The Los Angeles City Council approved the selection of Jim McDonnell as the city’s next police chief, despite protests from immigrant rights activists concerned about whether the department would cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Responding to those concerns Friday, McDonnell said he would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE.

“I want to make it clear to all the people of Los Angeles, especially our immigrant community, who feel uncertainty and fear: this is a city of immigrants and my job is to serve them,” he said during the meeting.

The council confirmed McDonnell’s appointment in a vote of 11-2.

The news that McDonnell had been chosen to lead the Los Angeles Police Department. was announced beginning of last month. He has a long history with the city and county, having served with the Los Angeles police for 29 years, then as chief of the Long Beach Police Department and later being elected sheriff of Los Angeles County.

He most recently served as director of the Safe Communities Institute at the Price School of the University of Southern California.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a press conference on Oct. 4 that she believed McDonnell was a “leader, innovator and change-maker.”

“I am appointing Chief McDonnell because he and I have been aligned in our desire to change the direction of Los Angeles by preventing crime in the first place, responding urgently when crime occurs, and holding people accountable and reducing crime,” Bass said. .

Some community activists criticized Bass’s choice. A co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles said Bass had other, more progressive options when selecting the next chief.

“It’s a betrayal of the progressive values ​​that Karen Bass claims to have,” Melina Abdullah told LAist.

As the new chief, McDonnell will be tasked with making sure the department is ready to the world cup 2026 and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The goals of the new boss

LAPD is the second largest police department in the country, with nearly 9,000 officers.

Laying out his goals, McDonnell said last month that he wanted to expand the department while working to build trust in the community.

“In simpler terms, my goals are to improve public safety, return our department to full strength through a robust recruiting and retention campaign, (and) strengthen public trust, the foundation of everything we do “, said.

He also said he wants to “ensure respectful and constitutional policing practices” and work with the community to address concerns.

McDonnell’s tenure as sheriff

McDonnell was elected sheriff of Los Angeles County in 2014. a time when the department was plagued by accusations of officers beating and humiliating people detained in the county jail, convictions of several officers for obstructing an FBI investigation into the prison system, and low morale among the department’s rank and file.

He served one term as sheriff, during which he was credited with establishing accountability systems and working to restore public trust, according to the mayor.

But when he ran for re-election in 2018, Alex Villanueva surprisingly won. McDonnell was ousted from office with the help of great expense by the union representing MPs, who did not like his disciplinary methods.

LAist journalist Yusra Farzan contributed to this story.

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