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chief-mcdonnell-bigAfter nearly five months of silence on whether or not he will run for Los Angeles County Sheriff in 2014, Long Beach Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell has announced that he will not be joining the race against incumbent Sheriff Lee Baca next year.

He released the following statement on Tuesday regarding the decision:

Over the last several months, I have weighed the decision on whether to run for LA County Sheriff in the June 2014 election.  The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is a great organization and the potential to lead that agency would be appealing to any law enforcement leader.

After speaking with friends, family and many people knowledgeable about the political demands of a challenge to an incumbent, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for Sheriff in 2014. I am very appreciative and humbled by the level of support and positive input that I have received from so many people over the past few months.

I considered the demands of running for office, in a county as large as this one, from a perspective of both the time required and in raising the substantial funds necessary to be competitive. I believe that I would not be able to focus the proper attention on my family, my duties here at the Long Beach Police Department and other professional responsibilities.

I have spent my entire adult life working to help make the Los Angeles Region a safer place and I feel very privileged and fortunate to lead such an outstanding organization. The men and women of the Long Beach Police Department are a great team of dedicated professionals, who work diligently to keep our community safe.

According to a February L.A. Times story, McDonnell was “tapped by interested parties” while serving on a county commission that last year harshly criticized Baca for his mismanagement of public jails. At the time, McDonnell said he was interested in the position and was discussing it with his family.

McDonnell served 29 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, eventually serving as second in command under Bratton before taking over LBPD in 2010.

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