New York City police commissioner, William Bratton, steps down

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- After more than 40 years in law enforcement, New York City's police commissioner, William Bratton, left the office Friday to cheers from hundreds of officers.

Joined by his wife Rikki Klieman, Bratton exited police headquarters at One Police Plaza to the sound of bagpipes and applause from officers who gathered in their dress uniforms for the NYPD's traditional send-off.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who recruited Bratton to return to New York after de Blasio's 2013 election, was also in attendance.

Bratton previously ran the NYPD from 1994 to 1996. He also served as commissioner of the Boston Police Department and the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department in a career that began in Boston in 1970.

Bratton's second stint in New York has been met with criticism following community tensions with the police force, most notably in response to Eric Garner's death at the hands of officers in July 2014.