On April 3, 1991, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners ordered Chief of Police Daryl Gates to take 60 days of paid administrative leave in response to the Rodney King incident. After threatening legal action, Gates was reinstated to his post as Chief by the City Council. However, this incident called into question the balance of power between the Chief of Police and members of the Commission. First Interstate Bancorp was the firm selected to investigate the dynamics between these two administrative bodies, and materials in the series pertain to the firm's work product.

Included are performance-related self evaluations submitted by Chief Gates to the Police Commission; the writ of mandamus petitioned by Gates related to his administrative leave; a legal opinion discussing the role of the City Attorney in cases where the opinions of two city bodies are juxtaposed; interview transcripts regarding the LAPD's procedures for handling complaints; memoranda about corruption within the LAPD; and reviews and summaries of literature regarding civilian oversight of municipal police departments. The series also contains materials directly related to First Interstate Bancorp's work product, including detailed work plans, contact lists, meeting agendas, and correspondence with other firms working on the Commission report.