Bill Bratton named NYPD commissioner by de Blasio

Dec. 5 (UPI) -- New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has named former police commissioner Bill Bratton to his old job as the head of the New York City Police Department.

Bratton served as the chief of police in Los Angeles before serving in New York, and later went on to serve as Boston Police Commissioner.

As commissioner from 1994 to 1996, Bratton oversaw a significant drop in crime in New York. He'll come back to the post at a time when the role of police and its so-called "Stop and Frisk" policies have been in the spotlight, and opposition to the policy played a significant role in getting de Blasio elected.

Bratton takes over from Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who was also his immediate predecessor in his first term. Kelly has taken much of the public's blame in the backlash against "Stop and Frisk."

De Blasio officially announced his appointment of Bratton Thursday at the Red Hook Community Justice Center in Brooklyn.

[NY Times]