on the defensive and I'm a plan S6 was on the defensive. And I had planned to grow three to five years. I thought that's that's gonna be enough to be truthful to S6. S6 Olympics came along. I wanted to go through that. I thought that was a real challenge. I wanted to meet that challenge. I went through that, had S6 of retiring, and there's been one thing after another. And part of it has been controversy S6 part of it has been a desire to accomplish some things that I think needed to be accomplished. And I looked at had things gone little bit differently, I probably would have been gone. In his closing statement, Gates S6 the commission to help rebuild public support for him and the LAPD. It was the same request he'd made to the city council S6 three months earlier. Then, he carried himself with swagger. Now, he seemed concerned that the commission might be a problem for him. I think the job is think the job is to rebuild S6, and I hope the effort of the commission is aimed at that and not a total disruption and change and remodeling of of the police department. It is a troubling time in the S6 of Los Angeles. I wish were not so. Gates his appearance before the Christopher commission didn't help S6' appearance before the Christopher Commission didn't help him, but another De heard him even more. Me, I opened up, honestly, evaluated Darryl S6 performance S6 That's David David Dodson. He had served in the LAPD for thirty three years, rising to S6 chief. Gates described Dodson as one of his closest S6. And to tell you the truth, I spent some sleepless nights before my testimony trying to figure out what I should And I finally said, well, two bank owned self be true. And, you know, let it let the S6 fall where they may and they fell alright. I have a couple of caveats that I'd like to make at the very beginning. My name is that I'm David Dotson. And the things you hear from me are my opinions S6, and the the things you hear from me are my opinions. In the past, Dodson had S6 reservations internally. About S6 approach to policing in South Central LA. Even in a senior position, S6 struggled to be heard. Now De finally had a receptive audience. Essentially and I'm painting with a very broad brush, but S6 in the last thirteen years in the Los Angeles Police Department with a couple of very notable exceptions De have not had, in my opinion, at the top, very effective leadership. I thought that Darryl had outlived his usefulness is thought that Daryl had outlived his usefulness as a chief. So I was not real kind to him. That's been talked about gates and ability to hold anyone S6 talked about S6 inability to hold anyone accountable. S6 an area that I believe we have failed miserably and is holding people accountable for the actions of their people. How high does that accountability go all the way? I'm not able to count the boat. I screw things up. And the worst he can do is get a panned expression on his face. That's an also plainly stated what he thought needed to be done to fix the department S6 also plainly stated what he thought needed to be done to fix the department. S6 sounds like what you're saying maybe S6 putting it to directly is that what the department needs is new leadership. I I that is very direction. It's very difficult for me to say that, but that's exactly what I believe. Alright. S6 exactly what I believe. John S6 guided that testimony with S6. It was really refreshing to have somebody come in and just tell it the way it was. I S6 think it had a big impact. It was like holy shit. A later interview with another assistant chief, Jesse Brewer, bolstered Datsun's S6. Prior to his retirement a few days before the king beating, brewer was the highest ranking black officer in LAPD history. His words carried extra weight. How how would you rate the leadership of the department during the thirteen years that the chief case and our chief of police? S6 a difficult question. I know. I would not give him a good grade in his handling of discipline. What grade would you get in? I would probably give him ADI think I'd be generous in giving him a d in in discipline because I felt the way him S6 was really nice for the best or for the department or for the people of the city. The testimony of Dotson and brewer confirmed that something needed to be done about Daryl gates, but what's the commission partially appointed by the chief himself in a city charter that hamstrung all of the political forces in Los testimony of Datsunimproving confirmed that something needed to be done about Darryl S6. But with the commission partially appointed by the chief S6, and a city charter that S6 all of the political forces in Los Angeles. The question was, how? Let's let's take another take another break. If you're listening to this show, then you're probably a fan of unique and interesting you're listening to this show, then you're probably a fan of unique and interesting stories. I want to tell you about pocket pocket is a website and app that finds the most interesting thought provoking and entertaining articles from trusted sources around the internet and puts them all in one place low on time pocket lets you save articles as well as anything else you find online like videos, recipes, and shopping pages to your personal pocket for digging into later pocket will even read the stories you saved aloud to wanna tell you about Pocket. Pocket is a website and app that finds the most interesting, thought provoking, and entertaining articles from trusted sources around the Internet and puts them all in one place. Low on time, pocket lets you save articles, as well as anything else you find online. Like videos, S6, and shopping pages to your personal pocket for digging into later. Pocket will even read the stories you saved aloud to you. Like a podcast of back-to-back articles want to go deep on a like a podcast back to back articles. Wanna go deep on topic. They have some incredible curated collections that are hand-selected by pocket editors or an expert pocket partner like have some incredible curated collections that are hand selected by pocket editors or an expert pocket partner like me. Want to learn more about what we discussed on season six, a slow burn, go to pocket.com/slate and check out burn to see my collection Warren Christopher wanted the conclusions of his commission to be learn more about what we discussed on season six of slow burn, go to pocket dot com S6 slate and check out slow burn to see Michael action. Warren Christopher wanted the conclusions of his commission to be unanimous. S6 majority of the commissioners wanted to call for Gates's Alster. But a couple of the members who Gates had originally appointed to his own commission. Weren't ready to go that ready to go that far. And Chris said, you focus on the Chris said, you focus on the evidence. Let me worry about that. So De worked these guys one by one and eventually brought them around. One of the holdouts was Richard Mosk. An attorney who served under the commission that investigated the assassination of John f Kennedy. Chris would go running with him at five in the morning because they live they both live near near each other in Beverly Hills, and so they chat. Moscow eventually sided with the rest of the group, the Christopher commission, even those who were originally appointed by Daryl gates would call for the chief's S6 eventually sided with the rest of the group. The Christopher Commission, even those who were originally appointed by Darryl S6, would call for the chief's resignation. Once Christopher had finally got everyone on board, the S6 started writing the report. They put together a two hundred and twenty eight page document. 1991 tightly focused based on the use of excessive force. Here's what they found. A significant number of De officers repeatedly misuse force. And the department made little effort to S6 or remove them. The report also found evidence of an appreciable number of disturbing and recurrent racial S6, and an organizational culture that isolates the police from the communities and the people they serve. The authors wrote, S6 after witness, S6 to S6 aggressive confrontations between LAPD officers and citizens particularly members of minority communities. The Commission late blamed for those problems on supervising officers, all the way up to gates. Here's commissioner Andrea Sheridan Orden. There are lots and lots of paragraphs that are very careful to and balanced all the way are lots and lots of paragraphs that are very careful to to and S6 all the way through. I mean, all the way through, I recognize that. But with today's roughness of language, what we put in there doesn't look like anything to anybody I think right now. But at the time, S6 was this was explosive. The Christopher Commission made one hundred and thirty recommendations. Among them. We're shifting to a community oriented form of policing and overhauling the police commission to give it more power over the were shifting to a community oriented form of policing and overhauling the police commission to give it more power over the chief. But what captured headlines was the Commission's recommendation for chief S6 to step down and a call to change the city charter. To give the police chief term limits. We believe that commencement of a transition in that office is now appropriate, the report read. The Commission's recommendation was a significant victory for mayor Tom Bradley who put all S6 in motion in the first place. De hoped that he had finally found way to depose Darrow Gates. This is no time to tinker with the Commission's solutions. Or to let political differences block our way. The Commission's recommendations should be adopted as written without change. But Daryl S6 had other ideas. He read the commission's recommendations S6, and he seized on one line. We hope that Cheah S6 will remain in office while his successor is being chosen. That little bit of wiggle room gave Gates time to figure out his next move. His attorney told the news hour, the chief would be in no rush to leave. I don't see where they're urging an immediate retirement on the part of the chief City Council is gonna have to look at this report. They're gonna have to approve it or approve what portions they believe S6, and then they're going to have to submit it to the voters. Gates' attorney's argument was a little slick. Some of the Commission's recommendations would have to go before the voters. But Gates could resign at any time. Gates. This position was that nothing could change until there'd been a referendum, which wouldn't take place for nearly a S6' position was that nothing could change until there'd been a referendum, which wouldn't take place for nearly a year. S6 held firm of the S6 recommendation. here. He is talking to the news hour just after the commission's report was Here he is talking to the NewsHour S6 after the commission's report was released. The program devoted nearly half of their nightly broadcast to Christopher's findings. All I can say is that our commission consisting of ten members, three of whom were appointed by Chief Gates concluded on unanimous basis that transition in the office of chief of police should begin now. But Gates was committed to drawing this out. He immediately retaliated against David Jayson. The assistant chief who testified to the commission. A day after the release of the report, Gates S6 dot Cenov's position as the head of internal affairs. He I was very upset and then he told me he was very S6, and told me he was upset. He S6 I was a asshole and You're all on and on. Los Angeles was finally ready to move past gates, but the city was still stuck with him, at least for a while for Derma givens, it was proof that the commission was a waste of S6 Angeles was finally ready to move past gates, but the city was still stuck with him. At least for a while. For Dormant Givens, it was proof that the Commission was a waste of time. Oh, we gotta have hope for the future. What fuck that? No no hope for the future. What about today? I walk out of here. The police gonna be fucking with me. Can y'all do anything about that? It was hard to deny LAPD largely remained intact. Gates was still in charge, and the department was still only distantly accountable to the city's elected officials. At the close of his autobiography, S6 boasted. No one had run me out. Here's S6' attorney. And in fact, I think it would be very detrimental to the citizens of this city and to the police department if he was to leave at this point immediately Chief has always said there's a point in S6 career that he would retire. I think that things have to settle down. Gates would remain chief for another 11 months, defiantly lingering in the job in a time of deepening crisis in Los S6 would remain cheap for another eleven months, defiantly lingering in the job in a time of deepening crisis in Los Angeles During that time? No. Things did not settle down. Thirteen years of being battered, pushed and otherwise tormented is a long, long time. On the other hand, S6 that I've had within this organization and with the community has been just outstanding. And I don't expect to just run away. Next week on slow burn. Rodney King tries to navigate his new life in the spotlight on he could think about with the S6 to the face, the boots to the ribs, the just the beaten itself. He was having nightmares about it, you know. So he was in batshit. Dude, What could you have done to deserve that? You know, what what's deserving of that right there? I was, like, looking at the sky thinking, wow. Why me? And then I thought to S6, why not me? Slow burn is a production of S6 burn is a production of slate. Plus Slate's membership S6 plus. S6 membership program You can sign up for slate plus to hear bonus episode of the show S6 week and every week for the next two months. And in this week's bonus episode, you'll be hearing more from Jim Newton who reported about the LAPD for the LA times, head over to slate.com/slow burn to sign up and in this week's bonus S6. You'll be hearing more from Jim Newton, who reported about the LA PD for the LA Times. Head over to slate dot com slash slow burn to sign up and listen now. It's only dollar for your first month. We couldn't make slow burn without the support of S6 plus. So please, sign up up. If you can head over to slate.com/slow burn, slow burn is produced by Jason de Leon, Ethan Brooks, Sophie, summer grad, Jasmine Ellis and me Joel Anderson, editorial direction by Josh Levine and Gabriel Roth artwork is by Jim if you can. Head over to slate dot com slash slow burn. S6 burn is produced by Jason De Leon, Jayson Brooks, Sophie Summergrad, Jazmonellis, and me, Joel S6, editorial direction by Josh Levine and Gabriel Roth. Artwork is by Jim cook. Our theme music was composed by Don will mixing by theme music was composed by Don Will, mixing by Mary Jacob. The audio you heard from the Christopher Commission hearings is S6 of the University Southern California on behalf of the S6 Laboratory Special Collections. Additional audio from S6 Michael Holland and the Los Angeles City Archive, S6 of the Citys Special. Thanks to Stan, miss Rocky, Devin Schwartz, Jared Holt, lo and Lou Alison Benedict, Willa Paskin, Janae Desmond Harris, Amber Smith, bill Carrie Meredith Moran, Derek Johnson, Seth brown, racial strong child to Asha Solutia and Katie S6 thanks to Stan S6. Devon Schwartz, Jared Holt, Loew and Lou, Alison Benedict, Williston S6, Janade Desmond Harris, Amber Smith, Bill Carey, Meredith Moran, Derek Johnson, Seth Brown, S6 Straum, child two, Ashha Solution, and Katie Rafer. Thanks for listening. If you're listening to this show, then you're probably a fan of unique and interesting stories. I wanna tell you about Pocket. Pocket is a website and app that finds the most interesting stopped provoking and entertaining articles from trusted sources around the internet and puts them all in one place. Low 1991 pop it lets you save articles, as well as anything else you find online like videos, recipes, and shopping pages. To your personal pocket for digging into later. 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