Ex-Williams Aide Fights Demotion

In a last-ditch effort to regain his “dignity and self-respect”--as well as $16,140.24 a year in pension benefits--LAPD Assistant Chief Frank Piersol has made a personal appeal to members of the Los Angeles City Council to stop his demotion at month’s end.

In a letter he hand delivered to council members, Piersol pleads that they intervene and allow him to retire with an assistant chief’s pension even though interim Police Chief Bayan Lewis has announced plans to downgrade Piersol to deputy chief as of July 1.

“I . . . take great exception to the fact that this downgrade will significantly reduce my salary base, and will seriously disrupt my upcoming retirement plans,” Piersol wrote in the letter, dated June 9 and obtained Wednesday by The Times. “Your favorable response to this appeal will allow me to conclude the short remainder of my career with some measure of dignity and self-respect.”

Shortly after becoming chief last month, Lewis removed Piersol and Assistant Chief Ronald Banks from their posts and warned them that they would be demoted--and their salaries slashed--if they did not retire before July 1. Pensions are based on the last salary collected before retirement.

Banks and Piersol, who were key aides to former Chief Willie L. Williams, already appealed for the council’s intervention once in a joint letter to council President John Ferraro asking that they be allowed to keep their current salaries until they decide to retire. But Ferraro and the council’s Executive Employment Relations Committee declined to consider the request.

The second letter takes a more personal approach.

“That was more perfunctory,” Piersol said of the first letter. “Each of the individual council members have the legal authority to take the matter to the council. Each of our cases, although somewhat similar, also have certain unique pieces to them. I thought I could appeal on a somewhat personalized basis.”

In his letter, Piersol cites several major accomplishments in recent years, and notes a recent performance evaluation that describes him as “among the most outstanding examples of the consummate LAPD manager.” He also says he recently scored 4.87 out of a possible 5.0 in a city government executive test.

Piersol said he had yet to hear whether any council member would champion his cause, but noted that the council is out of session this week, and many lawmakers are abroad.

“I’m not encouraged, nor am I discouraged,” he said.

Council aides said Wednesday that they have not received a second letter from Banks.