KTLA News: "Los Angeles public officials react to assassinations in San Francisco" (1978)

[Mike Botula:] Elected officials at the L.A. County Hall of Administration and City Hall were still reeling over the assassinations in San Francisco. At the Board of Supervisors, the first order of business was a discussion of the tragedy by board members and the expression of deep sympathy. [James A. Hayes:] He was always championing, championing the underdog and perhaps that's how he looked upon his own city. It was in a position of needing help as an underdog type of city, as far as many of the problems that were coming upon it. [Kenneth Hahn:] The shock and horror that everyone in the United States felt yesterday, I think moved everyone of the risk and the hazards those who are in public office. And I think it's fitting and proper that in honor of the Mayor of this great city - a good man, a dedicated man and Supervisor Milk, that we adjourn in their memory. And I so move. [Botula:] Mayor Bradley was back at City Hall, having cut short a trip to St. Louis. He was still visibly shaken by the killings. [Tom Bradley:] George Moscone, I had known for 15 years, a devoted public servant and a great friend. And it's hard to accept that kind of news. Supervisor Milk, I had known only casually during the past year. Both these men represented the kind of public servants who devote themselves completely, totally to the service of their people. And it's going to be a great loss to public service, in general to the people of California, in particular and to their families and friends. [Botula:] Well, he says he will attend the funerals of Moscone and Milk, and is now drawing up a list of members of the official Los Angeles delegation. Elected officials in Los Angeles are going about their business, but given the atmosphere generated by the tragedy in San Francisco and the increased security, it cannot be called business as usual. In the Civic Center, this is Mike Botula reporting, for Channel Five News Watch. [Board announcements:] [...] Alcoholism Advisory Board number 16. Moved by Mr. - Item 80... [Hahn:] George Moscone when he was - I remember when he was a supervisor. I remember when he came down to the Board of Supervisor here, when he was a State Senator. Appeared before us, and now, as we knew him when he was the Mayor of this great city. [Hayes:] I certainly second the motion. I would have initiated it, had I been the first up... difficult task of speaking two weeks in a row about the untimely death of friends that I served with in the State Legislature. Leo Ryan last week and this week George Moscone. I was probably closer, much closer, to George Moscone than to Leo Ryan, because it was George Moscone to whom I went to carry the difficult bills that I had in the State Legislature. George served on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was the one that I looked to, to be an especially good advocate for some of the difficult bills that I carried when I was in Sacramento. The consumer legislation, my divorce reform bill, and indeed my court reform bill, which failed a passage by only one vote, not through George's efforts, but because it was a major reform. He was an extremely able legislator. And of course he rose to the position of being majority leader in the Senate, in almost an unprecedented manner, but largely due to his great ability. He was extremely persuasive, very hardworking, and most capable. And of course he took on the almost thankless task of trying to govern a city that was in the throes of great difficulty and many of us could not see why he chose to go in that direction politically, but he did. [Hayes:] The best way... feel that his passing will mean the loss of a great political leader in America. [Hayes:] George was that kind of person. More than that... [Court announcement:] ... Harry... [microphone set-up noise] I was stunned by the news out of San Francisco yesterday. I still have not fully composed myself. It was such a shock to all of us. I don't make any connection between the events connected with the People's Temple and the shootings in San Francisco. We are reassessing security arrangements here in City Hall. It is something which is done periodically. It is already under discussion and some changes have been made as a result of the San Francisco incident. [Reporter, faintly:] What kind of changes? [Bradley:] That is something which we never discuss publicly. The Police Department has advised that it should not be discussed. [Reporter #2:] Mayor, do you anticipate the increased security measures to be a permanent thing, or, or is this viewed as an isolated incident and the measures only be a temporary thing? [Bradley:] As I indicated, we constantly go through an evaluation of what changes should be made with regard to security. So it is something which is ever-changing, ever under evaluation, so we cannot say that anything is a fixed or a permanent arrangement. [Reporter #3:] Would you agree that it's - that the security - that if you haven't been overly concerned with security, right here on the third floor, for example? I guess it would seem to be that one, before yesterday. [Bradley:] Well, I'm not gonna discuss any details about what security is arranged for, but I can tell you there is adequate security here on third floor and elsewhere. [Reporter #4:] In the past Mr. Mayor you have [...] casual... [Reporter #4:] look at your own attitude towards security in light of what happened to Mayor Moscone? [Bradley:] No. [Reporter #5:] What are your attitudes toward a public life? Is a public life inherently a hazardous thing, or is this an isolated incident? [Bradley:] Obviously, it is becoming increasingly hazardous. And it is for that reason that something that was taken for granted many years ago has changed and there was a time when it was not necessary to have security for public office holders. That has changed. And I suppose that for a long time to come, that would be a fact of life. [Reporter #5:] Do you know what is the cause of change? What we'd like to [...] [Bradley:] If the killing is stopped, we can move back to what it used to be. [Reporter #6:] Mayor, are you saying that we're come to a point where elected officials...? [Bradley:] ...no change. We have always had adequate security for those events. [Bradley:] Well mayors are not known to hide in their offices, so they are out and among the public. But I think... scared me for a long time. And when you have an incident such as this, I think it just dramatizes that need to change our whole philosophy, our attitude, and our conduct with regard to how we resolve differences between individuals or groups. And violence in my judgment is not the way to settle these kinds of issues. [Reporter #7:] Do you think an incident like this strengthens the call [Reporter #7, inaudible]