Residents Fear LAPD Verdicts

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” Crime runs rampant in the mostly immigrant neighborhood of Rampart, focus of the worst police corruption scandal in the city's history. <br><br>Businesses resemble fortresses,

Thursday, November 16th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” Crime runs rampant in the mostly immigrant neighborhood of Rampart, focus of the worst police corruption scandal in the city's history.

Businesses resemble fortresses, and residents say they're afraid to venture onto streets filled with drug dealers and gangs.

But there was a new fear in the community Wednesday: Would corruption verdicts against three policemen who were part of an anti-gang unit lead to less aggressive crime-fighting?

``I'm worried. It's going to be bad,'' said 30-year-old Gabriel Romero, who said police have helped quiet gang activity in the two years he has lived in Rampart. ``Gang members are going to do something, robbing people, a lot of things.''

The convictions ended the first trial arising from the scandal in which police from the Rampart station are accused of framing, beating, and, in some cases, even shooting suspects.

Some residents found hope in the verdicts.

``They can be an example to all the police officers not to mess around,'' said Hilario Hernandez, a 45-year-old house painter.

But trust between the community and the police has been strained, said Manuel Garcia, 28, a board member for a clinic that provides medical and dental care for thousands of neighborhood residents.

Many are afraid of street hoodlums but are leery of turning to a police force they see as intimidating and unfriendly, he said.

``That trust that we have for the police institution has been broken, and it will take a long time to get it back,'' he said.

Betty Rivera, 19, said officers need to reassure the community that they won't arrest people without cause. Otherwise, people may stop calling police even if they need help.

``If something happens to me I don't know if I can trust them,'' she said. ``Rampart is the only police station I can call.''