A Culver City Incongruity
The ironic presence of the exotic mosque in a community with a reputation for preferring its vanilla population only adds a layer of intrigue to the parade of permit seekers between King Fahad and the Police Dept. The still heavy hand of retired Police Chief Ted Cooke and a sharp change in department policy initiated by new Police Chief Donald Pedersen are two strands of a complex and developing storyline. For community leaders who cast Mr. Pedersen’s hiring from Signal Hill as a significant first step toward department reform, the chief’s attempt to stanch the free flow of gun permits that existed under Mr. Cooke may form the opening salvo in a prospective reform campaign.
Was the Faucet Turned Back on?
The hand of Mr. Cooke has remained prodigious and feared, retirement or not, numerous officers have testified. During the 90 days last winter that now-retired Bill Burck served as Interim Police Chief, police sources told the newspaper that there was a veritable rush of gun permit applications and renewals, “trying to squeeze in while there still was time. It was just like it was when Cooke was here, permits and renewals flying out the door.” Mr. Burck and Mr. Cooke both are in the security business, as they were during their days in the department, and sometimes, sources say, their customer assignments appear to be fascinatingly interchangeable. Fr today, though, some gun permit-holders and permit seekers are said to be in shock over the more stringent measures taken by Mr. Pedersen. The Culver City Police Dept. long has been known in their circles for never saying no. Some officers are reading the new chief’s bold decision as a fulfillment of Mr. Pedersen’s early vow to make moves only after deliberation. He would observe, he said, and then proceed methodically. As the first outsider in three decades to lead the department, his cautious posture has won admiration and support following a skeptical beginning. “Good for Pedersen,” said a member of his department. “He’s holding his ground.” Police sources told thefrontpageonline.com that while the flamboyant Mr. Cooke’s first successor merely represented an extension of his favorite policies, Mr. Pedersen may imperil, reverse or trim some of those same pet policies.
Dazzled by the Stars?
One of the most controversial policies of the celebrity-struck Mr. Cooke was his perceived freestyle distribution of gun permits to the beautiful people, especially those who could provide coveted access. “The word was in Hollywood that if you wanted a gun permit, see Chief Cooke in Culver City,” an insider told the newspaper. At one time in the late 1990s, sources said, Mr. Cooke boasted of a list of more than 400 gun permits he had approved. If they didn’t live in Culver City, no problem, the sources said. Mr. Cooke is credited with introducing the novel concept of “technical reserve officers,” which allowed him to justify granting permits. In a related trend, such varied entertainment personalities as the financial mogul Kirk Kerkorian and the actor/murder suspect Robert Blake became instant residents of Culver City. Although Mr. Kerkorian lived in far more prestigious digs — property so spacious security men traveled on ATVs — for gun permit purposes, his address was listed as Maytime Lane. Mr. Blake’s evidently mythical home was listed as Duquesne. Neighbors said, though, they never saw him. Mr. Kerkorian and Mr. Blake were joined by Johnny Carson and Sylvester Stallone, who owed their permits to Mr. Cooke. In return, some celebrities showed Mr. Cooke their gratitude in innovative ways, according to the sources. It was said at the time that the new state regulation restricting gun permits to residents was blamed on Mr. Cooke’s habit of granting large numbers.
Gone but Not Nearly Forgotten
Despite his departure from the department almost three years ago, police insiders say that Mr. Cooke remains an influential force in the bowels of the department. Sources said that the former chief’s retirement did not disturb his curious professional relationship with the mosque, which is regarded as a potential powder keg. The security business of the politically well-placed Mr. Cooke has provided security for the King Fahad for a number of years. At the time the mosque opened, Mr. Cooke placed himself directly in the middle of a soap opera-style flap over security. It seems that Saudi Arabian officials routinely reject official Washington offers of security in favor of hiring their own protection. In his role as the Chief of Police a decade ago, Mr. Cooke initially turned down an opportunity to protect the mosque grounds and the personnel with his officers. Not long afterward, in a mysterious twist of events, sources said, Mr. Cooke’s own security firm, in an ironic stroke, emerged in charge of the very assignment (long term) that he had turned down on behalf of the Culver City Police Dept. Postscript Sarcastically, a veteran of the department observed that the gentlemen “associated” with the mosque may be the only persons in Culver City in possession of gun permits because of their religious affiliation. “Betcha members of Temple Akiba don’t have permits, at least not because they are members of the temple,” she said. “Betcha that goes for St. Augustine’s, too. The only religious figure I knew who Cooke ever gave a permit to was (the late television preacher) Gene Scott.”