LAPD Chief Bill Bratton Resigning, Taking Job in Private Sector

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 02:34:36 PM EST
Tags: Bill Bratton (all tags)

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After 7 years as L.A. Police Chief, Bill Bratton today announced he's stepping down in October to take a job with a private security firm.

Bratton will "reunite" with Michael Cherkasky. Cherkasky and Bratton have been close associates. Before becoming chief, Bratton worked as a consultant for Cherkasky, advising governments in several countries on how to reform and build modern police forces.

Cherkasky runs a company called Altegrity. [More...]

News of Bratton's departure reverberated throughout City Hall.

"He came, he saw, he conquered and now it's time for him to move on," Councilwoman Janice Hahn said. Hahn added that Bratton's chief goals in coming to Los Angeles were to reduce crime and improve the department's standing. Once the consent decree was lifted, she had not expected him to stay long, she said.

Bratton and his wife (and my good friend) Rikki Klieman put their home on the market last month.

Bratton had a very successful run as police chief. He was instrumental in turning around its infamous "culture of corruption."

Last month, in a big victory for Bratton, a federal judge lifts the consent decree imposed in the wake of the Rampart corruption scandal.

I attended Bill Bratton's swearing in ceremony in L.A. in October, 2002. As I wrote then, "...attending the ceremonies was a window into an entirely new and foreign world. I'm grateful I was invited to catch a glimpse of it."

I may not be enamored of police in general, but I have to say, Bill Bratton is an exception and an enormously talented individual. I wish him and Rikki great success in whatever ventures are next on their horizon.

All of TalkLeft's coverage of Bill Bratton over the years is assembled here.

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LAPD Chief Bill Bratton Resigning, Taking Job in Private Sector | 5 comments (5 topical)

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Yup, One of the Good Guys (none / 0) (#1)
by The Maven on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 03:20:37 PM EST

It's also useful to remember that Bratton was basically run out of town from his position as NYPD Commissioner in 1996 by Mr. 9/11 himself, Rudy Giuliani, in large part because the media was doing its job (for once) and realized that Bratton's embrace of CompStat was probably more effective at reducing crime than Rudy's talk-tough demeanor. As a professional diva, Giuliani never was willing to share the spotlight with anyone, so Bratton was replaced with Howard Safir, who was content to be a lapdog (and after Safir, Giuliani gave us Bernie Kerik, about whom the less said, the better).

One can only hope that Bratton's successors in Los Angeles are of a higher caliber than those in NYC, and that they continue to move the LAPD forward.

On a side note, I found it interersting that the LAT would so prominently quote Janice Hahn here, without bothering to note that she's the sister of former mayor James Hahn, who appointed Bratton. Or do they figure that everyone in California already knows that?

Probably due to LAT diminished (none / 0) (#2)
by oculus on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 03:23:19 PM EST

reportorial staff and the age of sd. staff. Bill Boyarsky wouldn't hav missed it!


Could an LA Times reporter (none / 0) (#3)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 03:32:58 PM EST

really not know who the Hahns are?


: Well, do you ever look at the corrections? (none / 0) (#4)
by oculus on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 03:58:55 PM EST

Maps are frequently wrong. Facts I thought everyone with a high school education knew--corrections next day. Kind of amazing.

I liked Bill Bratton too, (none / 0) (#5)
by NYShooter on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 09:58:03 PM EST

But having an intelligent, low key and effective Commissioner was just too much for Rudy. When talking to reporters, it was pretty painful watching Bratton trying to take the limelight off of himself and place it on Giuliani's superb "leadership." But Rudy didn't want to share the credit for the decrease in the City's crime; he wanted ALL the credit. (Like his evil twin, GWB, the dummy just didn't feel comfortable being around smart people.)

The irony, of course, was that neither Bratton, nor Giuliani, deserved most of the credit; that honor belonged to President Bill Clinton, and the booming economy. As good as the statistics were for NYC, they paled in comparison to many of the other big cities. Not to take anything away from Bill Bratton, he was a visionary Commissioner, but there's nothing like a strong economic tailwind to get those crime stats tumbling.
