Bratton Confirmed as LAPD Chief

William J. Bratton, a former Boston street cop who went on to become one of the best known law enforcement executives in the country, was confirmed Friday as the 54th chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.

With only one voting against Mayor James K. Hahn’s nominee, the City Council overwhelmingly expressed confidence in Bratton’s promise to reform the LAPD and make Los Angeles the safest big city in America.

Bratton will be sworn in as chief in a public ceremony Oct. 28.

Council members, including some who previously lobbied Hahn to select an LAPD insider for the job, said they had been impressed by Bratton’s take-charge attitude. During their two-hour hearing that produced a 14-1 vote, council members repeatedly praised him for his knowledge of policing and his vision for the LAPD.

“This department will be my last police department that I will have the opportunity to work with and lead,” Bratton, 55, told the council. “I would like to see it as the capstone of my career that I participate in what it once was and certainly will be again: the most professional, successful and caring--and I emphasize caring--police department in this country. All of this is achievable.”

Hahn selected Bratton after interviewing the Police Commission’s top three choices for the job. Also up for the position were Oxnard Police Chief Art Lopez and former Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney, who was second in command under Bratton at the New York Police Department.

“It’s a great day for the city of Los Angeles, a great day for our neighborhoods,” said Hahn, adding that he was gratified by the “overwhelming” council support.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Hahn said. “We do have to rein in crime in this city--especially violent crime and gang-related crime. We have to work on improving morale of the Police Department, improving recruitment and slowing down our attrition. We have to finish the job of reform. We have to make sure we have a real partnership between the community and the Police Department.”

Although Latino members of the council initially expressed disappointment that Hahn had not picked Lopez, they all voted in favor of Bratton’s appointment Friday.

The council also approved Bratton’s salary of $239,039 annually, with an additional $9,000 for moving expenses and a $2,900-a-month housing allowance, for six months. He is being appointed to a five-year term.

“In no way am I going to impede your confirmation,” Councilman Nick Pacheco told Bratton. “But my support is reserved. I need to see results.”

Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas said he decided to support Bratton after discussing the matter with some of his key advisors, including attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and former Police Chief Bernard C. Parks.

“They both gave him high marks,” Ridley-Thomas said. “They said [Bratton] is someone who will be a good choice for the city of Los Angeles. I felt encouraged by their input. I have to hope that he does well, but I want to immediately say that he cannot do it alone.”

Others said they believed that Bratton--an eloquent public speaker with the savvy of a polished chief executive--is perfect for the job.

“His autobiography is entitled ‘Turnaround,’ and I hope that when he leaves Los Angeles in several years, he’ll be able to write a book called ‘Turnaround, Part Two,’ ” said Councilman Jack Weiss, a former federal prosecutor.

Council President Alex Padilla added: “I know that today we are writing a new chapter in Los Angeles’ history, and the history of the Los Angeles Police Department.”

During the lengthy council questioning, Bratton vowed to tackle the city’s gang problem and other serious crimes by decentralizing the LAPD and giving more authority and accountability to the department’s 18 division commanders.

After the vote, Bratton said at a news conference that many high-level commanders and deputy chiefs soon would be leaving the department, allowing him to move officers from within the LAPD to higher positions.

“The bulk of the talent that will move this organization forward are within the LAPD,” he said.

He said Cmdr. Jim McDonnell, one of 13 semifinalists for the chief’s position, would play a key role in the transition, setting up interviews for higher positions and helping restructure the deployment of various department resources.

Several times during his presentation to the council, Bratton received applause from the audience, which included police union members, Los Angeles Urban League director John Mack and community activist Sweet Alice Harris.

“I’m persuaded that Mr. Bratton possesses the outstanding leadership qualities that will be necessary to transform the Los Angeles Police Department into an institution that is going to serve all the citizens,” Mack said.

Bratton needed only eight of the 15 council members to gain approval. Councilman Nate Holden, the lone dissenter, was expected to vote against Bratton.

At several points during the council session, Holden accused Bratton of allowing the NYPD to engage in racial profiling as a means of lowering crime.

“I cannot in good conscience approve Mr. Bratton for this position without a thorough questioning of his past performance,” Holden said.

Bratton, who was warned before the meeting about Holden’s legendary tirades, bluntly told the councilman that he had been misinformed on the former NYPD commissioner’s record. “Let me make myself very clear on this issue: Racial profiling is morally and legally wrong,” Bratton said. “It will not be tolerated, it will not be practiced while I’m chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.”

To ensure that, he vowed to speed up implementation of the federally mandated consent decree, which outlines reforms related to racial profiling and other potential abuses of police power.

The city agreed to the decree last year to stave off a suit by the U.S. Justice Department, which said that the LAPD for years had engaged in civil rights violations.

Bratton was a member of the team monitoring the department’s compliance with the consent decree, which is how he became interested in the LAPD position.

The job opened up in April after the Police Commission voted to deny Parks a second five-year term. Former Deputy Chief Martin Pomeroy has been serving as temporary head of the department. He is set to step down, once Bratton is sworn in.