Hours after he was announced as the nominee for the city's next police chief, the campaign to sell Charlie Beck to the public began Tuesday night at a noisy gymnasium in South Los Angeles where he was questioned on his commitment to reform.
"I have worked in this community for 32 years and I did so because I thought I could make a difference," Beck told the 25 people gathered to hear him. "I did it because I thought we could save lives."
Beck, a 32-year veteran of the LAPD, was tapped by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday to succeed Bill Bratton, starting a two-week campaign to win public and official support to lead the 10,000-officer force.
Beck and Villaraigosa are scheduled to be at two other town halls this week. The next will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday night at Van Nuys City Hall, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. The Thursday town hall will be at 6 p.m., at the El Sereno Senior Center, 4818 Klamath Place, Los Angeles.
Villaraigosa said the meetings were important for the community to be able to question him and Beck on their goals for the LAPD over the next five years of Beck's contract.
The next stage of the nomination process is to win City Council approval, which is expected the week of Nov. 16.
Beck credited the community for changing how the LAPD approaches crime.
"Being at war with gangs is the wrong way," Beck said. "It is not about being at war. It is about being at peace."
His approach is not just to respond to crimes after they happen, he said.
"It is about the LAPD working to prevent crime," Beck said. "Done right, we can change lives, not by putting them in a small cell, but in showing them the right way."
Beck said his commitment is to continue to reduce crime with an emphasis on gang violence.
"We will do it constitutionally, transparently and in a way that makes you proud," Beck said.
There are challenges - particularly financially, but he said he would work to deal with that while keeping a lid on overall crime.
The Tuesday town hall, held at the Expo Center adjacent to the Coliseum, brought out community leaders and civil rights activists.
It was a friendly audience, many of whom had worked with Beck over the years when he served at stations in the area advancing up the ranks from patrol to anti-gang units to a commander and captain at local stations.
"Charlie Beck understands this community," Villaraigosa said. "He respects and understands the work of police officers. He's a police officer who is tough on crime, but who also has respect and understanding of the community he serves."
