Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck got a blunt message from one of his civilian bosses as he prepared to request a second term: He was no longer a shoo-in for the job, says the Los Angeles Times. Police Commissioner Paula Madison demanded a meeting with Beck in April and told him she was concerned about a recent string of controversies and his apparent lack of transparency with the five-member oversight panel he reports to. “When I stepped into this role, I didn’t expect that we would be looking for a new police chief, but now we may need to consider it,” Madison recalled telling Beck.
Other commissioners shared her concerns. Some were displeased enough with Beck that they alerted Mayor Eric Garcetti, who appoints the commissioners and wields considerable influence on their decision. The mayor summoned the chief. Garcetti asked Beck to explain his plans for the future should he be given a second five-year term. It was “a frank discussion,” according to commission President Steve Soboroff, who was briefed on the meeting. Beck went to work making amends. He began meeting regularly with each commissioner in private. which he had not done before, in an effort to build their trust and address their concerns. In interviews, commissioners said Beck has pulled off a convincing about-face in recent months.