BACA, MAHONY, OTHERS WELCOME NEW NO. 1 COP.

Byline: Troy Anderson and Beth Barrett Staff Writers

Law enforcement, city officials and civic leaders expressed support Wednesday for William J. Bratton to be the next chief of the 9,000-officer Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca commended Mayor James Hahn's choice, saying he expects his department to work well with Bratton.

``He has the ability to unify the community and the department to create a sense of team building and accountability at the same time,'' Baca said.

Civil-rights attorney Connie Rice said Bratton appears to have the kind of energy and leadership necessary to turn around the troubled LAPD.

``He is that kind of transformative leader that can say 'take that hill,'' and people will do it - even if it's Mount Everest - and he has a proven record in crime fighting,'' Rice said.

Police Commission President Rick Caruso said he was struck by Bratton's experience, his reputation, his knowledge about the LAPD's challenges and his charm.

``He has one hell of a track record, and really did his homework.''

Cardinal Roger Mahony issued a statement saying he looked forward to working with Bratton ``in continuing to build a community where all can dwell in harmony, justice and peace.''

Valley activist Page Miller, co-chairwoman of a community policing group called Save Our Senior Leads, said she hopes Bratton will be open to ideas from his officers and the community.

``I sincerely hope our new chief will embrace our wonderful officers and their innovative ideas and the community input so we can all be team players and not have people beaten down or stifled,'' Miller said.

The issue raised most frequently Wednesday was whether the LAPD's officers would accept a chief who hadn't previously served among their ranks.

``He's an outsider,'' City Councilman Nate Holden said bluntly.

Keith Richman and Mel Wilson, the leading candidates for San Fernando Valley mayor if secession passes in November, also were critical of Hahn's choice.

``Certainly a police chief that has been a member of the local police department knows the culture and the community in which they will be providing public safety services,'' Richman said.

Wilson was more direct.

``This city ought to be good enough to develop the kind of leadership in its own ranks to have the (police chief) come from within,'' Wilson said.

But Deputy Chief Ronald Bergmann, head of LAPD operations in the San Fernando Valley - and an applicant for the chief's job - stood behind Hahn's choice.

``I pledge my loyalty and hard work to William Bratton and, hopefully, as he's getting acclimated, he quickly finds out what the LAPD is all about and we'll all end up working together.''

Several other officers said they were taking a wait-and-see approach toward Bratton.

``Honestly, it's going to be up to his style of leadership that'll determine how this goes,'' said Officer Robert Chavira of the LAPD's Devonshire Division.

Lt. Kathleen Sheehan, a watch commander at the LAPD's North Hollywood Division, said she knows officers back East who had a favorable impression of Bratton.

``I think he's smart and capable and hard-working,'' Sheehan said. ``Hopefully, he's responsive to the field-level officers and backs us up. Police officers are very anxious to refocus on the primary mission of combating crime.''

City Councilman Jack Weiss said there will naturally be apprehension among the ranks initially, but that as long as Bratton is free to make the changes he deems necessary, the LAPD will adjust.

``Bratton is a lifetime professional cop. He wants them out there doing their job as well. Once they get to know each other, they'll get along fine.''

City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said even if an LAPD insider had been chosen, that person would have needed time to adjust.

``Anybody who is taking on what is arguably one of the toughest jobs in America is going to need time to ramp up,'' Delgadillo said. ``There is no Superman or Superwoman ready to take that job. Anybody we put there will be a human being.''

Staff Writers Mariel Garza, Jason Kandel, James Nash and Ryan Oliver contributed to this report.