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Interim LAPD Chief Picked To Replace Michel Moore
Assistant LAPD Chief Dominic H. Choi accepts his new role as interim police chief with Mayor Karen Bass on Feb. 7, 2024.
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Frank Stoltze
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LAist
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Assistant LAPD Chief Dominic H. Choi was tapped to be the interim chief of the department on Wednesday, less than a month after outgoing Chief Michel Moore announced his retirement.
“This appointment will continue our work to make Los Angeles safer," L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. "I look forward to working with Interim Chief Choi in the coming months as he provides steady and stable leadership for our police department."
The son of Korean immigrants, Choi has spent more than 28 years with the LAPD and will be the first Asian-American to lead the department. He starts his new role March 1.
"I realize this appointment comes with tremendous, tremendous responsibility," Choi said at a news conference inside City Hall.
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Choi, who was unanimously approved by the police commission, said he planned to focus on training, employee mental wellness, to be better prepared for public demonstrations, and establish a smooth framework for transition when the next chief is picked.
As an interim chief, Choi said he is not in the running for the permanent role. His role is only expected to last around nine months while a nationwide search next chief continues.
Choi also said one of the biggest challenges facing the LAPD is hiring and retaining employees to backfill depleted ranks.
Choi joined the force in 1995 after attending USC. He’s held several positions within the department, including detective, lieutenant and was promoted to deputy chief in 2019. According to his bio page on the LAPD’s website, Choi was born in Los Angeles and currently lives in Orange County.
Outgoing chief Moore, meanwhile, praised Choi's record.
"I have known Dominic for many years and have had the privilege of seeing his accomplished leadership skills and his unbridled commitment to this department in various positions, including as my aid, more than a decade ago," he said.
Moore announced his retirement last month, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. A 42-year veteran of the force, Moore has been LAPD chief since 2018.
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During a recent press conference, Bass commended Moore for efforts to reduce crime in Los Angeles. The city saw a roughly 3% reduction in violent crime in 2023 over the previous year, according to department data.
But under Moore’s tenure, the LAPD was regularly criticized for alleged excessive use-of-force, the botched handling of an illegal fireworks cache that caused an explosion that ripped through a South LA neighborhood and lack of preparedness during the summer protests of 2020.
It will now be up to the police commission to narrow down a list of permanent replacement candidates for Bass to review. For more what that process looks like, go here.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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