Kamala Harris - For California Attorney General 2010

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bill Bratton Endorses Kamala Harris for Attorney General

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Chief of Police William J. Bratton, one of the nation’s most innovative, recognized and accomplished law enforcement leaders, today announced his endorsement of Kamala Harris for California Attorney General.

“As a career prosecutor with a proven track record of innovation and success, Kamala Harris knows what it takes to effectively fight crime and keep our streets safe,” said Chief Bratton, who is the only person ever to serve as chief executive of the LAPD and the NYPD. “I know that when Kamala Harris is California’s next Attorney General, everyone in law enforcement – from police chiefs and sheriffs to the cops who walk the beat – will have an ally in California’s Attorney General.”

 

“I am honored to have earned the support of one of our nation’s most accomplished and respected law enforcement leaders,” said Harris. “I have long admired Chief Bratton because he is one of the most successful innovators in law enforcement across the country. I plan to work with Chief Bratton and other law enforcement leaders to fight gangs, get assault weapons off our streets, go after financial criminals, and to fundamentally reform our prison system.

 

William J. Bratton was appointed Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department in October 2002. Chief Bratton oversees the third largest police department in the United States, managing over 9,800 sworn officers, 3,000 civilian employees, and an annual budget of more than one billion dollars. After directing a major re-engineering and reform effort, he is now driving initiatives in LA aimed at utilizing realtime information to further reduce crime, target gang violence, and mitigate the threat posed by terrorism. After six years in office, crime in LA has been reduced to historically low levels, with Part I crimes down 33% and homicides down 41%.

 

Chief Bratton joins law enforcement leaders around California in backing Harris’ candidacy, including San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne, San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, East Palo Alto Police Chief Ron Davis, Half Moon Bay Police Chief Don O’Keefe, and Officers for Justice POA.

 

As San Francisco’s District Attorney, Harris has used her nearly 20 years of prosecutorial experience to focus intensively on fighting violent crime.  She increased felony conviction rates, expanded services to victims of crime and their families, created new prosecution divisions focused on child assault, public integrity and environmental crimes, and launched innovative initiatives to prevent re-offending.  

 

This work is paying off – the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office has more than doubled its trial conviction rate for gun felonies to 90 percent.  Under her leadership, the office has sent 70 percent more serious and violent offenders to State Prison. According to the State of California Department of Justice, the office’s overall felony conviction rate is at its highest point in nearly 15 years. Due to the success of her innovative crime-fighting initiatives, Harris recently participated in the White House Conference on Gang Violence Prevention and Crime Control.

  • play audio

News

Most Recent

Press Releases

More