KTLA News: "Edward M. Davis, Chief of Police, gives press conference on Communist Party" (1971)

The KTLA newsfilm collection at UCLA consists of cut and unedited stories, outtakes and fill footage, originally shot on 16mm reversal film stock with magnetic soundtrack. Some footage, particularly material not used for broadcast, may be without sound.

Title: "Edward M. Davis, Chief of Police, gives press conference on Communist Party’s local tactics and recruitment." Date: January 14, 1971.

Summary: Edward M. Davis, Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Police Department gives a press conference in which he discusses the tactics of the Communist Party. Davis states the Communist Party has shifted their efforts from targeting the black community to the Latin community in search of support for their cause. The previous Saturday, in a demonstration against Parker Center, the Communist Party joined with the Peace Action Council to produce 30,000 leaflets that were handed out to Mexican American youth. Using pictures on the charts behind him, Davis shows members of the Communist Party, many of them foreign, meeting and mixing with Mexican American youth. He warns that the young men will be exploited by the Party and used to do their dirty work. In addition, he talks briefly about a proposed restructuring of the police department to give local commanders more power. Footage includes shots of cameramen and exterior shots of Parker Center. Note some footage of the press conference lacks sound.

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