LAPD’s New Command Structure Adds Civilians, Spreads Authority

Chief William J. Bratton unveiled his organizational blueprint for the Los Angeles Police Department on Friday, saying he would appoint more civilians to top posts and elevate the importance of bureaus dealing with homeland security, internal affairs and the federal consent decree.

The heads of those bureaus will report directly to the chief. Bratton said he is trying to decentralize other areas of the department, which will be consolidated under three previously named deputy and assistant chiefs.

“Parker Center supposedly has a tilt going toward my office,” Bratton told a group of more than 100 LAPD officials of captain rank and above during an all-day retreat at the Burbank Airport Hilton. “The tilt should be out of my office.”

Bratton said a new Homeland Security Bureau will consolidate functions such as intelligence, counterterrorism, major narcotics and organized crime, among others. Bratton has picked ABC news magazine co-anchor John Miller to head the office.

Gerald Chaleff, most recently a senior advisor to City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, has been picked by Bratton for the new post that oversees implementation of the federal consent decree instituted after the Rampart corruption scandal.

Bratton has yet to select the head of Internal Affairs, which previously was under the chief of staff but will now report to the chief. It remains unclear if that post will be filled by a police official or a civilian.

Under prior LAPD regimes, civilians have been relegated to administrative functions. But Bratton, former head of the New York Police Commission, wants to move more civilians into the department to free sworn officers for more traditional police work.

The 14 LAPD department heads who now report directly to the chief of police will be trimmed to about seven to reflect the new priorities of the department, the mayor and Police Commission.

The deputy chiefs heading the South, West, Valley and Central operations bureaus and the deputy chief coordinating gangs will report to Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell, as will the heads of the new Compstat computer tracking system and the LAPD’s detective bureau, a newly created position. Bratton has announced plans to elevate George Gascon and Sharon Papa to be assistant chiefs.