Several years of court-ordered reforms appear to be paying off for the Los Angeles Police Department, which has made significant gains in the opinions of Angelenos, according to a Harvard University study reported in the Los Angeles Times.
The nine-month study was requested by Chief William Bratton and paid for by a private department-support foundation. Eight years ago, federal officials required broad reforms following the Rampart scandal.
Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the report bolsters their push to hire 1,000 additional officers.