Ramona Ripston, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Los Angeles , praised Bratton's proposal, saying it reflected "a strong commitment to reform."
"This issue is too important to be swept under the rug," Ripston said, adding that "the department's credibility and prospects for regaining the community's trust" are at stake.
Historically, the LAPD has written after-action reports following serious episodes. In recent years, for instance, such reports were produced after the 2000 Democratic National Convention and after the 1997 North Hollywood shootout with two heavily armed bank robbers.
One widely publicized after-action report followed an investigation into the taped allegations of former Det. Mark Fuhrman, who told an aspiring screenwriter tales of police brutality and discrimination. The tapes surfaced during the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
Joe Gunn, executive director of the Police Commission, said the commission is expected to discuss the panel's makeup at its meeting in two weeks.
"They will want to get someone from the outside -- probably community leaders who are well respected," Gunn said.
If the report was to come from within the Police Department, he added, "There's always the accusation that we are white-washing it."
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Times staff writers Richard Winton and Jill Leovy contributed to this report.
