KTLA News: "Tom Bradley defends service record with the Los Angeles Police Department" (1973)

[Tom Bradley:] The fact that someone has raised this question on several occasions prompted me to simply clear the air. I tried to do that four years ago, and I want it perfectly clear this time. There is nothing in that record that I choose to hide. I'm proud of my record of 21-year service on the Police Department, and I think that that exemplary record will demonstrate that. I don't know the motives of the people who have been raising the question. Whatever their motives, I want it cleared up right here today. [Reporter:] Do you expect others to branch [?] their records now? After this? The other candidates should they now reveal their records? [Bradley:] Tom Bradley is speaking for Tom Bradley. I don't know what the other candidates are going to do. There are several in the campaign and I would suggest that you gentlemen and ladies of the press can ask them. Four years ago, you may me remember - now, let me start over. [laughs] Four years ago in the course of the campaign for mayor, there was an inference on the part of the opposition that there might be something sensational in my police personnel records. And apparently the Mayor's office made some effort to send someone over and go through those records. They were confidential and the Chief of Police said he didn't want them used as a political football and he locked up the records. I indicated then that I had nothing to hide in my life and that record would be open to the press and anybody else who wanted to see it. Again, this campaign, someone has raised that issue again. And so I have asked the Police Department if they would be willing to release that file and let the press see it. After some discussion with the City Attorney, they have now removed the legal roadblocks, and I am making available to the press and the public, my personnel record of 21-year service on the Police Department. ...fully the pro- they would permit those records to be opened to the press and to the public. [Reporter #2:] Why do you think someone wants to rehash old history? [Bradley:] I don't know. I suppose that in a political campaign if you can infer something and, and hope that people will believe it, that you have accomplished your purpose by innuendo. And I'm not going to permit that to happen as far as I am concerned. There is nothing there to hide. I want everybody to know that Tom Bradley's life has been an open book. And, you know, this is another demonstration of that. [Reporter #3:] Councilman, were you informed last, four years ago that they were to be closed? And did you agree at that time? [Bradley:] Yes, I talked with the Chief of Police at that time and I ask him, "Is there anything in that file that is negative?" He said, "Absolutely not." He said, "but I have locked it up because somebody came over and tried to - wanted to thumb through it." And he said, "As you know, those are confidential records, and I wouldn't permit it." [Reporter #3:] Do you think that there's anything in Tom Reddin's file that should be made public? [Bradley:] His - I don't know. His record is as confidential as mine was and I don't know what's in his record. [Reporter #4:] I have - Councilman, have you had a...