Before Jim McDonnell was sworn in as the new LAPD chief, some Angelenos expressed their concerns under his leadership. The I-Team’s Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2024.
The city of Los Angeles has a new top cop.
Jim McDonnell was sworn in as the new chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Friday.
Minutes after the Los Angeles City Council voted 11 to 2 to approve his nomination, the former Los Angeles County Sheriff was sworn in by Mayor Karen Bass to take over for former Chief of Police Michel Moore, who retired in January of this year, and interim Chief of Police Dominic Choi.
McDonnell will lead the department as it tackles major security issues in the coming years, with the region set to host the Olympics, a Super Bowl and the World Cup.
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He will also focus on addressing the LAPD's recruitment challenges, improving morale and reducing liability claims related to officer misconduct, among other issues.
"My job every day will be to help keep you safe, and I want to be clear to all people of Los Angeles, especially our immigrant community …feeling uncertainty and fear. This is a city of immigrants, and my job is to serve you,'' McDonnell said.
Since his nomination by Mayor Bass eight months ago, McDonnell has seen little trouble throughout the selection process.
He passed his last review two weeks ago when the City Council's Public Safety Committee voted 4-1 to advance. Dissenting committee member, Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, opposed his nomination, citing concerns some residents have made over McDonnell's past policies on immigration as Los Angeles County Sheriff.
Members of The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights also opposed McDonnell's nomination. They are urging City Council members to make Los Angeles a sanctuary city, which would formally enshrine protections for its immigrant community – a policy McDonnell has historically spoken against.
Mayor Bass, however, has stuck by McDonnell.
“Chief McDonnell has pledged to serve all Angelenos,'' Bass said in a statement. “He is a leader, an innovator and a change-maker, and I am looking forward to working with him to grow and strengthen LAPD.”
Before his nomination McDonnell spent the first 29 years of his career with the LAPD before becoming Chief of Police in Long Beach in 2010. Four years later he was appointed Sheriff which he held until 2018.
Councilmembers initially proposed an annual salary of $507,000 for the new chief. The Board of Police Commissioners struck that down, citing budget concerns and lowered his proposed pay to $450,000. That’s still more than outgoing Chief Moore who made $436,000 annually, and currently County Sheriff Robert Luna at $397,340.
McDonnell will be taking over a department that will deal with major security issues in the coming years as Los Angeles prepares to host the Olympics, a Super Bowl and eight World Cup matches.
