LA Council committee to review and vote on McDonnell’s nomination as LAPD chief

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — A city council committee will meet Tuesday to consider Mayor Karen Bass’ nomination of former Los Angeles Sheriff James McDonnell as the next LAPD chief.

The five-member public safety committee will meet Tuesday in a special meeting in the council chambers of City Hall. City Council members will have an opportunity to question McDonnell and assess his plans to lead the nation’s third-largest police department.

On October 4, Bass announced that McDonnell was her choice to lead the Los Angeles Police Department, replacing former Chief Michel Moore, who retired in February. Dominic Choi is interim chief.

McDonnell was one of three finalists for the position, joining LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides and former Assistant Chief Robert “Bobby” Arcos, who worked with District Attorney George Gascón’s office as head of the investigation.

Bass described McDonnell as “one of America’s top law enforcement professionals” and a “nationally recognized thought leader in public safety.” She expressed her confidence in McDonnell to keep LA safe as the region will host major sporting events in the coming years.

Some observers had expected Bass to pick a woman or a Latino to fill the chief’s post; both would be the first. But in the end, she chose McDonnell, who is white.

“Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles is both appalled and outraged by the mayor’s choice,” BLM-LA said in a statement released on October 7. “We will continue our work to hold police accountable and challenge elected officials who prioritize their own political ambitions before the interests of the community.”

But Bass defended her selection, saying public safety was her top priority.

“Our city still has much work to do to prepare and welcome the world,” Bass said previously. “For me, the most important thing, as I said from the beginning, is keeping this city safe. We felt very confident that one of the best law enforcement professionals in our country was willing to come back to the department. and leading us at a time when the department needs to be transformed internally, the city needs to feel safe and we need to prepare to welcome the world. And I feel very strong and confident in that decision.

McDonnell served 29 years with the LAPD, holding several ranks leading up to first assistant chief before retiring in 2010 to lead the Long Beach Police Department, where he served for nearly five years.

In 2014, McDonnell was elected the 32nd sheriff of Los Angeles County.

McDonnell previously said his goals were to improve public safety in the city, “to return our department to full strength” and “strengthen public trust, the foundation of everything we do,” and to develop community relations while “respectful and constitutional policing practices.”

In September, the mayor’s office announced the findings of a study intended to guide the selection of the next police chief. The summary included several efforts to gather opinions on the search, including months of meetings and input from hundreds of LAPD officers, community and business leaders.

Poor morale and a perceived disconnect between officers and department leadership are two major issues that McDonnell, if confirmed by the City Council, will have to address.

Other groups emphasized the desire for a leader who is “open and transparent” and who strengthens de-escalation tactics. Business leaders called for a more visible police presence in key high-traffic areas to discourage theft.