Flashpoint or beacon -- Los Angeles Police Chief Willie Williams is facing opposition to his bid for a second five-year term despite a hefty increase in public approval of the department and a drop in crime. The situation provides the city's several minority groups with good reason to act in concert, especially since there is a risk the removal of Williams -- appointed in the hope of bringing the city together after the 1992 disturbances -- could heighten tensions in this racially-charged city.

Los Angeles Police Chief Willie Williams' fight to keep his job could be the moving force behind a powerful alliance of African Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos -- or add to the city's already charged racial tensions.

We have seen those tensions turn deadly in recent years. Scenes from L.A.'s "ethnic wars" have played to an international audience: A Korean merchant, feeling besieged, guns down a young black girl in his store. Latin and African gangs stage a bloody turf war that leaves 15 dead. An Asian store-owner shoots and kills a Latina teenager alleging that her friends stole from his store.

These are all sparks from a smoldering fire that threatens to burn the bridge of communication between people of color. It is a fire ignited by an intense fight for limited resources and fueled by misunderstanding and distrust.

After the civil unrest in 1992, when Williams replaced Darryl Gates as L.A.'s top cop, public approval ratings for the L.A.P.D. dipped to an all-time low, near 30 percent. Much of this could be attributed to the department's harsh treatment of people in communities of color, and Williams faced this problem from the first. In a series of now-famous memos, he warned officers that racist and "rogue" cops would not be tolerated. His swift response to revelations about officer Mark Fuhrman's racism during the O.J. Simpson trial served to confirm his stance. Williams wanted it known that the L.A.P.D. had entered a new era, and in his third year in the post, approval ratings topped 70 percent -- and crime was down.

Word that the Police Commission is leaning against Williams' request for another five year term has caused concern throughout the city's ethnic communities -- concern that an incoming chief will not be sensitive to their needs.

People of color know that a disproportionate amount of L.A.'s violent crimes happen in their neighborhoods, so that the way police handle themselves has a direct impact on their lives. They are concerned about law-abiding citizens being treated like criminals simply because of the neighborhood they live in and the color of their skin.

The choice of police chief, then, is of special importance to African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos. It also presents a special opportunity to work together for their common interests. Polls suggest that -- despite criticisms of his administrative skills -- people in all three groups agree that Williams' tenure has brought improvements in their communities, so it should be possible to organize a powerful "triple alliance" and place their collective weight behind him. A successful collaboration on this issue could provide a basis for meaningful cooperation in the future.

There are already some examples of effective joint efforts. Communities United for Police Reform (CUPR) -- a coalition committed to ensuring implementation of the changes called for by the Christopher Commission following the civil unrest of 1992 -- includes AGENDA, a grassroots organization with a primarily African American constituency, the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, and Korean Immigrant Workers' Advocates, among others.

Another example is provided by the Multi-Cultural Collaborative, which works with groups from different communities on issues like schools and conflict resolution.

There is an interesting precedent for such an alliance. Almost a hundred years ago, New York City had become a metropolis of immigrants -- but the immigrants, divided, wielded little political power. As Nathan Glazer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan point out in "Beyond the Melting Pot: the Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City," power brokers within these communities decided to pool their strengths. Through shrewd cooperation, they managed to unseat the old political guard, and to hold on to city hall for decades.

The need to keep a police chief who is sensitive to the needs of African American, Asian American and Latino communities may just be the impetus needed to form an alliance that changes the balance of power in 21st Century Los Angeles.