Los Angeles Riots of 1992

In Spring 1992, four Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers were acquitted of assaulting motorist Rodney King. The beating had been videotaped by a bystander and shown on television news broadcasts not just in Los Angeles, but throughout the nation. The verdict sparked riots in Los Angeles that rivaled those of the 60s, with hundreds of fires breaking out and widespread looting taking place. Emergency services personnel were put in danger as they responded to calls, and the long-term effects of the riots are still being felt in the workplace, in government regulations, and in the community. This research examines the riots themselves and the aftermath that they left in Los Angeles.

Following the acquittal of four police officers accused of using excessive force in arresting black motorist Rodney King, more than 1,100 fires were set and thousands of people of all races were arrested on looting charges. Commercial strips throughout the historically black South Central neighborhood were virtually decimated (although adjacent residential areas remained untouched). Elsewhere, too, there were pockets of devastation. The response from the fire service was immediate, but firefighters soon found themselves pelted with rocks and bottles, and threatened with guns, as they tried to control the conflagration. As the evening wore on during the first day of the riot, police officers were assigned to accompany firefighters, but the number of fires was

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he workforce or significant programs to support it. Prior to the riots, it is estimated that only one-fourth of the firms located in Los Angeles had taken any steps at all toward managing diversity in the workplace. Despite detailed arguments on the wisdom of responding to demographic changes in the workforce and to the evolution of ethnic markets at home and abroad, one-fourth of the companies had done nothing to manage diversity in the past and expressed no intention to do so anytime in the future. There were various reasons for inaction, ranging from the competitive structure of the industry to the financial health of the business and the nature of jobs. For example, one firm, operating as a leveraged buyout, faced pressing financial problems. Management had a time horizon of no more than six months. Thus, managing diversity was a moot issue. The senior vice president of another firm indicated that the recent labor contract ratification rate meant that employees were happy with current conditions. From his perspective, managing diversity was not necessary (Bowman, 1993, p. 14). Half of the firms were contemplating the issue. They saw a need but as yet had not developed any plans or committed any resources. This is c

Category: Government - L