University of California President Mark Yudof is catching heat for his choice of former Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton to conduct the probe of the notorious pepper spray attack on UC Davis students.
And well he should, given the track record of his pick to probe Pepper Spraying Cop Lt. John Pike and his department.
The appointment is drawing fire from the Council of UC Faculty Associations, and we can understand why.
Now the chair of private security contractor Kroll, Bratton gained fame as New York City Police Commissioner under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, where he implemented a ruthless campaign to clear the homeless off city streets.
He was brought in to clean up the LAPD in the wake of the notorious Ramparts Scandal, and was Tory Prime Minister David Cameron’s choice to become Britain’s new Metropolitan Police Commissioner earlier this year, an appointment that was shot down by the Home office, which noted that the post can only be held by a British citizen familiar with the nation’s laws. Cameron brought him on board as a consultant instead.
In his new capacity as British police advisor, Bratton outlined his philosophy in August to reporters for the London Telegraph:
Speaking in New York, Mr Bratton, 63, said police forces should be more assertive in their dealings with offenders, leaving no doubt that crime would always meet a firm response.
“You want the criminal element to fear them, fear their ability to interrupt their own ability to carry out criminal behaviour, and arrest and prosecute and incarcerate them,” he said.
“In my experience, the younger criminal element don’t fear the police and have been emboldened to challenge the police and effectively take them on.”
Small wonder, then, that members of the UC faculty are raising serious questions about Yudof’s choice.
Carla Rivera of the Los Angeles Times reports two representative faculty comments:
“The office of the president should not be investigating itself in this matter, when one thing that needs to be investigated is what role the office had,” said UC Santa Cruz professor Robert Meister, president of the Council of UC Faculty Assns.
And this:
“This is being led by a former cop who is charging a lot of money we don’t have to spend and whose experience is not promoting free speech but figuring out efficient ways to deny free speech,” said UC Irvine professor Mark LeVine, who is chairman of the faculty association at his campus. “There are a huge number of eminently qualified professors and scholars in house who could suggest outside people if need be and would have the trust of the majority of the university community.”
While Bratton’s fee hasn’t been announced, UC publicist Diana Klein told Rivera the typical sum paid consultants is $300 an hour.
As for the choice of Braaton, Klein told Rivera “This is an independent, experienced consultant, and his experience speaks perfectly to these types of situations.”
So, we have an ex-cop who rose to fame on a ruthless campaign against Manhattan’s homeless and believes cops need to get tougher on young offenders.
Perhaps we’re cynical, but he seems the perfect pick to give the UCPD the most favorable possible report.
eats shoots 'n leaves 
No you are right on the money. This is Police cover-up of California UC Campus Police pepper spray atrocity using the name of William Bratton to cover up campus police atrocities against students.
For more on campus police and cover – up in Union with Officials in the Penn State sexual abuse scandal against minors –
See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45344610/#.TtCe2WBgW24
and
More on Official and School Corruption and crimes against students in U.S.A.. Note that the Officials at one school tried to get the victim’s mother to NOT REPORT TO THE POLICE.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/penn-state-scandal-jerry-sandusky-victim-mother_n_1108979.html.
John and Ken’s discussion on the subject of Corruption of School Officials against students who are minors.
One point is incorrect of John and Ken since the corruption of people whether Officials or otherwise can happen in Los Angeles and the rest of California as well as small towns. Maybe California is a small town.
[audio src="http://www.kfiam640.com/cc-common/podcast/single_page.html?more_page=1&podcast=JohnandKen&selected_podcast=JK1123114P_1322101065_20002.mp3" /]
Every qualified California student should get a place in University of California(UC) system. That’s a desirable goal for a public university. However, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau displaces Californians qualified for education at Cal. with $50,600 tuition Foreigners.
Paying more is not a better education. UC tuition increases exceed the national average rate of increase. The UC Board Of Regents jeopardizes Californians attending higher education by making UC the most expensive public university.
Self-serving tuition increases are used by UC President Mark Yudof to increase the pay of 80,000 eligible faculty & others. Payoffs like these point to higher operating costs and still higher tuition for Californians. Instate tuition consumes 14% of Cal. Median Family Income! UC is hijacking our kids’ futures: student debt.
I agree that faculty in higher education and senior management, like Yudof and Birgeneau, should consider the students’ welfare & put it high on their values. Deeds unfortunately do not bear out the students’ welfare values of UC Berkeley Birgeneau’s senior management and the UC Board of Regents.
Opinions to UC Board of Regents, email marsha.kelman@ucop.edu