Willie Williams, who became Los Angeles’ first African American police chief in the aftermath of the 1992 riots, has died.
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Williams was appointed commissioner in Philadelphia in 1988 and served atop the department for four years, until he was recruited to become the Los Angeles chief.
Williams fought to remain chief but ultimately accepted a severance package and left, saying the 1992 reform measure had unintentionally allowed politics to intrude into the department’s management.
Williams was credited with restoring fractured community relations and rebuilding public confidence in the LAPD. During his tenure in L.A., Williams worked to bolster the image of the LAPD, and heal the rift that opened between police and Los Angeles communities following the violent arrest in 1991 of motorist Rodney King.
His death was confirmed Wednesday by the Los Angeles Police Department.
In March of 2002, Williams was appointed as federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport.
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Mayor Jim Kenney issued the following statement on the recent passing of Willie Williams, “I am deeply saddened to learn of Willie Williams’ passing”. Williams was a Philadelphia police officer for more than 20 years.
