Swearing-in ceremony held for new LAPD chief Jim McDonnell

A celebration was held this morning for Jim McDonnell, the new police chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. 

McDonnell was sworn in during a private ceremony last week, but Thursday’s ceremony would be a public event. 

“My hope is to be able to use the first couple of months to do a lot of listening, a lot of observing,” McDonnell said. “To try and get an assessment of what our needs are, what our strengths are

The new chief was appointed by LA Mayor Karen Bass and then confirmed through the LA City Council. 

He is returning to the department where he served for nearly 30 years. 

Mayor Bass said McDonnell’s priorities will include restoring the police department’s staffing to more than 9,000 officers through more efficient recruiting and hiring, and strengthening the public’s trust.