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Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton

Los Angeles police chief at odds with city council on recruiting

LOS ANGELES - As he prepares to leave office, Police Chief William J. Bratton is battling the Los Angeles City Council one last time in an effort to protect what is considered among his most important legacies: increasing the size of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Joel Rubin | The Boston Globe | Published: 10/13/2009 06:40

Bratton, a Boston native who also briefly led the Boston Police Department, plans to address the council today in a last-ditch attempt to dissuade its members from following through on a proposal to suspend the department’s recruiting efforts until January. The proposal, which has gained considerable support in the past week, is aimed at helping to close the $405 million budget shortfall facing the city.

The suggestion that the city can save money by shrinking the police department strikes a raw nerve with Bratton, who steps down at the end of October. During his seven years on the job, he has pushed relentlessly to add officers to the department. Those additional officers, the chief has said, have played a large role in the department’s success pushing down crime rates and improving community relations.

On Friday, Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said they were primed for a fight to preserve the hiring, which has brought the department, long known for being understaffed, to the largest size in its history.

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