Rob Saltzman ’76

L.A.'s newest police commissioner on why diversity matters

"My commitment to civic involvement comes from being gay. It started with feeling something was wrong societally and that I should try to do something about that. As a young person I had the idealism to think that I could."

"Dartmouth is unusual inthe opportunities it presents to its students toBe involved in civic leadership. That's one of the things that makes me proud to be a graduate even though the Rocke- feller Center didn't exist when I was a student."

"The LAPD is doing apretty good job of reflecting—even in its command structure—the changes in the city's population. Progress is slower with regard to sexual orientation because there hasn't been the same level of litigation about it as has happened with race and gender."

"Equality around sexual orientation is complicated because of its private nature. Plenty of people are uncomfortable with the issue."

"It's not that only black officers can understand black citizens, but the way wemake inroads is to be able to understandeach other better. Some of that has to do with language and some of that has to do with cultural sensitivity. Diversifying the department has been key to the improvements that the LAPD has made in its ability to work with the various communities. It's hard for me to understand how someone would not understand that."

"The stuff we see on TV now, like police shooting tires out or padlocks off, just doesn't happen because it would be too dangerous. I've learned how rarely police officers use their weapons."

"Happily for me I didn't have to leap over any chain-link fences when I did my police training. I did learn to shoot the weapons police carry—and how police force a car off the road to avoid high-speed chases. It made me appreciate how skilled officers are and how much time and attention is put into the safety of officers and the people they're dealing with."

"I've started watching Dragnet reruns. It's dated and silly in a political way, but it also helped publicize the professionalism of the department."

"Referring to someone as a cop seems somewhat disrespectful to me, but I've heard a number of people in the department use the term. Which term is proper is one of a long list of questions I'm working my way through."

"A big piece of what goes on in the police department issocial work. There just are not enough resources being provided to the department to do all the things we expect it to do."

"Every big city and its police force have issues and crucialmoments, but in Los Angeies we're more aware of them. Things that happen here end up getting coverage they might not somewhere else. A big piece of the O.J. Simpson story was that everybody knew who he was. It combined violence and celebrity."

"Rodney King is still very much on the minds of peoplewithin the department. It takes a long time to change be- haviors—and the lack of trust that exists between some citi- zens and the department."

"My dealings with students at USC are to a great extent informed by my experiences at Dartmouth. I always felt respected and responded to by faculty and administration when I had a concern or an interest. A guiding set of principles now is to put myself back in the role of a student and appreciate what's motivating them.'1

"Eventually there will be a body of decisions Iplayed a part in, determining whether or not forcewas used appropriately, and I hope that I will leave thinking and others thinking that I made decisions based on what was presented to me, not some agenda or external set of ideology or beliefs. It's hard, and that will be determined over time."

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Named in October 2007 by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to five-person Los Angeles Police Commission, which meets weekly to vote on department procedures and policies, develop recruitment and retention plans, review individual officers' use of force and any citizen complaints; previously a member of LA.'s ethics commission; board member of Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute and LA.'s Gay and Lesbian Center; received teaching excellence and Student Bar Association faculty honor awards (1989) and recognition from the Black Law Students' Association for his commitment to minorities (1995); has published widely on affirmative action, law school admissions, disabilities CAREER: Law professor and associate dean, USC, 1988 to present; L.A. County government lawyer, 1981-1988; practicing attorney, Denver, Colorado, 1979-1980 EDUCATION: A.B., government (Phi Beta Kappa); J.D., Harvard Law School, 1979 FAMILY: Partnered for 28 years to Ed Pierce