LAPD Chief Michel Moore will be retiring from his position at the end of February, the 43-year department veteran announced Friday.
Moore announced his decision, earlier confirmed with law enforcement sources by the NBC4 I-Team, at a City Hall news conference with Mayor Karen Bass.
A national search for a replacement will be immediately. Details about how long that search will last were not immediately available.
Bass said Moore agreed to stay on in a consulting role for the interim chief, who will be appointed when he steps down at the end of February.
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The chief, at times choking up during the news conference, said he is retiring to spend more time with family and loved ones. He said the LAPD should have fresh leadership well ahead of major events, such as the 2028 Olympic Games and the 2026 World Cup, coming to Southern California.
"This is a profession I love, and it's a work I do with a passion," Moore said. "As the work accumulated… I began to realize there's more sand at the bottom of my hourglass than there is above."
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Moore joined the LAPD as an officer in 1981, becoming detective, sergeant, and lieutenant before he was promoted to captain in 1998. He was promoted to assistant chief in 2010 and was sworn in as chief by Mayor Eric Garcetti in June 2018.
"The future of this city is bright, and I'll miss sharing it with you," Moore said. "But I also know in my heart, now is the right time."
The chief of police in the nation's largest department is appointed by the mayor for a maximum of two five-year terms. Moore was appointed to second term after a unanimous recommendation by the Los Angeles Police Commission last year.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he trusts Mayor Bass will work hard with the new police chief to serve Angelenos.
"I know she is going to focus on someone who understands communities are when communities respect our police department, when the police department is working with those communities, especially those communities who have historically been left behind," Villaraigosa said.
Adding to that, longtime civil rights attorney Connie Rice said the city needs a police chief who is prepared to take on increased safety measures for upcoming events in the city.
"You need a police chief on day one who hits the ground running," longtime civil rights attorney Connie Rice said. "Planning for the Olympics in 2024 is not the same as it was in 1974."
