Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference today, announcing former Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell as the new Los Angeles Police Department Chief.
McDonnell will succeed Interim Chief Dominic Choi, who served in the role after Michel Moore’s resignation at the end of February this year. He previously served as assistant chief under William J. “Bill” Bratton and was credited with implementing a grassroots style of policing, emphasizing community relations as part of a department overhaul, according to the LA Times.
The city’s new chief has served with the LAPD for 29 years and has since moved into academia to head the Safe Communities Institute at the USC Price School of Public Policy.
During the press conference, Mayor Bass expressed her faith in McDonnell’s capability and track record, noting his graduation from the LAPD academy at 21 and his long career in Southern California law enforcement.
“Chief McDonnell is a nationally recognized thought leader on public safety… a leader, an innovator, and a change maker. That’s what we need in L.A.,” Bass said.
Mayor Bass also stated the importance of city preparation for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
“The magnitude of what L.A. needs to prepare for is crystal clear to me, and I trust that Jim McDonnell will make sure that we are prepared and vigilant for anything that comes our way,” Bass said.
The department will face challenges not only in preparation but in recruitment as well. Chief McDonnell will take over an understaffed department struggling to maintain its numbers and respond to emergencies promptly.
This year, the Los Angeles Police Department employed 8,800 sworn officers, its lowest staffing level in over two decades.
McDonnell recognized the staffing issue in his speech, listing one of his goals of growing the department “back to full strength through a solid recruitment and retention campaign.”
With the World Cup and the Olympics coming to L.A., McDonnell assured the public of his readiness to deal with the upcoming pressures.
“Our department and our city will be showcased, and we will be prepared.”