Office of the Chief of Police

Office of the Chief of Police
Common name	Office of the Chief
Abbreviation	OCOP
Organizational structure
Part of	Los Angeles Police Department
Headquarters	Police Administration Building, 100 West 1st Street, Los Angeles
Command staff
Chief of Police	William H. Pope

The Office of the Chief of Police (OCOP) of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has the responsibility for assisting the Chief of Police in the administration of the department.

Chief of Police

The Chief of Police is the highest-ranking officer in the department. The Chief of Police directs, plans, and coordinates the enforcement of laws for the purpose of protecting persons and property, and for the preservation of the peace in the community.

The Chief is generally selected from within the department and the appointee should have a college degree and at least 12 years of law enforcement experience. The Chief is appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles and the appointment is ratified by the Los Angeles City Council. The Chief of Police can serve a maximum of two five-year terms.

Picture	Name	Took office	Left office	Series/Season
Three unnamed Chiefs between 1973–2001.
	Chief Edward Thompson	Sometime c. 2001/2002	2010 (“Executive Order”)	The Closer, Seasons 1–6
	Chief Thomas Delk	2010 (“Executive Order”)	2011 (“Unknown Trouble”)	The Closer, Seasons 6–7
	Chief William Pope	2011 (as Interim Chief) (“Repeat Offender”) 2012 (“The Last Word”)	Incumbent	The Closer, Season 7 Major Crimes (no appearances)

Succession of Command

The succession of command of the LAPD, as indicated in the Major Crimes Universe:

• Chief of Police
• Director, Office of Operations
• Director, Office of Administrative Services
• Deputy Chiefs, by seniority in rank
• Commanders, by seniority in rank
• Captains, by seniority in rank

Chief of Staff

The Chief of Staff is responsible for coordinating the flow of information from command staff to ensure that the Chief is fully informed prior to making decisions, performing and coordinating special administrative audits and investigations, and assisting, advising, and submitting recommendations to the Chief of Police in matters involving employee relations.

The Chief of Staff also supervises the Administrative Section and the Employee Relations Group.

• The Administrative Section is responsible for processing and tracking all incoming correspondence for the Chief of Police's review or signature; drafting various types of correspondence for the Chief of Police's signature; performing support staff functions for the Chief of Police and Chief of Staff; and performing various planning and research duties on special projects from the Chief of Police.

• The Employee Relations Group is responsible for representing the LAPD on matters pertaining to department-employee relations, investigating and resolving grievance matters and submitting reports to the grievant and the involved union representative, and serving as official liaison between department management and employee organizations, their representatives or counsels, the Personnel Department of the City Attorney’s Office, and the Employee Relations Division of Office of the City Administrative Officer.

Components reporting to the Chief

• The Office of Operations (OO) is responsible for all general policing activities, specialized uniformed and tactical resources, as well as most investigative services. The Office of Operations oversees the majority of the LAPD's sworn personnel.

• The Office of Administrative Services (OAS) is responsible for various administrative, training and support functions of the LAPD.

• The Office of Constitutional Policing and Policy (OCPP) develops the LAPD's policies and procedures, conducts internal auditing and programs to ensure compliance, handles litigation, forms and ensures compliance with the LAPD's long-term strategic plan and risk management strategies, and coordinates local, state, and federal government legislative matters.

• The Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) is the investigative arm of the Chief to identify and report corruption and employee behavior that discredits the LAPD or violates a department policy, procedure, or practice.

• Defunct components:
  • The Office of Human Resources (OHR) was responsible for matters relating to human resources. It's presumed to have been disbanded after Will Pope was sworn in as the Chief of Police.

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