Auto titan's path to LAPD power

Galpin Motors' police ties spark doubt about new commissioner's independence.

- LIBOR JANY

CUSTOMERS TALK numbers at Galpin Motors. The longtime dealership's influence stretches from the showroom floor to City Hall.

RIC FRANCIS Associated Press

At a car lot just off the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, there is more than meets the eye.

Galpin Motors sells new and used Fords — touting itself as one of the largest dealerships in the world. But next door, it also displays exotic rides: Shelby Cobras. A vintage purple Rolls-Royce. Sylvester Stallone's Harley from “The Expendables.”

And then there's the onsite diner, the Horseless Carriage, where the vinyl-covered booths have hosted generations of Valley power brokers and men who have shaped the policies of the Los Angeles Police Department for decades.

Former Galpin boss Herbert “Bert” Boeckmann was an influential figure in local politics and a member of the city’s Board of Police Commissioners, the civilian panel that oversees the LAPD. A longtime lawyer for the car dealer, Alan Skobin, also served on the commission.

Now, another member of the Galpin Motors family is carrying on that legacy.

The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the nomination of Jeffrey Skobin, a vice president at Galpin and the son of Alan Skobin, to the commission.

Appointed by Mayor Karen Bass, the younger Skobin, 45, already serves on an advisory board that gives the mayor input on issues facing the Valley. He declined an interview request from The Times.

Appearing before the council Wednesday, Skobin said he wouldn’t take the role of commissioner lightly. The five-member panel acts like a corporate board of directors, setting LAPD policies, approving its budget and scrutinizing police shootings.

Skobin told council members that he met with both officers and community members in preparation for his new role.