Mayor Bass Welcomes Chief McDonnell to Lead with Community-Based Policing
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass presided over the public ceremony at the Police Academy to swear in the 59th Chief of Police of Los Angeles Jim McDonnell on Thursday, November 14. Jim McDonnell was confirmed for the role last week by the City Council and, after a private ceremony, has been chief since November 8, 2024.
You can watch the entire ceremony here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=965169045637421
Mayor Bass selected McDonnell after a six-month search after former Chief of Police Michel Moore retired. Interim Chief Dominic Choi held the office until the new chief of police was found.
McDonnell has served the LAPD for thirty years and held the rank of first assistant chief, the second highest rank in the LAPD. He has also headed the Los Angeles Sherriffs Department and was Chief of Police in Long Beach, California from 2010 to 2014.
During the ceremony, McDonnell said that he believes, due to the perception that crime is out of control in the city, despite the downward trend of crime in Los Angeles, including a 15% drop in murder seen in the latest statistics, that residents don’t call the police when they need them, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.
McDonnell stated, “Priority one is addressing crime, particularly violent and property crimes. We’ll assemble specialized teams to tailor responses to meet the specific needs of our communities.” He added that the police’s role is to protect the people of Los Angeles and said that he would use data-driven and community-based policing to combat crime and enhance public safety. McDonnell has pledged to build trust among residents for the police in the city and ensure accountability among the LAPD.
Mayor Bass said, “I want to be clear that the Chief is on the job for one week and has already hit the ground running – meeting with officers and members of the community and getting to work on growing and strengthening the LAPD, work on strengthening community relations and ensuring that our city is prepared for what is to come. That’s why Chief McDonnell was selected and why he was approved by the City Council because as probably the only person in our city’s history with experience in senior leadership of the top three law enforcement agencies in our region, I know we will be prepared for the World Cup, the Olympics and everything that is ahead of for us.”
