Once considered among the most respected police departments in the world, the LAPD suffered a devastating fall from grace following the 1991 police officer beating of Rodney King and the Los Angeles riots stemming from the officers acquittal in 1992. Unique to the literature of policing, management, and policy studies, Los Angeles Police Departmen

James Lasley is a professor of criminal justice at California State University, Fullerton. He has worked in the field of law enforcement and research, most extensively with the Los Angeles Police Department. He participated in the design, implementation, and analysis of LAPD's Operation Cul De Sac. His prior academic appointments include Washington State University, Arizona State University, the University of Southern California, and National University. He has also served as a consultant to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to establish standards and methods for police officer driver training.

Parker's Thin Blue Line: The Professional-Reform Model (PRM) of Policing: Historical Overview. The Study: A Qualitative Analysis of LAPD's Organizational Dying Declarations. Assessing the Meltdown. The Rodney King Incident. Politicians, Special Interest Groups, and Community Influences. Hiring, Promotions, and Affirmative Action. Management and Administration. Quantitative Analyses. Conclusions and Policy Recommendations Reconstructing the Meltdown. Appendix: Officer Statements.