LAPD Appoints Two New Deputy Chiefs

Los Angeles: Today, at a ceremony during the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners’ regularly scheduled hearing, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief of Police William Bratton publicly announced, then witnessed the administering of the oath to, the Department’s two newest deputy chiefs, James McMurray and Michael Berkow.

These appointments by Police Chief William Bratton are part of the Department’s unprecedented reorganization and is consistent with the Department’s commitment to placing those best qualified into positions of increased responsibilities. In a move toward strengthening the Department’s ability to target the worst criminal offenders in our communities, the reorganization includes the establishment of the Detective Bureau and the appointment of the Department’s Chief of Detectives, Deputy Chief James McMurray. This is the first time this position has existed in recent Department history.

Chief McMurray spent 28 of his 34 year-LAPD career on the detective side of the Department. His experience includes assignments in patrol, Hollywood Homicide, [Area Commanding Officer of] Van Nuys Area, Detective Services Group, Internal Affairs Group and Operations- Headquarters Bureau, to name just a few. Commenting on McMurray’s appointment, Chief of Police William Bratton stated, “My mandate to Chief McMurray is to reform and recast our detective effort and to make our Department’s detectives a driving force in our fight against crime and disorder in the City of Los Angeles.” Prior to his appointment to deputy chief, Chief McMurray has been chairing the Detective re-engineering committee, tasked with looking at every aspect of detective operations within the LAPD.

The second oath was administered to the Department’s newest command officer, Deputy Chief Michael Berkow. Chief Berkow replaces Chief McMurray as the Chief of Internal Affairs Group, soon to be re-named Professional Standards Bureau. Chief Berkow comes to the LAPD after serving as the Chief of Police of the City of Irvine Police Department. His vast law enforcement experience includes serving as the Chief of Police for the City of Coachella Police Department and the City of South Pasadena Police Department. Chief Berkow spent the early part of his law enforcement career in the Rochester, New York Police Department where he worked patrol, narcotics investigations and as the co-commander of a joint police-FBI investigative task force.

Chief Berkow is an attorney, a former law clerk to a Federal Judge, and has extensive international policing experience. His international experience includes service with the United States Department of Justice as the Director of the Haitian National Police Project and the Somalia National Police Project.

He was also the police liaison for former President Jimmy Carter’s election monitoring mission in Jamaica and has provided anti-corruption training for police forces in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. Asked about the LAPD’s newest addition, Chief Bratton responded, “I welcome Chief Berkow to our Department and to the challenging task of heading up Professional Standards Bureau. He has been both a friend and professional colleague for over 20 years and I am honored to have him as part of the LAPD team.”

This advisory was prepared by Lieutenant Horace Frank, Officer in Charge, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.