Los Angeles Police Commission

Applause for the excellent and unwarped coverage in your story "Armed and Ordinary." Officials such as the Los Angeles Police Commission can be compared to the owners of the Titanic who thought they had created something so good, they didn't provide lifeboats for everybody. CHARLES F. WETHERBEE Pasadena

The Los Angeles Police Commission announced Tuesday that it would conduct a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. April 30 at a site to be announced so residents can comment on the request by Police Chief William J. Bratton for another five-year term.

The Los Angeles Police Commission met for three hours Tuesday in a closed-door session with Chief William J. Bratton as part of his annual performance evaluation. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, meanwhile, voiced confidence in the chief but asked the panel to judge Bratton based on whether he continues to reduce crime, increase the police force and comply with a consent decree mandating reforms. Emerging from the meeting, Bratton smiled and told reporters, "I think we did OK."

The Los Angeles Police Commission voted Tuesday to approve an ambitious plan for expanding the Los Angeles Police Department and to request $14.9 million to begin implementing it. The plan, which was unveiled last month by Mayor Richard Riordan, calls for expanding the LAPD by 2,855 officers during the next five years. It also proposes beefing up the department's street presence by hiring more civilians to free up officers and by paying officers to work overtime and on their days off.