The California Police Chiefs Association’s Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday to endorse Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell in his run for Los Angeles County Sheriff, the second regional law enforcement trade group to do so.
Last week, the L.A. County Police Chiefs’ Association announced their endorsement for McDonnell, who is a past president of the association and has more than 30 years of experience on forces in the County.
“Jim has experience in serving as second in command of the largest police department in the state as well as serving as the chief in another major city in California,” said Covina Police Chief Kim Raney, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, “and his experience more than qualifies him to lead the largest law enforcement agency in the state.”
McDonnell served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 29 years, eventually serving as second in command under Chief William Bratton before taking over Long Beach Police Department in 2010.
When former sheriff Lee Baca announced his early retirement January 7, McDonnell’s name was thrown into a list of potential replacements, with Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert publicly stating his support for the chief.
“I’ve worked closely with Chief McDonnell and seen him do well under pressure,” Haubert said the same day of Baca’s announcement. “He is the type of leader who can make a tough decision and still retain the respect of his officers. L.A. County Sheriff is a difficult job, and only someone with Chief McDonnell’s experience and leadership skills could do it well.”
McDonnell announced his candidacy for sheriff January 13. Baca’s last day in office was last week.
Former Orange County undersheriff John Scott is currently serving as interim sheriff.
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