William Parker, Part 1
June 17, 2007 | 5:36
am
June 17, 1957
Los Angeles
I'm extremely pleased to be able to present Paul Weeks' series on Los Angeles Police Chief William H. Parker. Weeks did a first-rate job with a subject who wasn't especially cooperative. Although Parker realized the value of the press, he was wary of how he was portrayed and far more guarded than his predecessors. (He was equally sensitive about how the department was portrayed in "Dragnet," and according to former officers, kept Jack Webb on a tight rein).
Be sure to read to the end of this story and learn about the maneuver that was apparently used to keep police files exempt from subpoenas. Recall that Parker was an attorney.
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