Dear FRONTLINE,

Had Chief Daryl Gates remained Chief of L.A.P.D. This never would have happened. The insanity of hiring gang members because they know how gangs operate lead to the further demise of L.A.'s finest. I sincerely hope that Brian Liddy is returned to duty.

Beverly Brazil
LaQuinta, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think it only begins to show all the immense pressure a policeman is put under.I believe that the nature of the job puts one in real jepordy of crossing the line to criminality.

If one deals in the "dirt " of the criminal element long enough he or she is apt to get "dirty" themselves. I wish a deeper exploration of the subject and the psyche of a policeman and his job would be made. Police have one of the highest rates of suicide and of alcoholism. Is it any wonder with the immense stress and duties of their job?

Leonard Staszak

Dear FRONTLINE,

To the rest of the members of L.A.P.D I say hold your heads up and be proud of what you do. Don't let the actions a few bad cops and the mountains of slanted press coverage that followed get you down. Most Americans know that the vast majority of police officers of all races and gender in the nation today are honest, hardworking individuals who want to do a good job and serve the needs of their community.

Robert Mika

Dear FRONTLINE,

what makes me mad is the fact that these gang members seem to have more rights, and be given more respect than anyone who happens to live in the "Rampart" area of LA. I was just reading the section on the aftermath and a lady who raised 4 kids, I beleive, has nothing - while a gang member who was arrested by Perez was given a million dollars. Where is the justice in that. This gang member probably never worked a 40 hour week for anyone in his life. He has probably lived off the fear of others and now after a few months in jail he gets a million dollars! that is outrageous. The irony of this story is the very people the gangs target every day, by stealing, by bullying, by intimidation, are now paying them with these lawsuits. Unbelivable!

mike scott
tulsa, ok

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am very dissappointed with Frontline's LAPD story. The entire show focused exclusively on the testimonies of the LAPD. Why did you only consider their testimonies when at the same time you raised questions about their credibility?

Usually, Frontline asks questions and seeks answers. In this case, however, you did not ask the important questions. For instance, why did LAPD investigate Perez and his suspected cohorts only after the murder of officer Gaines? Frontline also did not inform the audience or ask why officer Lyga was wearing his Aryan Brotherhood "cover." This important tidbit appeared in the New Yorker article, not on Frontline.

Futhermore, Frontline's credibility was seriously compromised when you added cheap reenactment scenes as seen in commercial documentaries, and program introduction shots of the Reginald Denny beating. I felt as if Frontline was trying to set a racially biased agenda by casting a negative shadow on Blacks and Hispanics.

I have pledged support to my local PBS provider in the past and have viewed Fronline as a fair, honest, and the last of the truly unbiased sources of journalism left on television. Now I realize that PBS, as with the rest of the media can also be bought for a price and would no longer need my support.

Bruce Malmsteen

Dear FRONTLINE,

Your telecast of "L.A.P.D. Blues" typifies your very thorough and informative reporting. There will certainly be very mixed reactions and responses to your report. Hopefully, greater attention will be focused on the workings of all policing departments and agencies throughout the continent; the good, the marginal and the less-than-perfect. Were it not for presentations such as your's, many, if not most, North Americans would be unaware of the realities in the world of law enforcement.

The televised documentary/report draws attention and active curiousity to real and serious issues affecting the continent-at-large. Even though some might disagree, your objective and impartial presentations have served to inform, educate and more importantly, to motivate action, reaction and responsiveness from your viewers.

I look forward to viewing future telecasts of FRONTLINE. Thank you for providing this much appreciated service via the airways. FRONTLINE reaches us...and reaches us very well. Carry on!

Chauncey Black
Kansas City, Missouri

Dear FRONTLINE,

This was a very good article. First, Kevin Gaines and Frank Lyga both seemed to participate in the road rage, Police Officers should never threaten or accept dares and their story makes the reasons obvious. Some of the other inferences show exactly the racial profiling that minorities are complaining about.

The idea that a cop should not have many credit cards or a restaurant bill, hell everyone has them they just don't use them! Liddy's bringing his racial bias baggage to work as in the LA riots and his reference to the "211 suit." An athletic suit should be assumed to belong to an athlete not a thief. Judge Fidler and D.A. Garcetti's unwillingness to see the situation without prejudice. We civilians want protection from criminals and bad cops regardless of race.

Stephen Barney
Jackson Heights, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

It's very interesting that you point out the problems of the LAPD and you put a black face on it. LAPD was and still is a racist system. And what is this Race Card? is it the trump card that is design to level the racist playing field. or is it designed to redirect the focus of an issue.

LeRoy Thompson
St. louis, Mo.

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a police officer myself in New York it makes me sick to my stomach when I hear about good cops gone bad but Frontline demonstrated how easy it is to ruin a good cop once politicians want to seek out "justice" as they are pressured by the media who only seek headlines while pandering to leeches like Mr. Cochran and Al Sharpton. Seems like the LAPD was to blame at the start as they were probably forced to hire minorities without proper backgrounds.

Alexander Garcia

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