The selection of Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, 56, was widely endorsed by city officials, rank-and-file officers, and activists, who cited his style of reform-minded management and community policing.

"He spent most of his career in some of the most challenging areas of our city, and in each and every case the communities were better off," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

Beck went to work for the LAPD as a reserve officer in 1975 and rose through the ranks to become deputy chief three years ago. He is now in charge of detectives and has overseen high-profile cases including the investigation of Michael Jackson's death.

He would become the city's 55th police chief if the City Council approves the mayor's selection, as expected.

Beck stands to inherit a department that underwent a dramatic turnaround under William Bratton, who unexpectedly left the post after seven years for a private-sector job in New York.

Bratton presided over plunging crime rates, increased diversity among officers, and heightened focus on counterterrorism. The LAPD also enacted court-ordered reforms and saw the end of eight years of federal oversight brought about by abuse allegations.