Former LAPD chief Ed Davis died tonight in San Luis Obispo after suffering a bout of pneumonia. He took over the department in 1969 when Tom Reddin stepped down to run for mayor. Davis was a controversial and outspoken chief until 1978, clashing often with Mayor Tom Bradley and becoming known for media pronouncements such as his call to install a gallows at LAX for dealing with hijackers. (Today's statement authorized by his family even mentions that Davis's media nickname was "Crazy Ed.") Yet Neighborhood Watch, team policing and the Basic Car Plan began during his tenure, and Sheriff Lee Baca called Davis "one of the most intelligent and innovative police chiefs in America." Davis went on to serve three terms as a Republican state Senator, disturbing some conservatives by supporting gay rights laws and embracing the support of gay leaders. After the Rodney King beating and the 1992 riots, he called for reforms of the LAPD and urged then-chief Daryl Gates to resign. Davis and his wife Bobbie retired to Morro Bay in 1992. LAT, SLO Tribune

Later: The Police Protective League issued a statement tonight saying, "As a Director of this League, as a Chief of Police, and as a state senator, Ed Davis was a man of enormous integrity--a man who understood the needs of both communities and of individuals and worked tirelessly to reconcile the two. He will be missed."

Photo: KentMcCord.com