Charlie Beck tapped by mayor as new LAPD chief

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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has selected Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Charlie Beck, a 32-year LAPD veteran with strong support from rank-and-file officers and civil rights advocates alike, to serve as the next chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, The Times has learned.

The choice comes at a time of uncertainty for the department as Beck will be given the task of sustaining Police Chief William J. Bratton’s hard-won gains amid dwindling city budgets.

Beck, 56, has risen quickly through the department’s command ranks in recent years and was viewed widely as the favorite to be selected by the mayor. From his success in rehabilitating the LAPD’s Rampart Division, which had been at the center of a corruption scandal, and later as head of the LAPD’s forces in South Los Angeles, he has earned praise from police and civic leaders alike for blending a tough stance on crime with a progressive approach to improving the the LAPD’s relationship with the public.

Villaraigosa chose Beck nearly three months after Bratton announced he would step down at the end of October. During his seven years as chief, Bratton oversaw dramatic declines in crime and improved long-strained relations between police and minority communities.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/charlie-beck-selected-lapd-chief.html