LAPD Deputy Chief Accepts Job in Georgia

Los Angeles: Police Chief William Bratton announced Friday that one of his senior staff members, Deputy Chief Michael Berkow, has accepted a position as Chief of Police in Savannah, Georgia.

Deputy Chief Berkow will assume command of the Savannah-Chatham Police Department in November, taking a substantial cut in pay.  "In my life, it's never been all about the money," Berkow said.  "For me, it's about the fit of the community, the fit of the job with my talents and abilities."

Deputy Chief Berkow was selected from a field of five finalists for the Chief's job in Savannah.  Berkow's departure comes after spending over three years as head of the LAPD's Professional Standards Bureau, which is responsible with investigating complaints and officer-involved shootings.

"Chief Berkow has done a superb job re-organizing Professional Standards Bureau, especially in establishing protocols for investigating officer-involved shootings," said Chief Bratton.  "I wish him well in his new position."

Chief Bratton recruited Berkow for LAPD in April 2003, seven months after Bratton assumed command over LAPD as chief.  At that time, Berkow left a position as Chief of Police, Irvine Police Department, California.

Chief Bratton will announce Berkow's successor in the coming weeks.

Comments

[v]

Now that he is leaving can we show everyone the t shirts you made for the IA investigator that can get a filing on a cop!!!!

[Ryan Smith]

Isn't this the same Deputy Chief that before leaving Irvine, said He believed LAPD is corrupt and he was going to find it? I find it interesting that if he thinks LAPD is corrupt, what will he find with the good ole boys of Georgia?

[Ed O'Shea]

He ruined quite a few honest coppers carreers, he will not be missed. And this is not from one of his victims, but a witness to quite a few of hit hatchet jobs. Please let the door knob hit you on the way out Berkow, so you know you are not welcome back! Your dishonest and disingenuous approach to investigating Police Officers was disgusting. Not every cop is a Rafeal Perez, and may you reap what you have sewn. The karma monster will have his day with you Berkow.

To all my fellow worrior cops, we have reason to celebrate. And Stay Safe,
Ed O'Shea

[One Time]

I wonder if the lawsuit involving Southeast Division Ofcrs vs. the Department/PSB has anything to do with Mike's departure? Sounds like the heat is on!

[Harry]

Thank goodness he is leaving. His harsh treatment of good street cops will not be missed. See ya, good by and thank you Savannah GA. you can have him!!!!

[Osborne]

One Time, Didn't know that 108/Main coppers had a lawsuit against the DEPT/PSB.....what's the lawsuit about?

[PSB person]

I read the comments about Deputy Chief Berkow by some uninformed personnel and wanted to set the record straight. Since coming to LAPD, Chief Berkow has been nothing but fair toward working cops. Having worked IAG under several c/o's, I can say without any doubt, Chief Berkow was the best. He truly cares about cops and does alot to see to it that no one gets railroaded. He is not your traditional LAPD staff officer. He constantly goes to bat for cops and it's unfortunate that much of what he does is behind the scenes and not exposed. I trust him completely and his leaving is a big loss! As for the SOE incident, that was a mistake/miscommunication as opposed to a "cover-up." He stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for any shortcomings. Chief Berkow clearly knows the difference between a mistake of the mind and one of the heart; he does not (and should not) condone misconduct; however, he knows a mistake and handles them accordingly. I urge those in doubt to speak with the LAPPL leadership or a friend assigned to PSB before passing judgement or buying into "Groupthink."

[v]

Hey Psb what about the t shirt he made up for the Investigator that gets a filing on an officer.. what does that say or encourage!! Oh I know your answer..Its rumor right!!! Yeah Im sure it is.....

[Lew]

Come on, people, let us be fair. It was clearly not Berkow's fault. He was simply a victim of the spatial disorientation of the conscience syndrome. Just because he suffered from an attack of morality vertigo when his moral compass pointed in a direction that made his head spin if he tried to do the right thing doesn't make him a bad guy. It could have happened to anyone...(and if he were anyone else, he would have been unceremoniously dismissed.)

[Lew]

To PSB Person;
I admire your loyalty to Chief Berkow in his time of need. Too bad you cannot extend that loyalty to the honest, hard-working, dedicated men and women of this department who make people like you look good.

Had someone else committed Berkow's little "mistake/miscommunication," they would have been fired/indicted.

[savannahnews]

what is the southeast division lawsuit?

[Jodi Hawks]

Ya'll need to see the posts on
http://forums.savannahnow.com

We do not want BERKOW. TAKE HIM BACK

[Drifter]

So far, Chief Berkow is doing a great job of getting the officers motivated. He's been on the scene of nearly every serious crime since he took office. The negative comments coming from here in Savannah are from those in the department and other city employees who wanted Willie Lovett to become chief. Berkow is getting some of those dead weight officers out of their cushy jobs and back on the streets. Lovett was a status quo leader. He would put together a dog and pony show for the citizens to keep them quiet. The only change that came about under Lovett's tour was that the quality of our recruits has reached unprecedented lows. You would not believe the trash they were hiring just to fill vacancies. We'll stick with Berkow for the time being.

[Drifter]

At least he's making some much needed changes here in our department. We've been stagnant due to the incompetence that we've had at the command level. He's starting to see what we have been dealing with and he is taking action. We have too many officers that are relatives to some of the decision makers around here. They had been given cushy jobs or had positions created in order for them to sit back and just draw a check. Berkow has noticed that and has started putting civilians in their place and putting the officers back on the street. I know that every supervisor/boss has detractors that harbor negative feelings for them. But you guys have no idea what we have been dealing with down here. The level of incompetence of many in the command level would astound you. At least we have gotten a chief who does what needs to be done to correct this. Many of those professional seat polishers are shaking in their boots now that a chief with no personal ties has come in and is making big changes. We'll see how everything plays out

[Joseph Basha]

Dear officers of the LAPD… Having followed the “illustrious” career of the infamous Mike Berkow since his time at the Coachella PD, I am not surprised in the least by the recent developments that brings into question the “impeccable” character Mike. Nor am I surprised at the potential that he may have tampered with evidence in a high profile investigation to protect some of his lackeys. As it is, Mike develops these lackeys as they will be there to cover his back; blindly. Blind obedience is what Mike likes. What I am surprised about is how the LAPD could fail so miserably in its pre employment investigation of Berkow and how now your chief could be scratching his head wondering how he could not have known about Mike’s flagrant violations of department policies, not to mention his obvious duplicitous nature. When he first came to Coachella he said, “you lie, you die.” That was his mantra. Oh, the duplicity in that is that it only applied to you, not to himself or those he gathered around him to do his bidding. I had the opportunity to see first hand Mike destroy the careers of any officer that dared to defy him or to question any decision he may have made. There would be no dissent or you will pay was the basic policy of Berkow. I saw first hand the promotion of incompetence and the demotion of the good. I saw an officer that should have been promoted and was instead demonized because she wanted to see things done right. (Maybe she wasn’t Berkow’s type or would not acquiesce to his advances?) I saw a great officer fired because he went 2 blocks outside the city limits to pick his child up from school. In contrast, the lackey officers that Berkow supported followed this great officer and turned in their reports that ultimately doomed the officer. These Berlow lackeys were much like acolytes and were rewarded for their blind obedience by being promoted and glorified. These same officers (The Berkow Gang) were accused of several levels of sexual offences that were simply swept under the carpet, (Maybe because Berkow understood their proclivities?) and one shot one unarmed kid in the back and may very well have shot and killed another also unarmed man. The shooting was simply white washed and to this day no one knows who killed the dead guy. (Is this a forgotten Berkow cover up?) Frankly, I am certain the LAPD will be much better off without the likes of Berkow, and I am happy for you all that you no longer have to watch over your shoulders for the Berkow henchmen. However, I am seriously saddened that truly bad cops like Berkow go on to other cities and simply repeat their offences, destroy the lives of good people, and then just move on when they feel the heat getting too close. Let’s look at Mike’s career in closing…. Rochester, N.Y. (He is persona non gratis there), Coachella, Ca. (That department was disbanded, good job Mike), South Pasadena, Ca., Irvine, Ca., Los Angeles, Ca., and now Savannah, Ga. All of these places in just 12 years. In a way, he reminds me of the special action squads used by the Nazis in Poland during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. He goes someplace, calls everyone corrupt, destroys their lives, claims success, and then gets the heck out of Dodge. Wow, what a novel idea. To the people of Savannah, I pray for you all and would implore anyone there to go back farther than just the 7 years you did to look at the cycle of dysfunction that seems to follow Berkow. Look at the economic costs associated with Berkow wherever he has been, the lawsuits that are associated with him, the back pay paid to officers that were ultimately exonerated and returned to work and paid all their back pay, and ask yourself if this is how you wish to spend your citizen’s hard earned money. Lastly, ask yourselves if Mike Berkow is really the best candidate for your city or if it is time for Mike to find another line of work. Remember the old saying…Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Berkow loves power and is an already proven abuser of his power. What more can anyone really say?