Report details Mayor Bass’ plans for next police chief

Good morning and welcome to LA on Record, City Hall’s newsletter. I’m David Zahnizer, with assistance from my colleague Rebecca Ellis, helping you recap the past week in city and county government.

Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Low The search for a new police chief has been largely quiet, with the company declining to identify finalists and even refusing to say when interviews will take place.

But this week new evidence emerged of his thinking. 15 page report released by his office, outlines what some say they want from the next chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Bass announced this week that he plans to rely on the future document, not just to find a new chief, but as a guide to improving the department. That means the next chief will almost certainly spend a lot of time improving rank-and-file officer morale.

The mayor’s report, based on what he heard from police officers, civic leaders and others, mentioned the word “ethics” 12 times. The document mentions “officer well-being” six times. And it cites rank-and-file concerns about the LAPD’s disciplinary process, its grievance system, high pressure, “inadequate” staffing and levels of support after “major incidents” like officer-involved shootings.

“By focusing on officer well-being and support, the department can increase its overall effectiveness and ensure it maintains a dedicated and motivated workforce focused on public safety,” the report states.

None of this is particularly surprising. Bass himself said a few weeks ago that morale at the LAPD is “very low” and should be a priority for the next chief.

“My problem, of course, is the cooperation of law enforcement with communities. And if morale is really low, it’s very difficult to have positive communication,” he told The Times.

However, some were surprised by the report’s strong focus on officer well-being, especially compared to sections of community leaders and other stakeholders.

Five pages were devoted to LAPD staffing needs, most of which focused on the rank and file. By comparison, input from city councils received one page. Comments from civil rights leaders took up about half a page. Comments from crime survivors filled a paragraph.

Matyos KidaneAn organizer with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, a group that has been highly critical of the department, said she saw “minimal community representation” in the report. The document, Kidan said, only shows the mayor continues to ignore police abuse and “intimidation” of officers.

“I think this just shows where Mayor Bass has invested his interests: the well-being of the police, at the expense of communities facing police violence,” he said.

Times reporters saw the deputy chief Emma Tingirides and Roberto “Bobby” Arcos, The former LAPD deputy chief entered city headquarters on Tuesday. A third finalist, a former Los Angeles County sheriff. Jim McDonnellwho had a long career with the Los Angeles police, is also in the mix.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents about 9,000 officers, declined to say which candidate. But the union welcomed the mayor’s report, saying it showed that “fundamental personnel change” was needed at the command level.

In a statement, the union’s board said the report “clearly shows” the challenges facing the next chief.

“We intend to translate the report’s recommendations into a report card and periodically evaluate the new chief,” the union said. “We hope the mayor will appoint someone with the experience, leadership and vision to earn a passing grade.”

bass speaker Zack SeidlHe said he did not share Kidan’s criticism. Asked about the report’s emphasis on ethics, he said it was “absolutely important that we support officers who risk their lives every day.”

“The opinions and concerns of the officers who wear the badge every day and keep our communities and neighborhoods safe are important in this quest,” Seidl said, “as is input from community organizations, business leaders and faith-based groups.”

Seidl said Bass went to nearly every police department to talk about the chief search, which explains the report’s emphasis on the opinions of LAPD officers. He also argued that the importance of an issue should not be measured “by page length and number of paragraphs.”

According to the mayor’s report, City Council leaders told Bass they want the next mayor to be transparent, have a “strong moral compass” and for officials to de-escalate as much as possible. Civil rights advocates have cited hate crimes and the needs of immigrant communities, including language access. Faith leaders stressed the need to protect the First Amendment.

It’s no surprise that business leaders want to keep their customers and employees safe.

In reference to the 2026 and 2028 World Cups, the perception of the city as dangerous and the negative impact homeless encampments have on communities is being directed at business leaders, especially in light of the major Olympic events looming in Los Angeles.

The next chief is almost certain to be the most important hire of Bass’s first term. He has decided to make his decision before Sept. 30.

Game mode

– Changing of the guard: The session was adjourned Paul Krekorian In a round of praise on Wednesday, his final day as City Council president, he emphasized his efforts to restore order to City Council meetings following the 2022 audio leak scandal on Friday. Marquis Harris-Dawson took on the task, vowing to crack down on hate speech and bad behavior from House audience members. He also plans to focus on homelessness, housing affordability and planning for the 2028 Olympics.

– WORDS OF FIGHT: member of the board Kevin De Leon and tenants rights attorney Isabel Jurado They plan to hold four in-person debates in the run-up to the November 5 election. After the first, it is clear that these will be cruel and destructive plays. The two candidates traded insults and accusations for much of their 90-minute showdown in Lincoln Heights.

– PERES AT THE PORT:The City Council voted Friday to confirm the last mayor to serve on the Board of Port Commissioners: former Assembly Speaker John PerezBass has come under fire in recent weeks for promoting and replacing Perez as port commissioner. Diana Middletona San Pedro resident with deep community ties.

– FOLLOWING THE GANDAS: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has unveiled a long-awaited policy that could allow the agency to fire those who join a “vice squad,” gang or hate group. The policy comes nearly two years after the Sheriff Roberto Luna took office and promised to destroy groups that have troubled the agency.

– A BLASTING FROM THE PAST: City hall signed on the appointment of Krekorian to the new commission for reforming the statutes, which should be convened at the end of this year. One of them is known to spectators of the city building 20 years ago: Ted Steinwho worked on several city commissions: airport, port and planning.

An Encino resident faced intense scrutiny during an investigation into the mayor’s administration’s payroll. James Hahn. In the end, the Ethics Commission, the district attorney’s office and the federal prosecutor concluded their investigations without reporting any wrongdoing by Stein. In 2008, Stein’s attorney claimed his client was “the victim of false rumors and harassment.” The city paid most of Stein’s legal bills.

The council also approved Krekorian’s other option: Mona Squareformer member of the Los Angeles Community College District board of directors. According to her nomination papers, she is a former president of the board of directors of the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles.

– OUTSIDE: California’s state attorney general has filed disciplinary charges against a former top official in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for his role in a scandal at the Department of Water and Power. The official, through his attorney, called the accusation baseless.

– HELP MIGRANTS: Hernandez, an east side councilman, announced a series of measures to help Chinatown residents whose lives were destroyed by the massive fire. According to Hernandez’s group, more than 50 people were displaced by the blaze, which spread to three nearby residential buildings.

– READING PATTERN PRINTS: United Way of Greater Los Angeles, in partnership with two other nonprofits, sent mailers to one million households touting the virtues of Measure A, the Nov. 5 ballot measure aimed at reducing homelessness. Those campaign materials omitted a key fact: Measure A is a half-cent sales tax that would charge shoppers twice as much as its predecessor, which passed nearly a decade ago.

– DESTINATION OF COTTON PRODUCERS’ EDUCATION: Thousands of foster children across California could be uprooted as a result of the statewide insurance crisis. A major insurer that supports the state’s foster care system says it can no longer afford to pay agencies that hire, certify and support foster parents amid a surge in costly sexual assault litigation.

– HOTEL UPPER FLOOR: Plans to build an 18-story building on the 24-story Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City hotel have cleared a major hurdle, winning approval from the city’s Planning Commission. The project, now before the City Council, would expand the site to a total of 890 rooms, placing the Hilton among the largest hotels in Los Angeles.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s anti-homelessness program took place in two locations this week: Wilshire Avenue and Lucas Avenue in Los Angeles’ Westlake neighborhood and 7th Street and Serrano Avenue in Koreatown. The first address is in Hernandez’s district, while the second is represented by a council member. Heather Hutt.
• About next week: The Planning Commission will adopt a series of decisions on Thursday programs and incentives whose aim is to expand the construction of hundreds of thousands of new homes throughout the city.