Commentary: Let cops be cops, and nothing more

As the search begins for his replacement, some in Los Angeles are celebrating Charlie Beck's departure. The call for the Los Angeles police chief's removal had become a weekly refrain at the police commission meetings held every Tuesday morning. Despite his reformist reputation - he sought to protect immigrant communities and oversaw the completion of a consent decree imposed after the 2002 Rampart corruption scandal - the list of criticisms was long, particularly from people of color. So when Beck suddenly left his post on Jan. 19, more