Los Angeles City Council to consider appointing McDonnell as new LAPD chief – Daily Breeze

By JOSE HERRERA

City News Service

On Friday, November 8, eight months after the retirement of former Police Chief Michel Moore, the Los Angeles City Council will consider the appointment of Jim McDonnell as the 59th leader of the Los Angeles Police Department, the third-largest law enforcement agency in the country. .

Mayor Karen Bass nominated McDonnell to fill the role in October following a nationwide search. He was among three finalists for the job, along with LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides and former Deputy Chief Robert “Bobby” Arcos, who worked as head of investigations in District Attorney George Gascón’s office.

Interim Police Chief Dominic Choi, who has led the department since March, is expected to resign and become one of three deputy chiefs under the expected new chief.

McDonnell will take over a department that will deal with major security issues in the coming years as the region hosts the Olympics, the Super Bowl and the World Cup.

On October 29, the City Council Public Safety Committee voted 4-1 to advance McDonnell’s nomination. Incumbent member Hugo Soto-Martinez opposed her nomination, citing some residents’ concerns about McDonnell’s past policies on immigration.

Committee members questioned McDonnell about a variety of issues and issues affecting the Los Angeles Police Department, from hiring woes to boosting morale, unarmed response initiatives and improving relations with city residents.

Other issues raised by council members included ongoing efforts to reform the department’s disciplinary process, the use of excused stops and how to limit liability claims arising from officer misconduct, among other issues.

McDonnell, who served as county sheriff from 2014 to 2018, allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers into county jails. In 2017, he also opposed state Senate Bill 54, which established California as a sanctuary state and limited law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

“I am very clear about my role as police chief,” McDonnell said. “I work for the police commission, I work for the mayor, I work for the city council, and we work as partners on public safety.”

“This isn’t something where we’re going to go out and do something different or go against what everyone in the city is focusing on as a policy,” he added. “Our duty is to protect all of our communities equally and to do so to the best of our ability.”

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, the committee chair, thanked McDonnell for his commitment to communicating with the city’s stakeholders regarding public safety.

“We gain the most wisdom when we meet our critics and find a way to move forward,” Rodriguez said.

Members of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights also opposed McDonnell’s nomination and called on council members to make Los Angeles a sanctuary city, which would officially enshrine the protection of the immigrant community.

Bass praised the committee’s vote.