former lapd chief gates dead at 83

YF: Some things in our lives and carers just become defining moments, good or bad. It's unfortunate that Gates, outside L.A., was defined primarily by the bad moments. He certainly did some good things, as well, as the L.A. Times obit illustrates.

But he really has no one to blame but himself for the way he will be remembered. And i'm sorry ... the "he was from a different age" argument doesn't fly. Even George Wallace changed.

 

Gates never realized that a chief of police has to be a politician. No doubt he knew how to protect his own turf, I think he was of the mind that there were cops and everyone else. But he really seemed to not grasp public relations at all. How he stayed in Tom Bradley's good graces for as long as he did is amazing.

 

A police chief should never have need to author an autobiography.

He cleaned up nothing of note. The city is filled with as much excreta now as it was 30 years ago.