McDonnell confirmed as new LAPD chief, says he won’t cooperate with ICE

The Los Angeles City Council approved the selection of Jim McDonnell as the city’s next police chief, despite protests from immigrant rights activists concerned about whether the department would cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

In response to these concerns, McDonnell said Friday that he would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE.

“I want to be clear to all the people of Los Angeles, especially our immigrant community, who are feeling uncertainty and fear: This is a city of immigrants and my job is to serve you,” he said at the meeting.

The council confirmed McDonnell’s appointment by an 11-2 vote. McDonnell was then sworn in during a private ceremony.

Some community activists have said they oppose McDonnell’s hiring, citing concerns about his record while serving as LA County sheriff. During that time, they said, he failed to improve conditions at the Men’s Central Jail, failed to rid the department of deputy gangs and turned unauthorized immigrants in the jail over to federal agents.

“We strongly oppose McDonnell’s appointment due to his past association with ICE,” Bruno Huizar of the California Immigrant Policy Center told the council on Friday.

Referring to this week’s re-election of President Donald Trump, who promised mass deportations if he returns to office, Huizar said: “Trumpism has no place in Los Angeles.”

McDonnell noted that there has been a lot of talk since Tuesday’s election about what would happen next.

“What I can say here is that when there are mass raids or the police are involved, those kinds of things don’t happen,” he said.

Selection of the new chef

During the council meeting, which lasted several hours, almost a hundred people spoke. The vast majority spoke against McDonnell’s appointment.

“Sheriff McDonnell’s records of his cooperation with ICE make it clear that he lacks the moral clarity to build that trust with the community,” said LA Voice’s Maritza Cuestas.

Victor Dominguez, president and CEO of YMCAs of Metro Los Angeles, praised McDonnell as the right person for the job: “It is important that we have a leader who truly understands the diverse communities that make up Los Angeles, and Jim is that true leader. ”

Only council members Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against McDonnell’s appointment. Both expressed concerns about his past cooperation with ICE.

Other council members praised McDonnell’s vast law enforcement experience and said he was the right person to lead the LAPD. He will face major problems in the department, including a recruitment crisis that has resulted in the number of officers falling to 8,800 – down from 10,000 five years ago.

Yet it is the second largest police department in the country.

The news that McDonnell had been chosen to lead the department was announced early last month. He has a long history in the city and county. He served 29 years in the LAPD and then as chief of the Long Beach Police Department before being elected sheriff. Most recently, he served as director of the Safe Communities Institute at the University of Southern California’s Price School.

LA Mayor Karen Bass said at an Oct. 4 news conference that she considers McDonnell a “leader, innovator and change maker.”

“I am appointing Chief McDonnell because he and I are aligned in our desire to change the direction of Los Angeles by preventing crime in the first place – responding urgently when crime occurs and holding people accountable and putting crime back on track.” to push,” Bass said. .

As the new chief, McDonnell will have to ensure that the department is ready the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The new chief will make $450,000 a year, a salary approved by both the Police Commission and City Council. The amount was reduced from $507,509 after criticism that the number was too high.

The objectives of the new chief

In outlining his goals last month, McDonnell said he wanted to expand the department while working to build trust in the community.

“In the simplest terms, my goals are to increase public safety, return our department to full strength through a robust recruitment and retention campaign, (and) strengthen public trust, the foundation of everything we do,” he said.

McDonnell was elected sheriff of LA County in 2014. a time when the department was plagued by allegations of officers beating and humiliating people in the county jail, convictions of several deputies for obstructing an FBI investigation into the prison system, and low morale among the department’s rank and file.

He served one term as sheriff, during which he was credited with establishing accountability systems and restoring public trust, the mayor said.

But when he ran for re-election in 2018, Alex Villanueva won in an upset. McDonnell was voted out of office with the help of big spending by the union representing deputies, which did not appreciate his disciplinary behavior.

As LAPD chief, McDonnell said he wants to “ensure respectful and constitutional police practices” and work with the community to address concerns. He also promised to address concerns about discipline and low morale.

“What we hope for is balance,” he said Friday. “The bar for responsibility is very high.”

LAist reporter Yusra Farzan contributed to this news story.