The Los Angeles City Council officially - and unanimously - approved the appointment of Charlie Beck to the position of Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department today. Not a surprise, but one more step that ends the process of being chosen and marks the beginning of his leadership of this city's police department.
Chief Beck was accompanied by wife Cindy and other members of his extended family as he was sworn in by Mayor Villaraigosa. In an article for the LA Times, Beck was quoted as saying that his top goal was to extend the reforms begun by Bratton and move them down into the rank and file of the department. He said he would concentrate on continuing reforms Bratton introduced into the mind-set of the thousands of officers who are the heart of the organization.
"Now is the time to push down into the patrol cars," Beck said of the reforms, adding that this effort would be the "hallmark of my leadership." In interviews, Beck said he planned to give greater authority to the captains who run the department's dozens of field stations.
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