Bratton's Resignation: Major Blow to Los Angeles

Recall the recent editorial at the Los Angeles Times on the Michael Jackson memorial, "The Michael Jackson memorial: City Hall blew it; With the Exception of the Police Department, the City's Handling of the Event Was Disorganized, Cheap and Pathetic."

That's something to keep in mind with the news this week of Police Chief William Bratton's resignationt. See, "Bratton's Exit Poses a Major Challenge for L.A.":

William J. Bratton's announcement Wednesday that he would resign as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department caught Angelenos by surprise, including the mayor and police leaders who suddenly found themselves confronted with the daunting task of replacing one of the nation's most influential law enforcement figures.

Bratton's unexpected decision set in motion what promises to be an intense and wide-ranging search for his successor. With just three months before Bratton departs for his new job as head of a private security firm, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others involved in the selection must act quickly or face the less palatable option of putting an interim leader in place - something Villaraigosa said during a news conference that he'd rather not do.

See also, "Will Bratton's Reforms Survive After His Departure?":

He came to Los Angeles in 2002, a brash New Englander in a hurry to make his mark and unwilling to mince words.

When a community activist attacked the department, Chief William J. Bratton went on CNN and labeled him a "nitwit." When the City Council refused his request for more officers, he bellowed: "Let them start attending some of the funerals of the victims of crime."

But behind the sometimes in-your-face demeanor, Bratton was also a listener, a skilled politician and -- above all -- an effective cop.

He quietly made his way through South Los Angeles, meeting with black ministers and community activists to talk about race and crime. He demanded that his officers change the way they police and imposed strong discipline for misconduct -- yet he maintained the support of the rank and file.

He presided over a steep drop in crime that left the city safer than it has been in decades. And he managed to persuade two successive mayors to make hiring more officers a top priority -- even when that meant cutting into other programs.

Now, as Bratton is about to leave the city's political stage, some civic leaders expressed concern Wednesday about whether his impressive legacy can be sustained and whether he exited too early.

"I wish he had stayed at least another two years," said Connie Rice, a civil rights attorney and longtime advocate for police reform. "I would not be surprised to see the organization slip back."

More reaction here, "Legacy of America's Top Cop."