Willie L. Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Willie L. Williams
Born	(1943-10-01)October 1, 1943 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	April 26, 2016(2016-04-26) (aged 72) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Police career
Department	Philadelphia Police Department Los Angeles Police Department
Country	United States
Years of service	1967–1992 1992–1997
Rank	Sworn in as an Officer - 1967 - Chief of Police - 1988, 1992
Other work	Federal Security Director of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport

Willie L. Williams (born October 1, 1943 – died April 26, 2016) was an important police leader in the United States. He made history by becoming the first African-American police commissioner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Later, he was also the first African-American Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He took on this role in 1992 after a difficult time for the LAPD. His main goal was to help the police department build a better relationship with the communities it served.

Leading the Philadelphia Police (1988–1992)

In June 1988, Willie Williams became the head of the Philadelphia Police Department. This was a big moment because he was the first African American to hold this important position in Philadelphia's history.

As Police Commissioner, Williams often spoke about public safety. For example, in 1990, he spoke to a special committee in the United States Senate. He talked about ways to reduce crime and violence. He believed it was important to control how easily people could get certain types of weapons. He supported laws that would require a waiting period before someone could buy a handgun. He also thought that some powerful weapons should not be available to the general public.

Leading the Los Angeles Police (1992–1997)

Willie Williams was chosen to lead the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 1992. This was a challenging time for the department. He took over after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which had caused a lot of tension between the police and the community.

Williams faced many difficulties as the LAPD Chief. He sometimes disagreed with city leaders about how to improve the police department. He wanted to make changes from the inside, focusing on how officers were trained and how they interacted with people. He was also very popular with the public in Los Angeles, who felt he was helping to restore trust in the police.

One interesting fact about Williams's time as Chief was about his police certification. In California, police officers need to pass special exams to be certified. Williams had not taken these exams. Because of this, the California legislature passed a special law. This law made sure that police chiefs, like Williams, could still carry a firearm and do their job, even without the usual certification.

In 1996, Williams wrote a book called Taking Back Our Streets: Fighting Crime in America. In this book, he shared his ideas about "community policing." This is a way of policing where officers work closely with local communities to solve problems and build trust. He also wrote about his efforts to improve the police force.

In 1997, his contract as LAPD Chief was not renewed. City officials said he had made good progress in connecting with the public. However, they felt he had not made enough big changes in how the department was managed. Williams left his position in May 1997.

After his time with the LAPD, Williams continued to work in public safety. In 2002, he was appointed as the federal security director for Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. In this role, he helped make sure the airport was safe for everyone.