L.A. Police Chief Jumps Ship
Come October 31, Los Angeles Police Department Chief William Bratton will be like the marshal in the final act of one of those old Westerns.
Having ridden in some time ago to clean up the town, his work is now finished. The grateful townsfolk beg him to stay on and put down some roots, but he’ll have none of it. Instead he’ll hang up his star and his shootin’ iron, pack his carpet bag, and ride off with is girl into the, well, the sunrise, actually, if we’re going to be precise about things.
Bratton is headed back to New York, where he’ll take what we may presume to be a highly remunerative position in a private security company headed by an old crony. (One wonders how on earth he managed to scrape by on the $320,000 he was making as chief of police.) And as he leaves town, he will see his many admirers thronging to strew rose petals in his path, for the town he was hired to tame truly has been transformed. If that transformation hasn’t been entirely due to his efforts, well, why not let the myth survive at least until the credits roll?
When Bratton came to the LAPD in 2002, the department had endured ten years under two ineffectual police chiefs, Willie Williams and Bernard Parks. I recall those days as one recalls a terrible illness: you remember feeling bad, but once health is restored, some trick of the mind prevents you from remembering just how truly bad off you were. The department had suffered through the Rampart corruption scandal and, under the terms of a consent decree, had been placed under the supervision of a federal judge. Crime was rising, morale was plummeting, and officers were fleeing the job far more quickly than their replacements could be hired and trained.
I was an early advocate for appointing Bratton to head the department. It seemed to me at the time that only he had the necessary combination of experience and freedom from the taint that had attached itself to those from within the LAPD who aspired to the position. In the world of law enforcement, he was arguably the only all-star. And indeed, the dismal trends of the Parks years were reversed from virtually the moment Bratton was hired. The LAPD stopped hemorrhaging officers and crime began to trend lower, slowly at first and then dramatically. In 2002, the city saw 647 homicides; by 2008 the number was 381. And if trends continue to hold, the number should be even lower this year. As of last week the LAPD had investigated 184 murders since January 1, down 19 percent from the same period last year.
So he has earned his admirers, but as anyone who has followed his career will tell you, William Bratton has no greater admirer than William Bratton himself. Which brings us to the curious timing of his departure, coming as it does only two years into his second five-year term as chief. When Bratton came to Los Angeles, a friend in the NYPD described him as the P.T. Barnum of law enforcement, a handle that seems just as apt today as it did then. Like Barnum, Bratton knows how to put on a show, and also like Barnum, he knows to leave the audience wanting more as he exits the stage.
You have to take the good with the bad. And embrace it. Most result creators have big egos. Make the choice! Do you want a pleasant politically correct chief and high levels of crime? Or do you want a larger than life annoying self congratulative ego maniac chief and low crime rates? Maybe those 1000+ people that have not been murdered can make up for his less than perfect personality.
This is really interesting, considering Susan Estrich wrote an op-ed about Bratton retiring recently as well in which his explanation was “home mortgage rates”:
“Last month, when reports surfaced that Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton and his wife, Rikki Klieman, were putting their house on the market, people in L.A. started getting nervous. The chief is in the second year of his second five-year term. It is the first time in the 20-plus years I’ve lived here that no one was trying to show him the door.
When the Brattons said it was just because of the pool they didn’t use, it didn’t seem entirely plausible. After seven years, they just woke up and realized they didn’t need a pool? But it certainly beat the alternative.
In announcing his decision to step down, Bratton admitted it wasn’t just the pool. His variable rate mortgage was going through the roof. Not that he was complaining about his salary, but it’s about to go up about 10 times over. And he deserves every penny of it.”
Hm. (Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20090807/cm_uc_crsesx/op_3910914 )
Give the man credit. He managed a turn-around in a difficult situation (which you neglect to fully describe, e.g. illegal immigration run-amok, budget issues, rampant gang activity, etc.) and achieve the kinds of results he was hired to achieve. He got RESULTS. Never mind his ego. Maybe he can read the tea leaves and knows it is time for someone else with a different set of skills and energy to tackle the future set of problems. As Dirty Harry used to say “A man’s got to know his limitations!” and sounds like he is smart that way also. In a society that rewards style over substance, at least LA got substance for it’s money. Be thankful for that. Got any complaints, take them up with the Ca legislature.
2. Jamie W. writes:
“..His variable rate mortgage was going through the roof..”
I love it! CRA claims another victim!
When we went to NYC this year with our children to meet up with friends from overseas, we explained to them the mircle of New York’s transformation. But for Bratton’s and Giuliani’s work, it was not likely that we would have been able to comfortably visit the city. My husband and I had spent much time in NY in the late 70′s and 80′s and remember all too well the pre-Bratton days. I will sing Bratton’s praises. I will be the first to tell you that LA got off cheap. How much more money does a city make when people aren’t afraid to visit? I now live in a city in which after a series of attacks, our city police dept put out a letter explaining that visitors to the city need not fear attack just aggressive harassment.
What?!? A successful, competent QUITTER moving on to his next challenge, leaving a place better off for him having done his job well? Now going to go get paid? Gosh, sounds like one of those Conservative Republicans! Now, where have I heard a storyline like this before? Wait, wait, I almost have it….
I always thought it was astoundingly amazing that Mr. Bratton absolutely could not see the phenomenon of illegal Mexicans shooting and killing local blacks, nor would he allow the word “genocide” to pass his lips. But if the local black community would rather go to the mat over homosexual marriage than the fact that invaders from another country are dedicated to cleansing Los Angeles of its black residents, then who am I to judge.
Some place along the way I read a rumor that he was going to take over Scotland Yard when he left. It’s a pity that he’s just trundling back to New York — I looked forward to seeing him in a deerstalker hat and smoking a pipe.
I wish Mr. Dunphy would comment on whether or not LAPD insiders think the next Chief will be a promotion from within (which means we’ll end up with a Hispanic Muslim female), or if they’ll do another international search for the next sheriff to clean up DodgeWest.
William Bratton is leaving a sinking ship. And much of the impending disaster is probably not his fault. Is Bratton responsible for Los Angeles’s spendthrift ways? It is my understanding that the wasteful spending occurred long before he entered town. I am definitely not an expert on the city’s financial plight, but it’s my hunch it will take a minimum of ten years to undo the damage. In the meantime, it’s going to suck living in LA. Those who can escape will do so as quickly as possible. Moreover, “Jack Dunphy” is not a spring chicken and will likely retire in the relatively near future. I bet he will not live in Los Angeles five years from now. He may already have a new place in Utah or Colorado picked out.
Bratton did a fine job and deserves his kudos. I could care less if he is ego-driven as long as he got the darn job done.
#6 Marc Malone – You sound like a union guy who has stayed in the same job for his entire career and thinks that anyone who changes is just an “opportunist.” You are just jealous.
I taught my kids that in their lifetimes they better be prepared to change “careers” not just “jobs” at least four or five times. They need to pay attention to trends and make the change based on their own decisions rather than have the decision forced on them. Oh the horror of people using their free will, their independence to advance their own self interests!!!! My, the shame.
Why don’t you take your thinly veiled attack on Sarah Palin and, well, you know what you can do with it. Grow up and get with the American way and stop resenting those who have the ability and will to take responsibility for themselves and their families while doing the job they were hired to do.
Those are big shoes to fill regardless of who was there, scrutiny will follow anyone.
Wow, didn’t see that coming, next few days should be interesting.
Jack has many valid points, but one I do not see eye to eye on is the phrase that Bratton was referred to in the article as an “unqualified success.” A difficult topic to quantify, because although not a personal fan of the man’s leadership style, his effectiveness and accomplishments were impossible to ignore.
I humbly opine Bratton was a qualified success at the LAPD. Though never embraced as an insider at the LAPD or overly revered by the majority of street officers, he thoroughly succeeded in rescuing the LAPD from a crippling, self-induced downward spiral. Yes, rescued! Bratton’s success was the LAPD’s success and the organization needed it regain credibility and community approval. Bratton’s successes far outnumbered his purported faults, like ego-centrism.
Low morale, high crime, an unfair disciplinary process, the Consent Decree, repeated special interest attacks, poor command accountability, and a lack of public trust were critical aspects of an insular LAPD that Bratton inherited and drastically improved upon in his seven years. These are issues that festered for at least a decade under Willie Williams and Bernard Parks. Bratton deserves credit for listening, identifying, and acting on those crucial issues that needed immediate and constant attention.
Morale is higher, resident approval is up considerably, crime is lower, the Consent Decree has been removed, disciplinary cases are fewer, the Department is almost at 10,000 sworn officers, and most realize the loss of Bratton to the organization may mean tougher times ahead. In an era where police chiefs are political appointees, I opine William Bratton’s competence as a police administrator is second to none.
It is difficult to imagine any chief of police today, especially in Los Angeles, being a favorite of the rank and file, the union, the City Council, the Mayor’s office, the media, the Police Commission, the Clergy, and varied special interest groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Also, Bratton deserves credit for his political acumen which allowed him to appear beholden to all of these groups and simultaneously to none of these groups, depending on the situation. This man is a true political enigma that left with the crowd wanting more.
Sounds like a good house guest.
Second paragraph, second to last sentence: “…organization needed it to regain credibility….” My apologies for omitting the “to”.
Bratton has worked miracles in many instances in L.A. for sure.
L.A. – I think of the band Tool’s, ‘Stinkfist’ lyrics, whereas the chorus ‘Let ‘em swim’ is repeated. As well as the other ‘delights’ ever-so present down south.
I remember reading angst type op-eds regarding Bratton during an illegal alien demonstration in 2007. Whereas a dozen or so officers were hurt from debris tossed at them, a motorcycle officer was pushed off his bike – though Bratton had directed his frustration, disappointment at his own officers..?
No to mention his nonexistent approach, improvement of illegal aliens inundating L.A. and the thousands of Mexican gang members residing and living off American’s taxes. See Jamiel Shaw for but one example..
#10 WhyamInotsurprised –
I’m on your side. I post here all the time. I’m a Palin fan. I was showing how this is normal and fine. Nothing wrong with it at all… unless your name is Palin. I thought the sarcasm was obvious. A real troll would not have acknowledged Palin’s accomplishments.
#10 WhyamInotsurprised –
I’m on your side. I was pointing out the similarities. I was showing how this is normal and laudable… unless your name is Palin. I thought the sarcasm was obvious, as a troll would never acknowledge Palin’s accomplishments.
I post here all the time. Don’t you know my moniker, yet? I know yours.
Every time downtown LA is closed down for illegal Mexican marches, I blame Bratton. If the Latino’s want to demonstrate then they should be directed some place *other* than downtown Los Angeles in the middle of a work day. I know why our ditzy mayor allows it; I do *not* understand why the Chief of Police of a major American city agrees to let it be hamstrung and closed down by a gang of illegal invaders.
Thankfully, however, said marches seem to be waning with not as many “immigrants” showing up for them, nor do the ones who have nothing else to do except march up and down streets on a work day take as long to make their pathetic little protests.
I would love to know how much legal American taxpayers are having to pay in police overtime to set up for and tend to these various marches by all the different Latino’s who have slithered into Los Angeles.
Another crybaby. Please, give the man all the credit for doing the impossible with a dept. Parks, GAtes, William all tried to destroy. Bratton’s approval rating is in the high 80′s these days, the Harvard Study is astounding of his success in miniority communities and with his officers, The LA Times poll never had such positive numbers for LAPD and all you do is criticize like the goons at PPL police union. Who can blame him for leaving when we have a failure as a Mayor, the worst city council in the history of this city, no leadership from anyone inside city hall at all and the worst budget crisis. Bratton made all his goals and good luck to him and thank you Chief.!!
If any of you people worked for the LAPD, bringing Bratton in did nothing to improve the Department. If you were there during the earthquakes, riots and such and had to sit by while your city went down in flames, while the higher ups sat on their thumbs not wanting to damage their careers. Well when Bratton was brought in to clean up the town, many of these career officers were forced to retire and what did this visionary do he brought in another outsider gave him a very high position over people who had paid their dues and even gave him a driver to get around, Bratton did nothing to save the LAPD he just put the officers who do the everyday work first,and allowed them to do their jobs, let him go he was only a stop gap Chief anyway, he could not deal with the highly charged political position that the job had become since Williams and Parks. Could an LAPD officer qualify to become Chief in New York? Highly unlikely.
To great things to note, One was when Parks replaced Willams and the greatest thing that ever happened to LAPD was when Bratton replaced Parks. Loss to LAPD with him leaving.
Well I must say that from being part of that organization (LAPD) I can say that much has not changed. As some officers that are reading this will agree and some will not. Of course thouse who do not are either supervisors or pushing paper inside. Most officers will agree with the article that Bratton has been out for himself from the start. We at the LAPD were a notch on his resume. Also he does put in a good show. alot of those crime rates we saw go down is because we as officers reclassified crimes. Most of it Im sure did go down but there are some for example, a grand theft auto is now reported as a grand theft. Just as if any property of yours ovwer 400 hundred dollars was stolen. You may say so, well the it wont be classified as a car theft it will be a simple theft. So guess what citizens of Los Angeles, car thefts are down in one of the highest rate of stolen car cities in america. Well citizens as you watch that pursuit on TV, you ask yourself, “Is it down”. No Brattton is putting on a show, its an illusion like Criss Angel. He has just moved things and people around to make it seem like everything is good. Since he will have to take a pay cut soon due to the economy, well he is leaving for the private sector. Smart man I must give him credit. Bratton has been better than Parks but not much. Morale is down and there is still alot of B.S. within the ranks. You dont hear about it unless you at a bar where cops are hanging talking about work. That come from this fear cloud, a very dark cloud that has been around LAPD for years. So if it where up to me and us An outsider again but someone not looking to polish their resume. Better yet some one from the witihin but the officers will choose!
Bratton’s forte’ is TIMING! It’s all about “smoke and mirrors.” Ever watch a master magician’s act? You walk away, impressed as hell asking everybody, “How did he do that?” What primarily lead to Bratton’s illusion of success is the act he followed. (Timing!)Operating within the shambles he inherited, subsequent to the blundering mishaps of Bernard Parks, Bratton’s slight of hand could only produce favorable results. Competence subsequent to incompetence appears all the more so. He is an astute master opportunist and political sycophant. The truth of the matter is Bratton’s thing is not as much about selling “snake oil” to those who think they need it, he derives more of a sense of accomplishment in disseminating it to those who think they don’t. The master magician is keenly aware when the audience is on to his old tricks and abides by the philosophy that “there’s a sucker born every minute.” Bratton knows the gig is up and realizes it’s time to hitch up his wagon full illusions and ply his trade elsewhere. (Timing!) Bratton is an entertainer at heart and it is a proven fact the populous loves to be entertained. (Some of the comments posted readily reveal how easily charmed is the unsuspecting public.)Mark my words, Bratton shall some day hold a political office. The LAPD shall continue to thrive as it has since its implementation, but it shall also continue to struggle as it has until someone concedes the fact that it has “too many chiefs and not enough indians.”
Bratton is all smoke & mirrors with a professional face. He cashed in on the national trend of falling crime rates and played a shell game to maintain it. He isn’t leaving as much as fleeing, and none too soon.
Bratton’s good deed notwithstanding, I’m not a fan of the “new” LAPD. Growing up in Los Angeles during the 50s and 60s, I saw an LA that had as it’s worst problem the terrible smog. Men of respect wore suits and ties – even to Disneyland. Women wore dresses. Kids were clean when they went to school. They did not misbehave. If they did, they got a swat from the teacher or principal. Crime was an issue but not to the average Angelelo. If you wanted the news of the day, you read the Times or,more likely, the Herald Examiner. The Chief was William Parker who guided the department with an iron fist and the police ruled the streets with the same commitment and dedication.
By this I do not mean the street officers (known as Policemen) were brutal for they were not. They were believers in the law and the obediance thereof. They were almost all veterans of WWII. They went from wearing one uniform to another.
Footbeat cops were revered. They knew the life and style of everyone on their beat. They recognized strangers immediately and could tell the good guys from the bad guys in the blink of an eye. Patrol officers rode in silence, interrupted only by the sounds of the police radio. They knew how to listen to and observe the street. They saw crime in progress. They acted by instinct, and criminals went to jail, usually without so much as a wimper, let alone a fight.
It went on like this for decades until the mid 80s when respect for the street officer started to deteriorate, accellerated by the lack of support from the brass. When disrespect for authority became more commonplace, crime began to rise. The primary tools of the policeman, his keen powers of observation, were dulled by monotony and tedium. Paperwork became the order of the day. Airconditioned comfort, chetter and conversation further limited the policeman’s knowledge of the street.
Finally, today, the average police officer (note the correct term was replaced with politically correct people and politically correct terminology) rolls from mundane radio call to mundale radio call, handling issues that people used to be able to deal with themselves. They go merrily along in cool comfort typing away at their electronic leash now fully insulated from the public they swore to protect. Seperated from the street by steel and glass, they no longer know the people, they cannot identify the criminal, and they could care less.
Thanks to the “wussification” of command personnel, the Chief has been forced to be a political puppet of the Mayor, the Council, and the ever-present Police Commission.
I’m not sure what Mr. Dunphy thinks, but in my humble opinion, the last Chief of the LAPD was Daryl F. Gates and even he took a beating from the political machine that suffocates this city.
It is not what it was. That is a certainty and it may not necessarily be a good thing.
COMSTAT may report crime is down but is it really? Could it be that the numbers were skewed all along?
Bratton brought the bean counters with him. Unlike many before them, these guys actually know how to count. The numbers now recorded are more accurate than ever and actually reflect the true sense of the street. Using the computer, the police department can feel the street and know where things are happening and where they’re going to happen.
Just like the footbeat policeman of the 70s.
Why do you think Bratton was let go by then Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani? Bratten was a photo hound and Giuliani said I dont think so and fired his arrogant behind! LAPD made Bratton a celebrity and nothing more. The LAPD stands on its own merits from a long and great tradition of fine officers. This city needs to clean up its own act and hire a tradional chief from the inside that will respect the badge and uniform and please, keep Bernie Parks away from LAPD. He was a quitter in the Academy and showed it with his managerial style.
OK, I gave 25 years to LAPD and it’s citizens. I grew up in LA, went to the public schools, and my kids still live there (unfortunately). One thing I learned as a ground pounder, you are nothing but political fodder for the purveyors of local power. Every Chief has a new program to sell to the public. Basic Car, Team Policeing, Dare, Broken Windows, Neighborhood Watch, etc. Bratton sold his crime pattern analysis software pitch, the city bit and bought it and him. The rank and file just adapt to the new manifesto, whatever it may be, and continue to do the same job as always. #23 and #24 have a good grasp of Bratton’s tenure. I worked mostly under the Gates dynasty. At least he gave his uniformed officers some support until he was chased out by the political winds of change at town hall. The LAPD has become one big Cosmopolitan Political Division. Full of special interest groups infighting for a piece of the civil service pie. The Command staff for the most part are college boys with guns. Most couldn’t cut it in the streets and opted for a 9 to 5 M-F gig. They are totaly self absorbed, and always holding their finger in the wind before making any decisions that might be promotion altering. Ergo, the handeling of the LA Riots and May Day demonstration fiasco. SOoooo, I take pleasure in being gone from LA and Calif. I now read with interest the machinations of LAPD and a sinking City full of detritus politicians. Yet, I still pray for the young five O’s trying to ply their trade there. It was an E-ticket ride for me, but I’m glad to have gotten off. (If you aren’t sure of the refrence to an E-Ticket, ask any LAPD Officer aged 55 or above)
In all the commentary from LA’s local and slanted media, something significant seems to have been omitted. Has no one noticed that Michael Cherkasky, the monitor appointed in the needless consent decree (signed by feckless LA city and police officials) bears the same name as that of Bratton’s new boss in his latest venture into the world of international security? LA’s “petty municipal politics” are still politics, and politics certainly has been a disease inflicted on LAPD, but the interesting relationship between Bratton and his new boss smacks of the political maneuvering for which the east coast is so deservedly famous.
I stand here today humbled by the task before dofus kamas, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our cheap dofus kamas. I thank President dofus power leveling for his service to buy dofus kamas, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.