Business Salutes You, Chief Bratton
August 11, 2009
by Webmaster
Business Salutes You, Chief Bratton
For Los Angeles, it has been a real source of pride to have Chief William Bratton at the helm of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for the past eight years. His decision to step down not only reinforces just how important his tenure has been for the city, but also for those of us in the business community.
It's interesting to think back to the state of Los Angeles when Chief Bratton arrived in 2002. The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were fresh on our minds with the palpable fear that another attack could be imminent. The LAPD was still reeling from the aftermath of the Rodney King beating and the 1992 riots. And the Rampart division corruption scandal resulted in a U.S. Department of Justice-mandated consent decree placing federal oversight on the department.
Nearly eight years later, the department and our city are in a far different position. Crime rates have fallen in each of the past seven years. LAPD now has one of the most sophisticated anti-terrorism and crime monitoring systems in the nation. There is far better coordination in fighting gang violence and keeping young people safe. Perhaps most importantly, the department has rebuilt trust and confidence in communities throughout the city. Those are no simple feats.
For many business owners, Chief Bratton's tenure repositioned Los Angeles as a safe place to do business. Crime is an immediate deterrent for job creators as well as their customers. Simply put, Chief Bratton was good for business and our economy. His approach — define your strategy, empower your senior management to carry it out using their best skills and focus on hard data to measure results — is a great template for any leader.
We will be sad to see Chief Bratton leave the LAPD in a few months. But his legacy will continue to shape the department and our city for many years to come. For that, he deserves our salute and thanks for a job well done.
And that's The Business Perspective.

Leave a Comment
Comments submitted are subject to review by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce prior to posting. The Chamber reserves the right to monitor and withhold comments that include personal, offensive, potentially libelous or copyright protected language, materials or links. Only comments relevant to the topic will be posted. Comments posted must have a valid email address. View our full terms & conditions.