Chief Bratton Travels to Jordan for Meeting with King Abdullah II

Trip Includes Crucial Summit Meetings in Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief William Bratton left today for a trip to Amman, Jordan, where he will meet with His Majesty King Abdullah II to discuss various topics, including law enforcement, security, counter-terrorism, criminal intelligence and community policing tactics and philosophies.  Meetings have also been planned with the Jordanian National Police and General Intelligence Division to discuss international issues affecting both Jordan and Los Angeles.  Deputy Chief and Commanding Officer Michael P. Downing of the Department’s Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau will accompany Chief Bratton on the trip.

A few days later, on Jan. 26, Chief Bratton will return to the U.S. for two important law enforcement executive conferences in Washington, D.C.  The first, sponsored by Major Cities Chiefs Association, will be a two-day assembly of law enforcement executives to include the Major County Sheriffs’ Association. It will focus on legislative issues affecting police departments nationwide.  Key U.S. Congress members may also attend the event.

The second meeting, on Jan. 28, will be the Police Executive Research Forum’s 2009 Summit on the Economic Crisis and Police.  The forum is an effort to get a national perspective on how the economic downturn is affecting nationwide policing.  Participants will discuss and share economic challenges that potentially threaten their ability to provide first-rate law enforcement services.  They will also exchange views on ways to mitigate budget cuts and produce credible information about these challenges that they can disseminate to the incoming U.S. Congress, the Obama administration and other decision-makers.  Conference attendees will also focus on exploring ways to ensure that cutbacks in police department budgets will not undermine significant accomplishments that police agencies have made in recent years.

Chief Bratton is looking forward to meeting with King Abdullah II and attending the meetings. “These are unique opportunities to learn and exchange information that can truly play a critical role in assisting the LAPD and all U.S. police departments in maintaining the highest law enforcement standards and growing our accomplishments during this tough economic period,” he said.

Comments

[James]

I hope the LAPD gets a Counter-Terrorism Unit comparable to NYPD's. We'll never have funding for a 1,000 officer strong unit headed by an ex-CIA chief, w/ a SCIF to boot, but the LA city council needs to start thinking globally.

The capabilities of local police intelligence need to be augmented to fit a wider scope. Terrorists groups like the FARC, Hizbullah, ETA, IRA, the Shining Path, etc. have been sharing information, TTPs and networking since the 80s, while the only time federal and local police get together is for Baker to Vegas.

"What do you Know; Who needs to Know it"

[South End P-3]

wow, the city has no money, all they do is complain about overtime, but the chief feels that its necessary to travel to Jordan to talk to a king about things that have nothing to do with LA. Unbelievable! It's just as bad as when the chief takes the helicopter to Davis academy because he doesn't wanna sit in traffic like the rest of us. Laura Chick needs to look at the chiefs expenses. Can't wait for this guy to leave.

[wow]

"His Majesty King Abdullah II" What is that. No need to be going to Jordan on tax payer money. Washington i understand, Jordan i dont. Pay with your own money and it's ok with me but hows does Jordan police work effect los angeles directly

[Ed O'Shea]

I can understand going to Jordan, if your really trying to foster the best intelligence possible. But that's not the case. A new line on ones resume doesn't fit the criteria. And while were on the subject, lets be intellectually honest about how backwards this department is in the counter and antiterrorism fight. We are still caught up in the Consent Decree, a Pre-9/11 mindset! And now we are jamming our fingers in the dam in a post 9/11 world still thinking about how to protect the people of LA and put enough demographic imperatives into our units to please some CD judge who lives in a fortified castle? Well, right now LAPD's PSTF and quite a few ATD Officers are demographic imperatives! Most are put in these positions because they fill a certain demographic. And as a result, a laughing stock to professional operators, and a detriment to our city's safety. So Although there are "some" qualified people in there, they're very few that truly get it. And mearly reading a couple of books about terrorism and being a color or gender of the week will not give you the skill set necessary to properly do the job. It shouldn't matter what your color or gender. Best "person" for the job, period. I guess it is going to take some massive casualties to Los Angeles to enable us to get the memo that being PC in some areas is down right foolish. Just ask Capt. McNamara what happened when she and the department, correctly, attempted to do what the England does with regard to tracking certain "Muslims." That profiling fire storm from the ACLU was about as expected as death and taxes. So much for getting people off the bus that do not belong, and filling the seats with qualified, and motivated, team oriented individuals. The terrorists can get it wrong a few times, we cannot get it wrong once! So lets get it right here, before you take another flight to Jordan please Chief Bratton. The next year, and how the LAPD fights terrorism, will help me in my decision on weather or not to move my family to a city or town that actually gets it. We cannot get it wrong, NOT ONCE!

[pdhog]

They should send the detectives who would actually conduct investigations. This is a fluff trip...

[RP]

With the budget problems this city and the rest of the country are having, this is a waste of taxpayer money. This trip, plus security and other staff is going to cost the city HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS......This money could be better spent in overtime and equipment needed to combat crime here in los angeles. The chief's ego is so far out of touch with reality it's scary. Leave meetings with international leaders to the state department and lets fight crime here. The sad thing is the police commission, which is supposed to oversee the budget, havent even questioned it one bit. Secondly, if you want to learn about counterterrorism you go to the experts, which the Jordanian security forces are not. You got to Israel and speak with the Mousad.....They are the experts!

[Disgusted]

Well said RP....The cost of the Chief's vacation to the Middle East is not worth any benefit that may come of it (if there's any at all). This is another example of an over-paid, over-rated city executive fleecing taxpayers to pad his resume for his next job. Janet Napolitano, the US Homeland Security boss should be the person going on these kinds of trips, not Bill Bratton. Maybe Mayor Villarogiosa can tell us just how many days Mr. Bratton spends away from Los Angeles in a single year while being paid over $300,000 to be our police chief here? Bet it's over 100!

[Kelly]

The best Counter Terrorism paradigm right now is NYPD. Granted it should've been Detectives or LAPD CT officers liaisoning with their Middle East counterparts, and not the Chief himself. But it's high time that local police departments take point on this--and start making their own leads, instead of just waiting for hand outs from federal law enforcement.

[Frustrated]

The City is $400,000,000 in debt and just agreed to pay $13,000,000 to settle only part of the May Day lawsuits! Meanwhile the Department is telling every Division it can only spend $800 a month on office supplies. INCREDIBLE!!

[Maple]

In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in a rare moment of lucidity observed that fighting terrorism was 90 per cent intelligence and police work with the implication that military operations would account for only 10 per cent of the effort. Although this observation was forgotten in the ill conceived and ill managed Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), it still remains true.

Most experts on counter-terrorism and on terrorist movements have maintained that fighting terrorism is a job for some combination of intelligence and law enforcement agencies. They also have noted that it is only through international cooperation between such agencies that transnational terrorist threats can be countered.

Because their focus is entirely on protecting New York, the NYPD was able to develop an effective intelligence program that provides direct and timely support to tactical forces. By exercising the street knowledge of beat cops, standard police surveillance and investigative techniques, and the very diversity of New York as mirrored in the NYPD, the force has been able to develop an extremely effective counter-terrorism program.

As a local force, the NYPD has been able to conduct operations normally forbidden to federal agencies such as the FBI. In another break with federal level operations the NYPD has developed working relationships with foreign police services around the world. Indeed NYPD has developed an impressive dossier of counter-terrorism tradecraft that is both tested and efficient. It appears to really protect the city.

Indeed if one reviews the history of Islamic inspired terrorist groups since 9/11 around the world, in almost all cases it has been police actions informed by intelligence that have either thwarted terrorist strikes or arrested the perpetrators of the strikes that have occurred. The LAPD ought to think seriously about this.

[matt del]

I came to the LAPD site to see if there were any unofficial blogs to post on and I see that the Chief is catching a little heat for this visit. All I can say is that I'm an active NYPD detective who was promoted by ex-commisioner Bratton in 1996. I was an undercover in narcotics at the time and there were only 12 of us who were promoted. Because of our undercover status the ceremony was held in the press room and was very personal. Commisioner Bratton met with each and every one of us, along with our families, and thanked us personally for the work that we were doing. Months later while I was walking to the set (drug prone location)and looking like a junkie, I saw commisioner Bratton walking down the street. I walked over to him and said hello. He looked at me and shook my hand. I could tell by his look that he knew who I was, I didn't have to tell him. He asked if I was working and I told him that I was. He told me it was nice to see me again and to be safe. I thanked him and went on my way. I couldn't believe that he remembered me. This is a man who would see thousands of faces a day. My point is that this is the type of person Chief Bratton is. He's a cops cop, he's not phony and no position can change what he truly is, and that is a GENTLEMAN. Take it easy on him people, he's a good boss and his integrity can't be bought.

[Lt. Banks]

On January 23, 2009, an article was posted relative to Chief Bratton’s travel to Amman, Jordan for a meeting with King Abdullah II. The purpose of the meeting was to share and exchange information relative to law enforcement, security, counter-terrorism, criminal intelligence, community policing tactics and philosophies. Numerous comments from bloggers were received questioning the timing of the trip due to the current budget problems facing the City. Some bloggers asserted that the trip was paid for by taxpayer money, which is not true. In short, the trip to Amman, Jordan by Chief Bratton and Deputy Chief Downing was paid for by the Jordanian Government, and the City only paid the Chief's salaries. I hope this additional information helps to answer and clear up any misunderstanding concerning the article.

[East Bureau]

So was the "gift" of a free plane ticket and free room and board cleared by the Police Commission like it's supposed to?

Matt Del, ask former Officer John Hatfield if Bratton is a cops' cop.