LAPD Chief Michel Moore to retire at end of February

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore announced Friday he will retire from the department at the end of February.

A 40-year veteran of the department, Moore was appointed last year to serve a second five-year term leading the agency, but he made it clear he did not intend to serve the entirety of that term, saying the LAPD should have fresh leadership well ahead of the city playing host to major events such as the 2028 Olympic Games and the 2026 World Cup.

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.

He has served as LAPD chief since 2018 when he was appointed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Mayor Karen Bass said Moore will remain contracted with the city following his retirement to help with the transition to a new chief.

Moore got emotional at times as he announced his retirement during a news conference with Bass at the mayor’s office at City Hall. He said he looks forward to spending more time with his wife and daughter, returning to “our custom of Sunday night dinners and time together.”

“For the people of Los Angeles who I’ve dedicated more than four decades of my life, thank you for your partnership, your support and your encouragement,” Moore said. “To every member of this department past and present, I’m proud of you and the work you do each day in protecting and serving the people of this great city. I have traveled this world and this great country and hold with certainty that there is no one who does it better.

“There are many challenges and difficulties that remain, but your work and the people of our organization in these past years in the most trying of circumstances have been remarkable. And I am grateful for having the opportunity to tell your story. I’m humbled to have had the privilege to serve as your chief and will forever cherish the challenges and successes enjoyed while remembering those we lost in service to the city.

“… The future of this city is bright and I’ll miss sharing it with you, but I also know in my heart that now is the right time.”

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