Greeted by 250 saluting officers, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck on Thursday led a formal inspection of the Devonshire Division and addressed sworn staff in his first major appearance in the San Fernando Valley since becoming chief. Saying he expects officers to be "open, honest and show respect," Beck told the platoons crowded around his lectern that he was proud of their hard work, and he spoke about the unrelenting demand for good teamwork at all staffing levels.

"You have to stand behind your leaders. You have to stand with your leaders," Beck said. "And you have to stand together."

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck makes his way through rows of officers as he conducts a Formal Inspection at the Devonshire Division police station in Northridge on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. The 250 officers at the station were the first to be formally inspected by the new chief. (Photo: Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer)

Beck was appointed the Los Angeles Police Department's 56th chief Tuesday after the Los Angeles City Council unanimously

A public swearing-in ceremony for Beck is scheduled for Dec. 3.

Though Beck has yet to announce his command staff, he said Thursday that there may be some shifts in the "upper echelon" of the LAPD.

Other policing changes coming to the nation's third-largest police department include adding more officers to the 25 divisions around the city.

The division ranks will be beefed up by pulling officers out of specialized units such as commercial robbery and juvenile crime, said Deputy Chief Michel Moore, head of the Valley Bureau and one of the three finalists for chief.

"The emphasis is on the field," Moore said.

Though Beck has more than 30 years experience policing Rampart, Hollywood and South Los Angeles, he has little experience in the Valley. But he said that would not affect his policing decisions for the Valley and added that he will rely on Moore and Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger for their expertise in the area.

"Nobody I know has been able to work the whole scope of the city," Beck said, adding that the Valley is equally important to him as other areas of Los Angeles. "The Valley is one of the most significant pieces of Los Angeles."

Peering into the eyes of each uniformed officer, Beck looked their uniforms up and down for the formal inspections, which happen every three years. He was joined in the inspection by about a dozen other LAPD leaders, including Moore and Paysinger.

To be in compliance, officers need their badges, belts and shoes shined and tie bars sitting perfectly straight on their ties, among other requirements. The officers were commended for their strict compliance.

While LAPD leaders rallied around Devonshire Division officers Thursday, they also spoke before the crowd about their fondness for Beck, obviously proud that the new chief rose from the ranks of their own force.

"We needed somebody else in 2002," Paysinger said, referring to Bratton, who headed the New York force before coming to Los Angeles.

"Today we have our new chief. We have one of us. And we have all of us."