Might be a good fit for us
LA police chief Bratton stepping down
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
LOS ANGELES [[AP) - The president of the Los Angeles City Council says highly praised Police Chief William Bratton is stepping down.
Councilman Eric Garcetti says Bratton disclosed his surprise decision Wednesday in a private meeting.
Bratton's decision comes after a seven-year tenure in which he instituted vast reforms of the once-scandalized police department.
Just last month a judge released the department from eight years of oversight by the U.S. Department of Justice, which had alleged a long pattern of abuse.
Under Bratton, Los Angeles has seen declining crime rates since 2003.
Garcetti says the city's residents are safer than they've been in "half a lifetime."
