In the in-box, sent via the mayor's office email from "Chief Charlie Beck" with the subject line: I'm your new Chief and I want to hear from you. It's straight out of his remarks on TV yesterday:

Hello--

Yesterday, Mayor Villaraigosa nominated me to become the next Chief of Police of the LAPD. When I joined the department 32 years ago, I never thought one day I would be Chief. I am truly humbled by this honor and grateful to the Mayor for this opportunity.

You should know that this is not just a job to me. This is who I am. You could say it's in my blood: my father, sister, wife, daughter and son are all cops.

[You can learn more about my background here.]

So, I know first hand the ghosts and the failures of this department's past. But I also know its glory. I helped institute the progressive reforms that have transformed the LAPD into the world-class law enforcement agency you see today, keeping LA safer than it's been since the fifties.

There's a phrase I often use - Cops count. Character counts. Do the right thing and you can be the difference. That is how I plan to lead this organization.

I look forward to meeting and talking with members of the community and City Council over the next several weeks. Working with the community is one of the most important parts of this job, and I’d like to hear from all of you.

Please use this page we’ve set up to send me your questions and ideas, and please forward this to any of your friends and family that are interested in the future of the LAPD. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Charlie Beck