Bill Bratton Resigns as Chief of the LAPD

At a surprise news conference today at LA City Hall, Mayor Villaraigosa announced that Bill Bratton has resigned as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. Villaraigosa credited Bratton, who was appointed by former Mayor James Hahn, with transforming the LAPD into "a beacon of progress and professionalism…a partner, not an adversary, no longer bound by the misdeeds of the past, no longer a roadblock to building a more tolerant and inclusive city." Civil rights leader and Police Commission President John Mack acknowledged Bratton for "reducing crime, especially violent crime" while "really developing a true partnership between the LAPD and, particularly, communities of color."