LOS ANGELES – Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnellwho was sworn in as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department on Friday, will receive one of the highest police chief salaries in the United States for a major city.

Before the ceremony, the city council approved McDonnell’s base salary of $450,000, which was requested by the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. That figure is less than the board’s initial proposal of $507,509, which was an increase of more than $150,000 over the previous chief’s salary.

The salary range for the position was set between $408,475 and $507,509 during the search process.

The previous boss, Michel Moore, who announced his retirement in January, he earned a base salary of $391,268 in 2023, according to data from the city comptroller.

McDonnell, 65, will take charge of a force of nearly 9,000 officers led by acting Chief Dominic Choi.

The New York Police Department commissioner, who oversees the nation’s largest police department with more than 30,000 officers, earns about $243,000, according to city records for the last two commissioners. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling earns $275,748, according to city records posted online.

McDonnell will also earn more than the current Los Angeles County sheriff’s salary of $397,340, according to county records.

The city council confirmed McDonnell’s appointment in a 10-2 vote Friday, with council members Hugo Soto-Martínez and Eunisses Hernández opposed.

Some have criticized the decision to pay McDonnell what they call an “exorbitant” salary while the city faces budget problems.

“Why not start with a lower price? Given the situation the city is in,” Police Commissioner Maria Lou Calanche said during a meeting Tuesday.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit think tank Police Executive Research Forum, said West Coast police chiefs generally earn more than their East Coast counterparts, according to a 2021 survey by more than 300 departments throughout the country.

And he said Los Angeles is traditionally among the highest, although McDonnell’s salary is $100,000 more than the previous boss’s salary.

“Police officer salaries across the country have been significantly impacted by a large number of resignations and retirements,” Wexler said. “As starting salaries have increased, executive compensation has also increased.”

The $450,000 salary does not include potential benefits or bonuses. McDonnell will also be allowed to continue receiving pension payments from his previous roles.

“I’m honored to receive what the commission felt this job was worth, I competed for the position, I was fortunate to be the appointee,” McDonnell said of his compensation, which he described as “a little bit in the middle” of the salary range. and reflects your experience and education.

The vote came at the end of a long and tumultuous period of public comment and questioning by city council members, during which several people were expelled from the council chambers. McDonnell’s appointment was strongly opposed by immigration advocates, who say he allowed federal authorities to operate freely while he was sheriff and shared information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Maria Estrada, a worker with the Service Employees International Union, said at Friday’s council hearing that she remembers when McDonnell was sheriff and her co-workers reported crimes committed against them.

“Some of these co-workers were deported,” he said. “Thousands of us members here in this community are afraid of this man taking office.”

McDonnell addressed these concerns during his confirmation hearing.

“I want to be unequivocal. LAPD will protect the immigrant community of Los Angeles. “We will not cooperate with mass deportations and, on an individual level, officers will not take steps to determine a person’s immigration status and will not arrest them based on that status,” McDonnell said. “Los Angeles is a city of immigrants and my job is to protect this city. That is exactly what I will do.”

He acknowledged the fears sparked by President Donald Trump’s victory on Tuesday and his campaign promises to mass deportation. McDonnell said he would not work with federal agencies on immigration enforcement issues.

Mayor Karen Bass chose McDonnell over three candidates selected by a civilian board of Los Angeles police commissioners, which included Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides and former Deputy Chief Robert “Bobby” Arcos. Both were reported by the Los Angeles Times as finalists for the position. Bass met with hundreds of LAPD officers and community leaders before making his decision.

McDonnell was elected sheriff of Los Angeles County in 2014 to oversee the largest sheriff’s department in the U.S. Before that, he spent 29 years with the LAPD and served as Long Beach police chief for nearly five years. years.