The City of Bridgeport has hired a nationally known law enforcement figure to help consult for the police department.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim hired Charles Ramsey, who has been called "America's most universally respected police chief," to help the police department. Ramsey is the former police commissioner of Philadelphia.

Ganim says the former top cop in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. will focus on improving the department's use of force by offering best practices and policies and procedures, based on his decades of experience. He was also a law enforcement adviser to President Barack Obama.

Ramsey says he hopes Bridgeport taxpayers will give him a chance to make constructive input to the department.

"Over the years you learn a lot, and one thing has remained consistent throughout -- and that is the respect that officers have to show the people who we serve," says Ramsey.

The Bridgeport Police Department has come under fire recently in the wake of some controversial incidents involving the use of force by its officers.

Ganim says the city will pay Ramsey's consulting firm $25,000 for a three-month contract. Some elected officials are pleased with the choice, while others are skeptical.

"We have a history in Bridgeport of bringing in consultants who charge a pretty penny but get no substantive results," says state Sen. Dennis Bradley. "I will be monitoring this situation closely to make sure taxpayer dollars are being used appropriately and helping to achieve meaningful change at the Bridgeport Police Department."