11 seconds ago 2009-11-22T17:30:03-08:00
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A 32-year veteran who helped clean up a corruption-plagued division of the Los Angeles Police Department was unveiled Wednesday as the city's new top cop.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the appointment of deputy chief Charlie Beck as head of the LAPD following the decision of chief William Bratton to resign earlier this year.
Villaraigosa said Beck was "the right man to lead the Los Angeles Police Department at the right time."
"He's a man of character and integrity. He's a police officer who is tough on crime, and he's a leader with deep respect and understanding of the police officers under his command ... " Villaraigosa told a news conference.
Beck, 56, is best known for helping to reshape the LAPD's notorious Rampart Division after a wide-ranging corruption scandal during the late 1990s which involved dozens of officers.
Villaraigosa said Beck had also been instrumental in changing the LAPD's approach to gang and youth violence.
"He understands that you can't solve the gang problem just by locking up every kid," he said. "Charlie Beck is a conservative when it comes to criminals and a progressive in his policing."
With nearly 10,000 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, the LAPD is one of the largest police forces in the United States.
