Los Angeles' next police chief is former sheriff Jim McDonnell

A head-and-shoulder shot of Jim McDonnell, wearing a suit and tie, with the California flag behind him

Oct. 6, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday, Oct. 6. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

Bass picks a familiar name as new LAPD chief.
The CDC is coming to investigate why the Tijuana River smells so bad,
L.A.’s ex-deputy mayor headed to prison.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Jim McDonnell is chosen as the new LAPD chief

The vacancy atop Los Angeles law enforcement was filled Friday morning after a months-long search.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass announced the hiring of Jim McDonnell as the new chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.

My colleagues Libor Jany, Richard Winton, David Zahniser and Dakota Smith covered the hiring and added critical reporting on the selection.

In picking McDonnell, Bass is getting a seasoned veteran as the massive security challenges of the World Cup and the Olympic Games loom on the horizon.

At the news conference Friday, Bass said she spoke with several of McDonnell’s former colleagues. They described him as honest and “a man of integrity.”

“These are essential leadership traits we will need to continue to transform the department while addressing the near and far challenges we will face in the coming years,” Bass said.

Who is Jim McDonnell?

McDonnell was often seen on television as the department’s public face as assistant chief under Chief William J. “Bill” Bratton.

Overall, McDonnell spent 28 years with the LAPD.

He joined the LAPD in 1981 at the age of 21 and worked his way up in patrol, detective, vice, gang, organized crime, homicide and other divisions.

Twice before he applied for the LAPD chief’s job, losing out to Bratton in 2002 and Charlie Beck in 2009. He was appointed police chief of Long Beach in March 2010.

In 2014, he was elected Los Angeles County Sheriff, following soon after Lee Baca, the longtime sheriff who retired under a cloud of scandals.

He served one term as L.A. County sheriff before being replaced by Alex Villanueva in a stunning electoral upset for a seat that hadn’t seen an incumbent lose in more than a century. He later joined an exodus of high-ranking law enforcement officials moving into academia.

McDonnell currently heads the Safe Communities Institute at the USC Price School of Public Policy.

He was one of the three finalists chosen by the civilian Police Commission from a field of more than 25 applicants to lead one of the nation’s largest police departments.

For McDonnell, the hire was a long-awaited vindication.

“I love this city — and I understand the modern-day challenges our officers face in working to protect it,” McDonnell said in a statement. “It is a tremendous honor to lead the men and women of the LAPD. I will work hard to make sure their work to keep Angelenos safe is supported.”

What do the critics say?

Some detractors argue that McDonnell was an effective leader as a sheriff but didn’t do enough to address the problems that surfaced during the Baca administration.

At Long Beach, McDonnell led a force that, while far smaller than the LAPD, faced the same concerns about staffing shortages. He has been criticized for a rise in officer-involved shootings, as well as the 2013 beating of an unarmed man.

What do supporters say?

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents about 8,800 officers, voiced support.

“We have every confidence in Chief McDonnell’s ability to hit the ground running to improve public safety in Los Angeles and to appoint an upper command staff that will do away with the status quo and turn a new page for the LAPD,” said the union, in a statement from its board of directors.

Former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said McDonnell “brings a depth of experience and knowledge which is absolutely unmatched. His leadership will successfully guide and mold the future of law enforcement in Los Angeles and the nation.”

Former Asst. Chief Horace Frank praised “the moral and intellectual caliber” of McDonnell, saying, “This is a bold decision by the mayor and she deserves a lot of credit.”

Miriam Krinsky, a former federal prosecutor and a former executive director of the county’s Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence, described McDonnell as a “true public servant,” someone who has perspectives on law enforcement both as an insider and an outsider.

For more on the hire, check out our coverage.

The week’s biggest stories

Ramon Chairez stands atop the bridge above the Tijuana River at Saturn Boulevard in San Ysidro.

Environmental, climate and fire issues

The Tijuana River smells so bad, the CDC is coming to investigate.
California’s heat wave raises health concerns ahead of sports-filled weekend.
Head of O.C. agency that is blamed for starting Airport fire quietly leaves his job.
O.C. firefighter injured in rollover crash receives festive sendoff en route to Colorado rehab hospital.
A history of Yellowstone finds centuries of conflict behind the natural beauty.

Crime, courts and policing

Oversight officials concerned about Nazi symbol in newly discovered deputy subgroup’s logo.
Long Beach man pleads guilty to taking 14-year-old he met online across state lines for sex.
Reversal clears LAPD officer faulted for firing two extra bullets in fatal 2020 shooting.
Two dead, one in custody after police pursuit ends in freeway crash in Pomona.
Editorial: Mayor Bass’ caution shows in her pick of Jim McDonnell as LAPD chief.

Los Angeles happenings

Column: The real problem with L.A. Latino politics isn’t City Council boundaries.
San Fernando Valley gets 100 license plate-reading cameras to help police crack down on crime.
As RV camps fill neighborhoods, new law is aimed at reducing them in L.A.
NLDS Preview: Can the Dodgers stay around this time?

More big stories

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She ate a Costco salad before giving birth. After a drug test, authorities took her baby away.
We ranked the top 10 best places to retire in California for most people. Would you live here?
13 L.A. places that will induce nightmares any time of year, rated by spookiness.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

Antelope Valley residents Diane Swick, Cynthia Farrow, and Mary Jeters, from left, exit the Hollywood Courthouse.

When kindergarten teacher Cynthia Farrow searched for a community where she could raise her family and afford a home with enough space for a few horses, she settled on the sunswept desert town of Littlerock in the Antelope Valley. “We were priced out of so many places except here in the AV,” Farrow said, referring to the Antelope Valley. “It was a dream place and we found a community here. But, sadly, that attracted others here too.” The affordability, the low population density and the space between homes and properties — often measured in acres — are also enticing for correctional authorities and courts across the state looking to relocate former sex offenders who have been conditionally paroled or recently released.

More great reads

Why the Menendez brothers still face hurdles to freedom. “This is not a whodunit case.”
Some forms of air pollution may prolong postpartum depression, researchers say.
Someone is leaving bottles of urine by a street in Pasadena. Two filmmakers are watching.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your weekend

Photo of man on a background of colorful illustrations like a book, dog, pizza, TV, shopping bag, and more

Going out

🌯 Pop singer-songwriter Charlie Puth gives us his ideal “Sunday Funday,” starting with a big breakfast burrito.
⛰️ The pristine mountain hiking wonderland of Big Santa Anita Canyon near Sierra Madre reopened to the public this week.
⚾ Tonight marks Game No. 2 of the SoCal playoff showdown between the Dodgers and Padres. First pitch is at 5:03 from Dodger Stadium.

Staying in

🍎 “La Maison,” Apple TV’s lively glam-soap of family and fortune in the French fashion industry, debuts this week, and it’s worth a watch.
🌳 Looking to plant some native trees? You’re in luck and we’ll explain why.
🧑‍🍳 Happy National German American Day! Here’s a tasty recipe for pork schnitzel.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.

L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

My Yellow Brick Road started with an Elton John concert. Illustration by Ruby Ash / For the Times for Marcus Ryle essay

Before too long I got up the courage to profess my love to her. I went over to her house and she listened patiently as I told her how I felt and expressed my certainty that we would marry someday. Susan sat quietly and listened, and with kindness she gently explained that she did not feel the same way. She said that she hoped we could remain friends. Naturally I was crushed but somehow still imagined this was merely a temporary setback.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor

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