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Bill Bratton

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Parent: University of Massachusetts Boston Hop 4
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Bill Bratton
NameBill Bratton
Birth date6 October 1947
Birth placeDorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
OccupationPolice officer, consultant
SpouseRikki Klieman (m. 1999)
EducationBoston State College (BA), University of Massachusetts Boston (MPA)
AwardsLegion of Merit, Police Star, Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Bill Bratton. William Joseph Bratton is an American law enforcement official and consultant renowned for his transformative leadership in major U.S. police departments. He served two non-consecutive terms as the New York City Police Commissioner, leading dramatic reductions in crime through the implementation of CompStat and broken windows policing. His influential career also includes leading the Boston Police Department, the New York City Transit Police, and the Los Angeles Police Department.

Early life and education

Born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, he was inspired by the television series Dragnet and the professionalism of local officers. After graduating from Boston Technical High School, he served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War as a military policeman. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts in law enforcement from Boston State College, which later merged into the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he also received a Master of Public Administration.

Police career

He joined the Boston Police Department in 1970, rising through the ranks to become superintendent of the Bureau of Field Services. In 1980, he was appointed executive secretary of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association. His first major command came in 1983 as chief of the New York City Transit Police, where he tackled rampant subway crime. After returning to lead the Boston Police Department as commissioner in 1993, he was appointed the first Police Commissioner of New York City by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1994.

Tenure as New York City Police Commissioner

During his first term from 1994 to 1996, he and First Deputy Commissioner John Timoney implemented the data-driven CompStat management system, pioneered by Jack Maple. This strategy, coupled with an aggressive focus on quality-of-life offenses under the broken windows theory, is credited with precipitating a historic decline in major felony crime. His tenure saw high-profile operations like the resolution of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing investigation and the arrest of Ramzi Yousef. He resigned in 1996 after clashes with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and later served as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 2002 to 2009.

Later career and consulting

After leaving the Los Angeles Police Department, he founded the private consulting firm Bratton Group, LLC, and later became chairman of Altegrity Risk International. He returned to public service in 2014 for a second term as New York City Police Commissioner under Mayor Bill de Blasio, focusing on strengthening community policing through the Neighborhood Coordination Officer program and navigating challenges like the Death of Eric Garner and protests associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. He resigned in 2016 and remains a senior advisor for Teneo and chair of the advisory board for ShotSpotter.

Personal life

He has been married to CBS News legal analyst and former Court TV anchor Rikki Klieman since 1999. He has two children from a previous marriage. An avid reader of leadership and history texts, he has authored the memoir The Turnaround: How America's Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic. He maintains residences in New York City and Los Angeles.

Awards and honors

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, the NYPD's Police Star, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He has received honorary doctorates from institutions like Boston College and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In 2009, Queen Elizabeth II appointed him an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire for strengthening ties between the Los Angeles Police Department and the United Kingdom.

Category:American police commissioners Category:New York City Police Department commissioners Category:Los Angeles Police Department chiefs Category:1947 births Category:Living people