Chief Bratton Makes Los Angeles History

At Elysian Park this morning, Chief Bratton was sworn in for his second 5-year term, making history as the first Los Angeles Police Chief appointed to a second term since the 1992 City Charter change, and as the first Chief in LAPD history to serve consecutive back-to-back terms.  The Chief was sworn in by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with his wife, Rikki Klieman, his father, William E. Bratton, his son, David Bratton, and Los Angeles Police Commission President Anthony Pacheco looking on.  In a touching scene that broke from tradition, the senior Mr. Bratton performed the pinning of the badge on his son, the Chief.

In his acceptance remarks, Chief Bratton referred to having met, with the help of the talented men and women of the LAPD, his original four goals of removing the tarnish from the LAPD badge, reducing crime, achieving terrorism prevention and preparedness, and delivering compliance with the Federal Consent Decree.  He spoke of the badge, the most famous badge in the policing profession, and stated that with the support of the Department and the Police Commissioners, he felt as though he had two badges shielding him, in effect.  He thanked the many people he’s known and worked with along the way, many of whom were present, and then he thanked the sworn and civilian staff of the Los Angeles Police Department for their hard work and complimented them on the results of their efforts.

Describing a moment from Chief Bratton’s original job interview, California Senator Alex Padilla told of Chief Bratton’s response when asked what he would like his LAPD legacy to be.  The Chief said he would know he had been successful if, years after the job had ended, the changes that had been implemented during his tenure were still in place and generating positive results.  In his speech today, the Chief stated his belief that the work he and the members of the Department have done- and will continue to do- were indeed laying the foundation for the LAPD’s success far into the future.

Dignitaries past and present turned out to show their support for the Chief.  Among the notable guests were former Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn and former Los Angeles Police Commission President Rick Caruso, each of whom the Chief acknowledged for the large roles they played in his being here today.  Speakers included Jerry Brown, Attorney General of California; Mayor Villaraigosa; Eric Garcetti, City Council President; Ed Reyes, City Councilmember, 1st District; Mr. Pacheco; Senator Padilla; and Andrea Sheridan-Ordin, Los Angeles Police Commissioner and former member of the Christopher Commission.  Also on the dais were many Los Angeles City Councilmembers; Police Commissioners John Mack, Shelley Freeman, and Alan Skobin; Chiefs of Police from other area departments; Karen Wagener, President of the Police Foundation; Assistant Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs of the Los Angeles Police Department; and more.  In the audience were numerous community leaders, the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department, and family and friends of Chief Bratton.  The actors James Caan, Sylvester Stallone and Angie Dickinson, of Police Woman fame, were also present.

Comments

[Cleetus VanDamme]

Interesting how he wears his cuff case on his left hip....Looking squared away there Chief! I'm thinking it must be a Boston thing?

[Christy]

Congrats to Chief Bratton!! I find it very touching that his father performed the honors.

This blog is such a wonderful idea. I just wish more people knew about it!!

[pdhog]

Why does the Chief get to wear service stripes on his uniform for non-LAPD police service? Kinda reminds me of when "Willie from Philly" was wearing medals denoting LAPD U.O's that he wasn't even living in CA when the events took place.

[b&wop;]

That's because Chief Bratton changed the rules when he came over years ago.

Prior police service now allows anyone to show his/her service stripes. We can't have the top cop having less service stripes than any old timer P-2, now can we?

[Lateral Cop]

The manual always allowed lateral officers to wear their hash marks gained in their originating California agency. Now it allows any lateral officer to do the same, regardless of the state.

Technically, Bratton is and/or can be a lateral peace officer. He has a commission in the state of Mass, plus I believe he completed the Rio Hondo lateral program. An out of state officer can get a POST waiver from CA POST.

[AKA]

I would like to know more about the service stripe issue. There are many of us that came from other large police agencies around the country with great careers and left to work for LAPD. That always steamed me seeing Willie and Billy with all those service stripes but none from here.

I came to LAPD from a major East Coast police department leaving as a detective with Internal Affairs. 5 years there but was told I can't have a service stripe. Can anyone shed light on this??

AKA

[ABCOfficer]

Lets not get pissy about laterals wearing service stripes. I know you feel LAPD is the best there is. Guess what, so do they thats why they came over. Lets not begrudge them the years they devoted to protecting the public in some other city or the fact that they risked their lives every time they put on that other uniform.

[B&WOp;]

AKA, you're a Department employee and you have to ask such a question on the Blog???

How about going to the Department Manual (also available on LAPDOnline.org) and look up what you need to know. Just in case you're having trouble, here it is:

638.10 SERVICE STRIPES-WEARING REQUIRED.

Sworn. For each five years of sworn service with the Department, officers shall wear one service stripe on the uniform shirt. Laterally hired officers shall wear one service stripe for each five years of California law enforcement experience, or law enforcement experience with a state accredited law enforcement agency equivalent to Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Note: This only applies to the uniform and does not increase the officer’s years of service with the City of Los Angeles.

Hope that answers any questions.

[Pogue]

This if from the current LAPD manual in volume 3.

638. SERVICE STRIPES.

638.10 WEARING REQUIRED.

Sworn. For each five years of sworn service with the Department, officers shall wear one service stripe on the uniform shirt. Laterally hired officers shall wear one service stripe for each five years of California law enforcement experience, or law enforcement experience with a state accredited law enforcement agency equivalent to Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Note: This only applies to the uniform and does not increase the officer’s years of service with the City of Los Angeles.

[Lateral Cop]

Hey AKA, maybe they told you that because you used to work IA! LOL.

Before Bratton came to town, only laterals from a Calif. agency could wear their has marks after they completed probation.

Now any officer can wear their hash marks, no matter what state they did their service in. You can read it in the manual.

[Lateral Cop]

Here's the scoop on hash marks and out of state cops:

Straight from the manual:

638.10 WEARING REQUIRED.

Sworn. For each five years of sworn service with the Department, officers shall wear one service stripe on the uniform shirt. Laterally hired officers shall wear one service stripe for each five years of California law enforcement experience, or law enforcement experience with a state accredited law enforcement agency equivalent to Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Note: This only applies to the uniform and does not increase the officer’s years of service with the City of Los Angeles.

[Cleetus VanDamme]

Amazing how this blog gets misused to clarify such inept issues in a public forum. Remember, the public reads this website and forms their opinions of us based on the discussions we engage in...

LAPD has many good cops within their ranks, but the department as a whole is not the best by any stretch of the imagination. Last time I checked, everyone is constantly looking over their shoulders for doing their jobs the way they are supposed to be done and worried about being beefed. It's due to many things but most importantly, a Chief who could care less about his cops, a weak command staff, (guys like Berkow) and other desk jockeys who promote, the concent decree, a horrible city mayor...I could go on but I think everyone knows what I am talking about.

[AKA]

Thanks to all. Last time I read about that in the manual was pre-Bratton days so it didn't apply to me at that time. Was not aware he changed it but should have figured...

:)

[Dyanne]

I have always been a HUGE police supporter. Every year I give over $100.00 to various police organizations- Widows and orphans fund etc. I always have had the best things to say about the police and have even argued with some of my friends about treating the police better.( I even asked my more angry friends to wait and see what happened in the Denny Pierce case!) Unfortunately that is all over. I received a parking ticket and promptly mailed in my payment. I did not hear or receive any other notices and so that was that. Or so I assumed...
2 months later I received a letter saying that my fine was now MORE THAN DOUBLED! When I called to talk to the police they basically told me I was out of luck. I could not contest the amount because it was too late and there was no proof that I had paid the ticket. The officer explained to me that it is not the police departments job to make sure that my ticket was paid. I explained that I had trusted it to a government agency ( the post office)to get to another government agency - the police. and she said it was my fault. When I asked why I could not contest this she said I had to contest it after the second notice I received .When I explained that I had not gotten a second notice she again said tough. So It is my fault if the Post office does not mail my check and it is also my fault if the post office does not send me a notice?!?
The next week the long lost check was actually received- Yay I said and called the police to mail in a copy of the check. I was told again that I was out of luck. Since the police had cashed the check in November they still considered it late. Even though the check is clearly dated 9/23/07 and even though the envelope had the correct date of 9/23/07 on it which they said they "lost". I understand that the police work with dishonest people every day and are wont not to trust them. But when I good honest citizen comes up against that kind of red-tape- I- care-more about- following-the -letter-of-the -law-then-the-rule of law attitude it is incredibly infuriating.
From now on I do not like the police I will never say anything good about your department again, and in fact will go out of my way to feed parking meters in front of meter maids just before they write tickets. That's the only petty way I have to get back at the injustice I received at the hands of your department. I want you to understand I am a mother and business owner. I am a responsible person who pays her bills and takes care of her responsibilities...your officers made me feel like a criminal.

[Western Vacation]

Dyanne, sorry to burst your bubble, but the PD doesn't issue parking tickets, nor do they maintain custody/responsibility over them-the Department of Transportation (DOT) does.

Cut and paste your alcohol-induced rant and send it to the proper agency.

Cheers!

[Dyanne]

Tell them that! They answer the phone as Police traffic dept. They wear police uniforms. They represent themselves as police.
No alcohol was used in the making of this rant. It was purely fury-fueled.

[Runaway]

Dyanne,
They do not wear police uniforms...if it's your assumtion that it is a police uniform, shame on you. By the way I don't know about the fury fuled thing...when you went off on the wrong set of people and the wrong department. Oh well thank goodness that you've switched teams...fire department here she comes.

Dyanne - the Police Department does not issue traffic citations...the nice little computer generated ticket you got on your vehicle was from the Department of Transportation, Parking Enforcement. Possibly what happened was when you called the police department to get some questions answered, you were referred to a Traffic Division of the LAPD, who will would not be able to assist you with questions involving a parking citation. Most likely, the information you needed was somewhere on the ticket, or alternately, 311 or the LAPD non-emergency number could have referred you to the correct agency - Department of Transporation, Parking Enforcement - not, not the LAPD.

[Eric]

I think Bratton should support updating "Order 40". I don't like how the order has changed over time and become less clear and less clear. There should be a change.