Posted on 05/03/2007 2:48:34 PM PDT by SmithL
Los Angeles (AP) -- William Bratton, the nation's most famous man in blue, was tapped to lead a Los Angeles Police Department shamed by scandal and to win public trust while stamping out crime in the gang-ridden neighborhoods most distrustful of police.
Five years later, he is up for another contract and on an offensive to show his progress to a public shocked by images of police violently clashing with protesters Tuesday at an immigration rally.
Bratton's bid for a new contract has earned endorsements from key groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and most City Council members. And as a sign the police chief has made important reforms — and earned valuable political capital — they are standing behind him and his promise to investigate whether police used excessive force this week.
Police clearing out MacArthur Park were videotaped using batons and firing foam rubber rounds at protesters and the same media Bratton has worked hard to seduce with his blunt Boston brogue, vowed openness and digestible soundbites.
"The treatment you received yesterday from some Los Angeles police officers ... we can't tolerate and won't tolerate," he told reporters Wednesday. He promised a thorough investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Those police officers deserve a medal for not backing down before violent protesters.
“Bratton’s bid for a new contract has earned endorsements from key groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union.....”
This statememt should be a huge warning. If the ACLU likes him, there wont be any legitimate police work done in LA....criminals, come on down!
“Five years later, he is up for another contract and on an offensive to show his progress to a MEDIA shocked by images of police violently clashing with protesters Tuesday at an ILLEGAL immigration rally.”
There, fixed it.
They sense he will cave easy to frivolous lawsuits.
And they wonder why so few people are applying to be cops in L.A. or anywhere else.
So many lies in one sentence. It was not an "immigration rally". It was a communist May Day illegal alien riot directed against the police. If the public was shocked by anything it was the fact that these criminals have the gall to attack the cops. With the criminals I include the so-called media on the scene, who egged on the attackers and positioned themselves behind the police line after being told not to do so. They all deserved to be not just clubbed, but jailed, indicted, tried and convicted. Instead, they'll probably get Peabody Awards.
Bratton is a punk who is selling out his men. Disgusting.
Bring back Daryl Gates!!
Wasn’t Bratton Rudy’s guy in NYC? Rudy cashiered him because Bratton was stealing Rudy’s spotlight.
Done. Thank you!
Bratton is not for the Police officer out in the street and the heat, he is not for the legal taxpayers he works for. He is just for himself. So to keep his gig he spends his days kissing Tony Villar’s butt. Regards.
That sounds right, but I’m not certain.
A guy can be good in one environment, like NY, especially with the right mayor, and much worse in another environment, especially with a bad mayor. As in LA.
there’s are communist groups on the streets in los angeles,
and they love nothing more than putting the bait out for
the los angeles police.
Really? I though he was the guy responsible for turning the LAPD into a sort of paramilitary force with first class training facilities—creepy!
Not that I’m against cops being able to defend themselves (it was ridiculous when some anarchists attacked a cop in SF and the the others were powerless to strike back), but it gives me the willies to see LEOs (I make the distinction vs. cops) getting the sort of training and weaponry they’ve been getting for the past decade or so. For instance, what sort of excuse do they have for using .50 BMG rifles?
Chief Gates was just on KABC Radio’s Al Rantel Show this evening during the 6PM Hour, and he put Left-Winger Bratton in his place and pointed out how wrong Bratton was in cutting down his own LAPD Officers before any investigations have yet been started.
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