Former Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell, who also spent four years as county sheriff, was named today the next chief of the LAPD, taking over a department that will deal with major security issues in the coming years as the region hosts the Olympics, a Super Bowl and the World Cup.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass made the announcement at a Friday morning news conference at City Hall, selecting McDonnell from among three finalists for the job. McDonnell, who is also a former LAPD assistant chief, will replace Michel Moore, who retired in February. Dominic Choi has been serving as interim chief.
After spending most of his career in the LAPD, McDonnell served four years as chief of police in Long Beach. Appointed in 2010 to replace Anthony Batts, he left after being elected sheriff in 2014 . He held that position for only one term before being unseated by Alex Villanueva. Robert Luna replaced McDonnell as Long Beach police chief in 2014 before going on to defeat Villanueva for the 2022 sheriff’s election .