L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City

Khrushchev was greeted at: In fact, LAPD officers had escorted dignitaries to Disneyland before, including former President Harry Truman. See “Parker Rejects Mr. K. Gripe, Russ Police OKd Ban on Disneyland Tour,” Los Angeles Herald-Express, September 21, 1959, A6.

“We have come to …”: “The Elemental Force,” Time, September 28, 1959.

Instead of going to: Sherman, “Mr. K Hurls Hot Retort at Poulson,” Los Angeles Times, September 20, 1959, 1.

Chief Parker was offended: “Parker Rejects Mr. K. Gripe, Russ Police OKd Ban on Disneyland Tour,” Los Angeles Herald-Express, September 21, 1959, A6.

The commission’s interest in: Sherman, “L.A. Negroes Only Part of Over-All Minority Problem: Concentration of Race Here Is Fifth Largest in United States,” Los Angeles Times, January 24, 1961, 2.

The commission’s staff was: “Brutal Tactics Told at Hearing,” Los Angeles Mirror, January 26, 1960.

By the time Chief: Of course, this hardly explained the crime surge, as Los Angeles had been severely underpoliced even before 1950 (and, according to the police complaints dating back to the 1930s, besieged with criminal vagabonds).

Parker insisted that there: “Parker Angrily Denies Racial Discrimination: Presents Charts of City Districts, Tells of Undesirables Shipped into Los Angeles,” Los Angeles Times, January 27, 1960, B2. See also Becker, “Police Brutality on Coast Denied: Los Angeles Chief Answers Charges of Anti-Negro Tactics by His Force,” New York Times, January 27, 1960, 18. Parker’s testimony provoked the following sarcastic letter from Beavers:

Dear Mr. Parker:

Reference is made to your statement to the Civil Rights Commission, as published in the newspapers.

Your expressions to the effect that opportunities for promotion within the Police Department are based upon qualifications without regard to race, color or creed, encourages the hope that certain discriminatory practices in existence as of July 10, 1959, have been eliminated. It is common knowledge that there are several Negro officers whose educational backgrounds, characters and years of service fully qualify them for assignment to various divisions in the Police Department in which no Negroes were serving seven months ago.

We note your denial of racial bias did not include an explanation as to why no Negro officers are assigned to the following seven divisions: central Detective Bureau—Homicide—Robbery—Forgery—Auto Theft—Burglary—Narcotics—Administrative Vice and Internal Affairs.

Your supplying this additional explanation or giving information as to steps being taken to more fully utilize the talents and skills of this group of officers in these various divisions of your organization will be deeply appreciated.

Very truly yours,

George Beavers

Parker was becoming more: Fumed Parker, “They [the police] were being blamed for all the ills of humanity; they were constantly being bombarded, and I have been nothing but harassed by these elements since I was chief of police. I have been sued repeatedly. I have a suit pending now in the Federal court under the Federal Civil Rights Act.”