SEATTLE - A week after being selected as the new Los Angeles police chief, Jim McDonnell was publicly sworn in as L.A's top cop. The City Council confirmed McDonnell's appointment in a 11-2 vote despite dozens of people opposing McDonnell's selection due to his record against immigrants and inmates when he served as L.A. County's sheriff.
Between 2014 and 2018, McDonnell served as the sheriff to the most populous county in the United States. During that time, community activists say he failed to improve conditions inside the Men's Central Jail, as well as failing to rid the department of deputy gangs, but most importantly, they say McDonnell handed over undocumented immigrants in jail to federal agents, concretely to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As dozens of people speaking at the city council meeting criticized McDonnell's appointment, the former LA County sheriff responded to the concerns saying he would not cooperate with ICE.
"I want to be clear to all people of Los Angeles, especially our immigrant community, which is feeling uncertainty and fear: This is a city of immigrants and my job is to serve you," he said during the Nov. 8 meeting.
A few days later, during a ceremony at Elysian Park Academy, north of downtown Los Angeles, McDonnell laid out his priorities within his first 90 days as new police chief and reinforced his commitment to strengthening the public's confidence in the Los Angeles Police Department through what he called "community based innovative policing that prioritizes the needs and concerns of residents."
Despite McDonnell's promises, his appointment is being seen negatively by migrant advocacy groups and activist, citing concerns from the immigrant community in LA regarding McDonnell's past policies when he allowed ICE agents into county jails.
Hugo Soto-Martinez, one of the city council members that voted against McDonnell's appointment, voiced the concerns of many LA residents, saying McDonell's answers to the Public Safety committee showed "a lack of a strong understanding of how immigrant families and many undocumented Angelenos experience the city and policies."
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, chair of the Public Safety Committee, was another one to stress her concerns, saying that "trust is fundamental to the success of making this a safer city."
Although many questions surround McDonnell's appointment, he has made it very clear that LAPD will not be involved in federal immigration sweeps.
"I know that there is a lot of fear in many of our communities relative to comments made about immigration enforcement. The LAPD's role is very clear. We do not engage in immigration enforcement. We're there for everybody in all of our communities."
He added that if LAPD were to assist federal immigration agents, that decision would impact people's willingness to come forward and report crimes. "And to have a safe community, we need all of the community members to be partners," McDonnell said after being sworn in.
Fortunately for McDonnell, he counts with the support of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. During the ceremony, she expressed confidence in McDonnell. "Los Angeles is a city of immigrants, and I trust Jim McDonnell to keep our city safe. He has the skill set and the compassion to build trust with every community and I know he is committed to doing so," Bass said.
According to data from the mayor's office, during McDonnell's term as LA County Sheriff, the community saw a significant drop in the release of inmates to ICE, dropping from 7,842 inmates prior to McDonnell's appointment to just 820 during his term, a 90% decrease.
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