Today, an LA Times editorial endorsed District Attorney Steve Cooley for the Republican nomination for attorney general because they “have come to admire and respect him.” This is one of those refreshing days when the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Los Angeles Times agree – the LAPPL Board admires and respects him, too.

For this reason, the League Board of Directors has nominated Cooley for the Golden Badge Foundation’s Civic Leadership Award. This award is presented annually to city and county administrators who have consistently acted in the best interest of public safety and law enforcement.

The Board believes he is highly deserving of the award for his outstanding leadership of the nation's premiere local prosecution agency. During his first term, Cooley accomplished an extensive office reorganization, based on his years of experience as a trial attorney and as a line reserve police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He has developed a team equally capable of fighting crime in the streets and in the corridors of justice, resulting in an unparalleled breadth and quality of prosecutorial efforts.

As the district attorney, he has been relentless in his pursuit of public corruption and lawbreakers within the justice system. He has not only jailed swaggering politicians whose malfeasance had gone unpunished for years, but also obtained prison sentences for crooked attorneys who were accustomed to a mere slap on the wrist or a referral to the state bar.

His emphasis on forensic sciences has helped assure the optimal use of DNA in solving criminal cases and the prosecution of cold cases. From prosecuting gang members to going after high-tech criminals, experts on Cooley's staff of prosecutors and investigators are working with front-line law enforcement to take on all challenges.

Cooley is one of four law enforcement professionals the Board has chosen to nominate for Golden Badge awards this year. LAPD Officers Orlando Diaz and Erick Hernandez were nominated for the Heroism Award and civic leader Arthur M. Kassel was nominated for the Humanitarian of the Year Award. An LAPPL press release about all the nominees was issued today.