Will Pope

Will Pope
Name	William Henry "Will" Pope (“Cheaters Never Prosper”)
Spouse(s)	Unnamed ex-wife Estelle Pope (ex-wife #2)
Family	Two unnamed children
Status	Alive
Career Information
Affiliation	Los Angeles Police Department
Rank	Assistant Chief Interim Chief of Police Chief of Police
Assignment	Office of Operations Office of the Chief of Police
Series Information
Portrayed by	J.K. Simmons
Series	The Closer
First appearance	“The Closer (Pilot)”
Final appearance	“The Last Word”

William "Will" Pope is the Chief of Police of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during Major Crimes.

During The Closer, Pope held the rank of Assistant Chief and was the Director, Office of Operations (also known as Assistant Chief of Operations). As the Assistant Chief of Operations, he was responsible for managing and coordinating all matters related to field law enforcement, special operations, and detective operations throughout the city.

In Season 7, Pope is appointed as the Interim Chief of Police after Chief Delk suddenly died of a brain aneurysm, although he still served concurrently as the Assistant Chief of Operations for budget reasons. He was confirmed as the new Chief of Police for the beginning of Major Crimes.

Character Information

The Closer

Pope is responsible for bringing in Brenda Leigh Johnson to head the LAPD's Priority Murder Squad (later renamed as the Priority Homicide Division and even later the Major Crimes Division). He claims he wanted her for the job as the squad was not providing prosecutors with cases they could win in court (“The Closer (Pilot)”). He is again her boss, having previously been so in Washington, D.C., where they first met and became involved in an affair while Pope was married and working as the Deputy Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC) and Brenda was the US Department of State liaison officer to the MPDC. Pope convinced Brenda to her to leave her job at the State Department and she subsequently joined the MPDC. (“Help Wanted”)

Season 6

In “The Big Bang”, the LAPD headquarters moved from the Parker Center to the new Police Administration Building which Pope notes to be "at the cutting edge of every technology in the world." Brenda disagreed with Pope, stating that whoever designed it had no understanding of police work. When Brenda began modifying the building, for instance changing their visitors conference room to a interrogation room, Pope is less than pleased and told Brenda to adapt to the building, not adapt the building to her. Pope's "wise words" were somewhat hypocritical as Brenda noted that Pope had removed a wall separating his conference room and his office. Pope tells Brenda there is going to be a big announcement and because of that, Brenda and Major Crimes should act like the building is perfect in every way. At the end of the episode, Chief Edward Thompson announces his retirement from the department and the Major Crimes squad believes that Pope is going to be the new Chief of Police, which is likely the reason he is so fond of the new building.

Starting in “Help Wanted”, Captain Sharon Raydor started interviewing Pope's direct subordinates, including Brenda, as a background check for the job as Chief of Police. During this time, Pope asks Brenda to investigate the disappearance of a nanny as a personal favor for the Mayor, which Pope notes is a huge opportunity, although Brenda notes that it is a huge opportunity only for Pope. Unbeknownst to Pope, Capt. Raydor interviewed Brenda because the Mayor and the Police Commission wanted a strong female candidate in the search for the new Chief, and as Brenda is the highest ranking female in the LAPD, she is given the opportunity to run for Chief.

Starting here, Pope's "campaigning" to be the new Chief reached new highs:

• In “In Custody”, Pope attended an "event/dinner" with city councilmembers and was already thinking what he would do if he is appointed as the Chief. One of these changes would be making Brenda the new Assistant Chief of Operations, though they would need to then find a new commanding officer for Major Crimes which he suggests to Brenda could be Commander Taylor.

• In “Layover”, Pope mentions to Brenda that ever since the LAPD started asking for full financial disclosures from Narcotics detectives, they've all transferred to other assignments leaving Narcotics very short-staffed; Pope would, in his own words, fix that issue when he becomes Chief. Also, when Brenda told Pope about their current case, a murder with narcotics links that Provenza and Flynn "stumbled upon" off-duty, Pope was frustrated and asked Brenda if she had any idea how hard it is to explain such behavior when applying to be the Chief of Police. Brenda admitted she might, revealing to Pope that she has been "drafted" to apply for the position as well. Pope became very angry about this revelation and told Brenda that he "need a day to think about this" because he was the one who hired her, brought her to LA, and backed her up in every confrontation Brenda has "provoked" over the last five years. At the end of the episode, Pope told Brenda that she should definitely submit her application to be the Chief, and was sorry he didn't recognize that fact the previous day. According to Pope, the matter seemed obvious now, as there should be a high-ranking female from within the LAPD applying, and if there was to be a woman in the candidate pool it would be better it was Brenda "than somebody else". When Brenda asked why that is, Pope admitted that her presence will deter other women from applying, and she will be given "serious consideration" but they'd never hire Brenda as the Chief "in a million years" so it's perfect for Pope. This, understandably, visibly angered Brenda.

Brenda: "I hate to say this Will, but this whole Chief–selection process, it has not brought out the best in you, and if this is how you intend to run the Department, I'm not even sure it's a job you should have."

Pope: "Well, you think you could do better?"

Brenda: "I'd be really disappointed if I couldn't."

• In “Off the Hook”, Pope became very angry after a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parole Board Commissioner was murdered right after hanging up with Det. Gabriel. Even though she called from a restricted number and didn't identify herself or where she lived, and therefore it took the LAPD two hours to find who had called them, Pope blamed Gabriel, the entire Major Crimes Division, and Det. Frank Verico from Threat Management (who the commissioner was actually trying to call rather than Gabriel) for her death. He was so "unimpressed" with Brenda and Major Crimes that he took over the case personally and established a task force called "Operation Swift Justice" with participants from a wide variety of state and local agencies, though the Major Crimes Division continued to investigate the murder behind Pope's back. Even after Major Crimes solved the case for him, Pope tries to excuse his actions by telling Brenda that she can't imagine the kind of pressure he has been under the past few months because of recent budget issues and however it may look to Brenda, Pope assures her he is doing his best to protect the LAPD. Brenda points out that he still hasn't apologized for his actions, which causes Pope to walk out of Brenda's office without saying a word.

• In “Jump the Gun”, after Special Agent Fritz Howard is appointed by the LAPD to be the official liaison officer to the LAPD, Pope wonders if the FBI knows something he doesn't (relating to the search for Chief). Talking with Howard, Pope tells him he has waited his entire working career for the opportunity to become Chief. At the end of the episode, when the shortlist for the new Chief is released, Pope is devastated to learn his name is not on it, but Brenda's name is; when he found out, he angrily ordered Brenda to get out of his office.

Eventually, Deputy Chief Thomas Delk is appointed as the Chief of Police in “Executive Order”. After the announcement, Pope tells the Major Crimes Division that he'll go type up his resume, suggesting he believes Delk will not retain him as Assistant Chief of Operations.

In “High Crimes”, Pope assigned Major Crimes to work on a 7-year-old cold case homicide but, at first unknown to him, Chief Delk had overridden that assignment with one of his own, an armed robbery series of medical marijuana dispensaries. Also unbeknownst to Pope, Delk had offered Brenda his job as the Assistant Chief of Operations, as Delk would like the position to be filled by someone with more "hands-on" experience. When Brenda tells Pope of the change of assignment, Pope is annoyed that Delk is changing the definition of a "major crime" and blurring the line (even more) between Major Crimes and Robbery-Homicide, and targeting him personally. Brenda tries to comfort Pope by telling him that Delk won't fire him, but Pope notes he could be demoted to Commander which would significantly cut his pension and put him on the same rank as Taylor, which according to him "can't happen". Brenda asks Pope if he has any outside offers, to which Pope tells her that he has some from New York and Chicago, though they are in the private sector which would come with a better pay but nothing in LA and he can't move out of California with his children unless his ex-wife Estelle leaves too.

At this moment Pope asks Brenda why she's asking about outside offers, if maybe Delk has offered her his job, which Brenda lies about and says no, feigning ignorance and asks Pope why he would even say something like that. Pope tells Brenda it's because Delk obviously likes her and taking her off the case Pope assigned is apparently a good indication his time at the LAPD has came to an end. Regardless, he states that it's imperative that Brenda closes the case Delk has given her division as a failure could result in Delk breaking up Major Crimes, which Pope admits is "a vital part of his resume right now." Pope later runs into Delk at the elevators and the men share an emotionless handshake. Pope asks Delk if the transition to Chief is going well, to which Delk mentions there being "a few bumps in the road" but admits that change takes time. Pope offers Delk his help, which Delk promises to "keep in mind". As Pope begins to leave, he turns back and tries to discuss Major Crimes' case with Delk, asking about the complications in ballistics. Delk mentions that the main complication was not assigning Major Crimes to the case earlier, which is obviously a sting towards Pope. Pope responds passive aggressively that now as Delk has "changed" the Major Crimes Division's charter, that shouldn't be a problem anymore in the future.

When Major Crimes closes their case, Brenda goes to speak with Pope and admits that she wasn't honest before and reveals to Pope that Delk had offered her his job. Brenda tells Pope she is not going to accept the position, but wanted Pope to know Delk is looking to replace him. Pope thanks Brenda for the heads up and resigns to his fate of being replaced. Brenda wonders why Pope isn't going to fight back, but Pope states that based on the current information, it's "either jump or be pushed". Brenda pleads Pope to "not jump", to which Pope asks why? Branda admits that she needs Pope "holding the line on this reorganization", and that she doesn't know how they would manage without him. Pope agrees to stay "until the bitter end".

Season 7

In “Unknown Trouble”, Pope reveals to Brenda that he received an advanced copy of the LAPD's new organizational chart prepared by Chief Delk. Delk is planning on restructuring the department and Brenda is ecstatic that she gets to keep Major Crimes but much to Pope's dismay, he would be demoted to Captain in charge of Valley Traffic Division while Russell Taylor, in turn, would be promoted to Assistant Chief and would become Brenda's boss. However, Delk dies suddenly from a brain aneurysm and Pope is named as Interim Chief, much to the surprise of many within the LAPD, and even himself, having only been told the fact on the car ride over to the burial.(“Repeat Offender”)

• NOTE: As an Assistant Chief, Pope could be demoted to Commander without reason just as he stated earlier in “High Crimes”, but a demotion to Captain would require a Board of Rights hearing. In general, officers may not be suspended, demoted, or removed except for "good and sufficient cause" shown upon a finding of guilt following a hearing before a Board of Rights.

During “Armed Response”, Pope is preparing to move into the Chief of Police's office after being officially confirmed to be the new Chief, though he was not officially sworn in yet. He also reveals to Brenda that having a DDA "attached" to Major Crimes, something Brenda finds annoying, is a compromise he had to make in order to keep Major Crimes up-and-running, along with Brenda. He also reveals that he originally meant for Brenda to take over as Assistant Chief of Operations, but because of her actions Taylor is the one who is going to be promoted instead. At the end of “The Last Word”, Russell Taylor had moved into his old office, already furnished with the new name plaque identifying Taylor as an Assistant Chief. Though it's not explicitly stated when Pope had promoted him, it had been a week since Brenda shot Stroh in her home, so it's more than likely that between that time Pope had been sworn in as the Chief and he had promoted Taylor.

Major Crimes

During Major Crimes, he is officially the Chief of Police and transferred Captain Sharon Raydor to head the Major Crimes Division with a promise of a promotion to Commander, if she took the job. However, this was a lie as Taylor told her that the job was the promotion due to a budget freeze and she should be happy with it.(“Before and After”) When Lt. Provenza wanted to transfer out of the Major Crimes Division, Pope and Asst. Chief Taylor ordered him to stay in MCD or else he would be forced to retire.(“Reloaded”)

In “Cheaters Never Prosper”​​, it is mentioned that the MCD is assigned the investigation of a man murdered in a nightclub because the club owner is a good friend of Pope and called him, rather than 9-1-1.

In “Cutting Loose”​​, Lt. Michael Tao reveals to Provenza and Flynn that it was on the recommendation of Chief Pope that he got his second job as a consultant on Badge of Justice.

In “Intersection”​​, Pope is holding interviews for all of the potential candidates to Assistant Chief of Operations. Reportedly, he wants to know from the candidates what they think is the biggest problem confronting the future of the LAPD, but it was actually rumored to be a trick question. What Pope apparently really wants to know is what the candidates' biggest problem is with the way the department is currently organized and what would they do differently than Russell Taylor as the Assistant Chief of Operations.

In “Shockwave, Part 1”​​, while Acting Assistant Chief Fritz Howard is at a leadership conference in Charlotte, NC, Pope assigned Deputy Chief Winnie Davis, a contender for the Assistant Chief position, to coordinate between divisions. In “Shockwave, Part 2”​​, after the cemetery bombing, Pope recalls Fritz to L.A. and sends Davis to take his place in North Carolina. Pope ultimately promotes Leo Mason to the rank of Assistant Chief after the arrest of Cristian Ortiz. In turn, Mason managed to convince Pope to promote Raydor to Commander which Pope and Taylor had denied her when she took over Major Crimes.

Pope is approved for his second and final term as the Chief during the break between Season 5 and Season 6 of Major Crimes. As the Chief of Police can only serve two 5-year terms, Pope would have to retire from the LAPD by August 2022, at the latest.

Personality

Authoritative but flexible, and genial but sometimes sardonic, Pope commands authority and generally earns respect from the departmental detectives. His primary goals, to close cases and convict criminals, sometimes sees him straining under pressure from his superiors to follow the rules, make budget cuts and create greater synergy between the divisions of the LAPD.

Unlike Brenda, Pope tends to give in to pressure to keep an active role in law enforcement politics to keep the department running smoothly. Such a mindset was also characteristic of Russell Taylor in earlier seasons.

Relationships

Brenda Leigh Johnson

Pope had an extramarital affair with Brenda when they worked together in Washington, D.C. After he ended it, he went on to divorce his first wife (whose name was never revealed) to marry Estelle. Despite this history, Pope asks Brenda to attend his deposition to gain custody of his kids as a character witness. (“The Other Woman”) Estelle Pope, although equally unfaithful to the marriage, hates Brenda and cites her in her divorce motion citing infidelity on her husband's part.

When Brenda first transfers to Los Angeles, Pope defends her against the other detectives' complaints, and can be fiercely protective of her.

Pope's relationship with Fritz Howard is somewhat awkward and strained as Fritz knows about Brenda and Pope's previous affair. Fritz calls Will "the pope".

Brenda later learns that Pope was having an affair with Marguerite "Maggie" Scott, a financial crime investigator from the Department of Homeland Security, who had been auditing the LAPD. He asks Brenda to keep him informed of her case after Scott is found murdered. (“Lover's Leap”)

Estelle Pope

Pope divorced his first wife to marry Estelle. She divorces him during Season 2.

Pope gains custody of his children after asking Brenda to appear at his deposition. Estelle, furious at Brenda for her testimony at the deposition, forces her way up to the Squad Room and yells at Brenda, in front of everyone, that "she better not find out that she is sleeping with Pope again". Everyone present in the squad room, including Commander Taylor, thus learns of Brenda's former affair with Pope and began to ask themselves the inevitable question, "was she transferred here and given such a high rank due to her relationship with Pope?" (“No Good Deed”). Commander Taylor later makes a statement to the entire squad about Estelle, discrediting her accusations against Brenda and saving Pope and Brenda from added embarrassment.

Trivia

• Pope has a master's degree from Stanford University.(“Off the Hook”)
• When referring to Pope, Provenza and Flynn often used "the Pope" or "His Holiness" (or a combination of the two), and also referred to his office as "the Vatican".

Career information

When in uniform, Pope wears wears six service stripes on his uniform. Each stripe represents five years of service in the LAPD, meaning he has served with the LAPD for 30 to 34 years. (“The Last Word”)​​

Medals and service awards worn by Chief Pope

The medals and service awards as seen worn by Provenza in “Repeat Offender”:

Ribbon	Award name and description
	2000 Democratic National Convention Ribbon Given to any LAPD officer who saw service during the 2000 Democratic National Convention.
	Police Medal The Police Medal is an award for bravery, usually awarded to officers for individual acts of heroism in the line of duty, though not above and beyond the call of duty, as is required for the Medal of Valor. Goof: Colors were the wrong way round, white on the left and red on the right.
	Human Relations Medal The Human Relations Medal is awarded to officers who have in their day‑to‑day activities shown great compassion and have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their response to fellow human beings.
	1984 Summer Olympics Ribbon Given to any LAPD officer who saw service during the 1984 Summer Olympics from July 28 to August 12, 1984.
	Police Meritorious Service Medal The Police Meritorious Service Medal is awarded to employees who distinguish themselves by performing exceptional service in a duty of great responsibility or of critical importance to law enforcement, but to a lesser degree than required for the Police Distinguished Service Medal.
	1987 Papal Visit Ribbon Given to any LAPD officer who saw service during the September 1987 pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II.
	1994 Earthquake Ribbon Given to any LAPD officer who saw service during the 1994 Northridge earthquake from January 17 to January 18, 1994.
	1992 Civil Emergency Response Ribbon (originally known as 1992 Civil Disturbance Ribbon) Given to any LAPD officer who saw service during the 1992 Los Angeles riots from April 29 to May 4, 1992.

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