Prerequisite: None

Cops Count - Police Matter

Throughout his career, Bill Bratton has insisted that “Cops Count—Police Matter.” Bill Bratton will discuss how he has worked to forge a new optimistic consensus that in a democracy, law enforcement at all levels—from the federal government to local police—must accept responsibility for crime, fear, and disorder and do everything in their power to ensure safety and civility for American communities—which is the key to successful domestic defense.

William J. Bratton joined the Altegrity Corporation in November 2009, after serving as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for seven years. He is the Chairman of Altegrity Risk International, which provides high-quality investigative, analytic, consulting, and security services to businesses around the world.

Mr. Bratton is known as one of America’s premier police chiefs, the man who led two decades of crime declines in while simultaneously improving police relations with minority communities and minimizing police corruption and abuse. He is the only person to have led the two largest police forces in the U.S., the New York City Police Department and the LAPD.

As Chief of the New York City Transit Police, Boston Police Commissioner, New York City Police Commissioner, and Chief of the LAPD, he revitalized police morale and cut crime in all four posts. In New York, he led the development and deployment of CompStat, which is now used around the world. CompStat revolutionized policing by employing accurate, real-time intelligence, rapid deployment of resources, and relentless follow-up to focus the work of police on stopping crimes before they happen.

A U.S. Army veteran who saw service in Vietnam, Mr. Bratton began his police career in 1970 as an officer with the Boston Police Department, He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston State College, is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute, and is a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.