William Bratton

He came to Los Angeles in 2002, a brash New Englander in a hurry to make his mark and unwilling to mince words. When a community activist attacked the department, Chief William J. Bratton went on CNN and labeled him a "nitwit." When the City Council refused his request for more officers, he bellowed: "Let them start attending some of the funerals of the victims of crime."

Seeking to capitalize on his popularity, Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton has embraced a starring role in a high-stakes campaign to persuade voters to preserve a utility tax this week that would bolster the city's flagging revenues. Bratton's effort reflects his growing influence as a city power-broker, overshadowing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- at least on this issue.

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton is reaching out to black leaders in an effort to counter criticism that he has written off concerns about racial violence. In recent weeks, the chief has been bombarded by challenges on the issue after he asserted that racial violence between blacks and Latinos has been overblown by the media and the public.

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton said Wednesday that the department's controversial policy on dealing with illegal immigrants was widely misunderstood by the public and some of his own officers, and he would clarify the rule in the next couple of weeks. Bratton strongly defended the basic intent of the policy -- known as Special Order 40 -- which prohibits officers from initiating contact with individuals for the sole purpose of determining whether they are illegal immigrants.

Los Angeles' two top lawmen are increasingly at odds over the extent to which gang violence is being fueled by racial hatred. Police Chief William J. Bratton and his top deputies have long cautioned that race-motivated violence remains fairly rare and that gang feuds over turf and drugs are the leading cause of such violence. But over the last few months, Sheriff Lee Baca has publicly voiced a more ominous view of violence between Latino and black gangs.

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton waded into the contentious U.S. presidential campaign Thursday, recording an automated telephone message on behalf of Democrat Barack Obama. The message challenged Republican John McCain's "record on policing issues and extolled Obama's," Bratton said in an interview.

William J. Bratton stepped into a drab, cramped room at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters on a recent Tuesday morning. The 61-year-old chief took his seat, slipped on a pair of reading glasses and waited for his bosses -- the five civilian commissioners who oversee the LAPD -- to begin their weekly meeting. As they do each week, the commissioners soon turned their attention to Bratton, who ticked off the department's latest crime numbers. "Homicides down 8.9%, rapes down 14.

Citing a dramatic reduction in crime in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Tuesday that he supports giving Police Chief William J. Bratton a second five-year term.

At a time when crime is rising in much of the nation, Police Chief William J. Bratton said Monday he has set a goal of reducing serious incidents by 5% this year in Los Angeles, which -- if achieved -- would mark the sixth year of decline in a row. But with the city already experiencing seven murders in the first seven days of the new year, some Los Angeles Police Department officials said they were skeptical that crime can continue to be pushed down unless the size of the force is expanded.

With the Los Angeles Police Department suddenly confronted with intense criticism for its policies of secrecy, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief William J. Bratton on Thursday called for changing state law to ensure that police disciplinary board meetings and some records are reopened to the public.