LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Two Los Angeles civil rights leaders today urged Mayor Eric Garcetti to appoint current San Francisco police Chief William ``Bill'' Scott to replace retiring Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.
The Los Angeles police commission reportedly narrowed the list of candidates to three: Scott, Deputy LAPD Chief Robert Arcos and Assistant LAPD Chief Michel Moore and now the final choice is up to Garcetti, with Beck set to retire next month.
``Chief Scott has a wide range of support throughout the city but especially in South L.A. which historically has had a troubled relationship with the LAPD which resulted in two major riots in 1962 and 1992,'' Project Islamic HOPE's Najee Ali and Holman United Methodist Church Pastor Kelvin Sauls commented in a joint statement. ``Many residents still have mistrust of the LAPD because of the continued controversial shootings of unarmed African- Americans and Latinos by the LAPD.''
The leaders said their coalition is not supporting Scott because he is African American.
``Scott is the only finalist who has experienced being the Police Chief of a major city,'' they said. ``Scott is the type of leader who will boost morale in the LAPD which he knows in and out, but also continue to push for community engagement.''
Scott was sworn in as San Francisco's police chief on January 23, 2017, after 27 years at the LAPD, where he rose through the ranks to become a commander in 2012 and Deputy Chief of the South Bureau, according to his biography on the SFPD web site. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, earned a degree in accounting from the University of Alabama, and is married with three children.
The other two candidates are while.
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