Police commission appoints LAPD Chief Michel Moore to 2nd term

On a unanimous vote, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore was appointed Tuesday to a second five-year term by the Board of Police Commissioners, but he is not expected to serve the full term.

Moore, a 40-year veteran of the department, has served as chief since 2018 when he was appointed by former Mayor Eric Garcetti. His current term ends in June.

“I am grateful for the unanimous decision by the Board of Police Commissioners for my reappointment,” Moore said in a statement.

Commissioner William J. Briggs II, president of the board, said he looked forward to continuing his work with Moore to ensure that Los Angeles remains safe from both crime and “actions that would harm our own department.” Briggs, in a statement after the meeting, called Moore an “exceptional leader” who will “provide much-needed continuity” for the LAPD.

Moore told the Los Angeles Times earlier this month that he may only serve “two or three years” in a second term to allow a new chief to handle the run-up to the 2028 Olympic Games. In a statement after the vote, Mayor Karen Bass‘ office confirmed that plan, saying that “in line with discussions between the mayor and Chief Moore, he will not serve a full five-year term.”

“At the appropriate time, in advance of global events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, a nationwide search will commence and a new chief will be selected.”

During a question-and-answer session with commissioners Tuesday, Moore committed to building community trust in his second term.

“We’ve remained committed to be highly visible and accessible, to ensure that we’re not just focused on enforcement, enforcement, enforcement,” Moore said. “But rather, we’re focused on building community cohesion.”

There was some uncertainty on whether Moore would be reappointed leading up to the meeting after Bass did not commit last month to supporting Moore when he requested a second term, noting only that she would meet with the chief.

But Bass sent a letter to the commission Monday saying she supported Moore’s re-appointment, with the mayor listing a series of expectations for the department, including mental health training for all officers, increased availability of Mental Evaluation Units and elimination of all-civilian panels in Board of Rights disciplinary hearings for officers.

“As the process of my reappointment has unfolded, I have listened intensely in my conversations with the Board of Police Commissioners, and more recently with Mayor Bass, on the description of the work that remains,” Moore said. “I have heard the countless voices of encouragement as well as calls for rejecting my application. I am grateful for those who have called out my leadership and success. To my critics, I acknowledge all my efforts have not been without missteps.”

The commission consists of five appointees by former Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“I believe, all things considered, you’ve been effective in providing steady leadership to the department during some very unprecedented and challenging times,” Commissioner Dale Bonner said of Moore. “I believe you’ve been earnest in your efforts to move the department in a better direction.”

Moore and the commission heard an hour of public comment regarding the reappointment request ahead of the vote. Many callers criticized Moore and urged the board to vote down the request. The LAPD is facing scrutiny over the deaths of three men following encounters with police in the first three days of the new year.

“My commitment is to keep going at this,” Moore said. “To have an optimism that we can continue to see the evolution of policing, where we’ll see communities that trust us at a greater level.”

In his letter seeking reappointment, Moore cited a desire to address “significant departures of senior staff members” and to improve diversity in senior leadership positions. He also sought to restore “depleted staffing levels” as Los Angeles prepares to host the World Cup and Olympics in the coming years.

A California Community Poll conducted a few weeks ago found that LAPD received a 55% favorability assessment, with 33% having an unfavorable opinion of the department.

Another survey, conducted by Loyola Marymount University, on police and community relations released in September had mixed results.

Trust in the LAPD increased by seven percentage points from 2020. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they would trust the department to do what is right “just about always” or “most of the time,” compared to 51% in 2020. That figure was below the level of trust in non-police alternatives (63%), but higher than trust in city government (47%) and the media (38%).

Just 16% of respondents were “very satisfied” with the LAPD’s performance, with half of those surveyed answering they were “somewhat satisfied.” The remaining third were either “not very satisfied” or “not at all satisfied.” Two-thirds of Angelenos believed that the LAPD racially profiles Black people at a higher rate than other groups.

The percentage of respondents who described their experiences with LAPD officers as “mostly positive” also dropped from 47% to 41% over the last two years.

Moore joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1981. He was promoted to captain in 1998. His assignments included assuming command at Rampart Area following the arrest of Rafael Perez and during the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

Updated Feb. 1, 2023, 9:30 a.m.

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