After being confirmed last Friday, Nov. 8th with a split 11-2 vote by the L.A. City Council, Mayor Karen Bass formally swore in McDonnell in front of LAPD leadership and city officials at an event held at Elysian Park Academy.
McDonnell replaces Internment chief Dominic Choi. He is the 59th LAPD chief and is set to serve a five-year term.
At his ceremony to be sworn in Thursday, Jim McDonnell spoke on how he would “lead with integrity, empathy and relentless dedication to every resident” of Los Angeles.
The swearing-in was followed by a speech by the new Chief Officer in which he called for unity and hope for the city, and detailed his priorities for his first 90 days in office.
“As Chief, my first 90 days will focus on listening, evaluating and planning,” McDonnell said. “In this period, I’ll meet with community members, public officials, our department members, and every person whose life is impacted by the work that we all do.”
Before his confirmation, council members Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez raised concerns about his past actions as LA County Sheriff in which he allowed ICE agents into county jails. McDonnell directly addressed those fears during his confirmation, outlining LAPD’s response to Trump’s proposed deportation plan.
“LAPD will not assist with mass deportations,” McDonnell said. “Los Angeles is a city of immigrants, and I know that immigrants are being disparaged right now.”
He then went on to detail five actions that he plans to implement during his first 90 days. His first priority is addressing crime, with an emphasis on violent and property offenses. McDonnell also aims to focus on officer accountability, addressing L.A.’s youth and unhoused, improving safety at large events soon to be coming to L.A. and implementing new technology within the department in an ethical manner.
Police Captain Raymond Devois expressed his support of McDonnell.
“We’re all very, very optimistic with Chief McDonell. Several of us have worked with him before. We know him to have an immense amount of integrity and to be very supportive.”
Before being appointed as Police Chief of the LAPD, McDonnell worked in every rank within the LAPD. In 2014, he was elected to serve a four-year term as the 32nd Sheriff of Los Angeles County. He also served with the Long Beach Police Department, making him the first person to serve in leadership positions across these three agencies (LAPD, LASD, LBPD).
McDonnell earned a master’s degree at the USC Price School, and serves as a member of the school’s board of councilors.
“I think he’s going to be great for the department. It’s a win for them, and I think it’s a win for us too”, said Ed Palmer, the Assistant Chief of the USC Department of Public Safety. “I did 29 years at LAPD before I came to USC, and I can tell you, unequivocally, Jim McDonnell is a fantastic person.”