Former LA police chief to head Hartsfield security

ATLANTA - Former Los Angeles Police Chief Willie Williams was named the federal security director at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, one of eight new airport security officials sworn into office Wednesday. <br> <br> The 58-year-old Williams was police commissioner from 1988-1992 in Philadelphia after working his way up through the ranks. He was recruited to replace Darryl Gates in Los Angeles as the department sought to rebuild its image after the Rodney King beating. <br> <br> Congress created the position for most of the nation&#39;s commercial airports as part of its plan to federalize most airport security functions after the September 11 terrorist attacks. <br> <br> Williams was the first black chief in Los Angeles and the first outsider in 40 years to run the department. His tenure included several high-profile events, including the O.J. Simpson investigation. <br> <br> In 1997, the Los Angeles Police Commission declined to reappoint Williams, who was fiercely disliked by the force as an outsider and whose abilities as a manager were doubted by some. Williams also faced questions about free trips he accepted to Las Vegas. <br> <br> He moved to Dallas in 1999 to become an executive at Argus Services Corporation, a health claims auditing firm owned by his brother and sister.