LAPD Chief Endorses His Predecessor's Rival

Los Angeles Police Department chief William Bratton is endorsing State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas instead of former LAPD Chief (and now Los Angeles City counciperson) Bernard Parks in the interesting primary race for Los Angeles County Supervisor on the June 3rd ballot. Mad Professah has also endorsed Ridley-Thomas over Parks to replace Yvonne Brathwaite Burke in the County's plurality African American 2nd district.

Bratton's choice is a curious decision by one of the city's most astute politiciams because one would think that Bratton would like nothing less than to have the main who tried and failed to get a second term as LAPD chief (something Bratton achieved last summer despite presiding over a near-riot at an immigrant's rights rally the month before) to no longer be the person responsible for approving the budget of his department, which Parks does as Chair of the Los Angeles City Council Budget Committee.

The local paper of record reported:

"I'm not here as a police chief," said Bratton, careful to comply with a city ethics law requiring employees to make clear that "they are acting as individuals" when making political endorsements. But, he said, he also was "conscious of my right as a citizen."

A spokesman for Parks said the councilman didn't back political candidates when he held the LAPD's top job.

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In backing Ridley-Thomas, Bratton said voters would get a strong leader with experience as a city councilman as well as in the Legislature. The only other time Bratton endorsed a candidate was in 2005, when he backed Alex Padilla's successful race for the state Senate.

Ridley-Thomas has received the backing of most of the county's unions and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Parks' supporters include three county supervisors -- including Burke -- and six Los Angeles City Council member, among others.