Daryl Gates

Daryl Gates
Official portrait
Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
In office
March 28, 1978 – June 27, 1992
Preceded byEdward M. Davis
Succeeded byWillie L. Williams
Appointed byTom Bradley
Personal details
Born
Darrel Francis Gates

(1926-08-30)August 30, 1926
Glendale, California, U.S.[1]
DiedApril 16, 2010(2010-04-16) (aged 83)
Dana Point, California, U.S.[2]
Political partyRepublican
Police career
DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
Service years1949–1992
RankSworn in as an officer (1949)
Commander (1965)
Chief of Police (1978)
AwardsPolice Meritorious Unit Citation
Police Meritorious Service Medal
1984 Summer Olympics Ribbon
1987 Papal Visit Ribbon
1992 Civil Disturbance Ribbon
Other workBusinessman/entrepreneur, talk-show host, radio commentator

Daryl Francis Gates (born Darrel Francis Gates;[3] August 30, 1926 – April 16, 2010) was an American police officer who served as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1978 to 1992. His length of tenure in this position was second only to that of William H. Parker. Gates is credited with the creation of SWAT teams alongside fellow Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer John Nelson, who others claim was the originator of SWAT in 1965. Gates also co-founded the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.[4]

After the arrest of Rodney King and the subsequent riots, Gates retired from the LAPD. Much of the blame for the riots was attributed to him.[5][6] According to one study, "scandalous racist violence... marked the LAPD under Gates's tempestuous leadership."[7]

  1. ^ Woo, Elaine; Eric Malnic (April 16, 2010). "Daryl F. Gates dies at 83; innovative but controversial chief of the LAPD". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 7, 2013. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  2. ^ Schneider, Keith (April 16, 2010). "Daryl F. Gates, L.A.P.D. Chief in Rodney King-Era, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  3. ^ Family Tree Legends
  4. ^ staff (April 17, 2010). "Daryl F. Gates, 83; police chief during Rodney King riots". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ Cannon, Lou; Lee, Gary (1992-05-02). "Much Of Blame Is Laid On Chief Gates". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-11-22.
  6. ^ Mydans, Seth (1992-10-22). "Failures of City Blamed for Riot In Los Angeles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  7. ^ Schrader, Stuart (2019). Badges without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing. Vol. 56. University of California Press. p. 216. doi:10.2307/j.ctvp2n2kv. ISBN 978-0-520-29561-2. JSTOR j.ctvp2n2kv. S2CID 204688900.