LA County Sheriff Robert Luna Starts His Term Today

Los Angeles County officially has a new sheriff. Former Long Beach police chief Robert Luna was sworn in over the weekend after defeating incumbent Alex Villanueva in the November election. His new term officially begins at noon today.

What The New Sheriff Is Promising

During Saturday’s ceremony Luna promised his department would be guided by three key principles: Integrity, accountability, and collaboration. “If we embrace these three principles, I know we can be in a better place tomorrow than where we are today,” Luna said. “I'm very optimistic about the future of this department.”

Robert Luna is sworn in as the 34th Los Angeles Sheriff by the Honorable Samantha Jersey, Presiding Judge-elect of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County.

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Brian Feinzimer

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Luna takes over the Sheriff’s Department after a tumultuous four years of mismanagement by Villanueva. Villanueva was elected four years ago as a reformer but soon started rolling back discipline measures put in place by his predecessor and taking other troubling actions like rehiring a deputy who had been fired after allegations of domestic violence and lying to investigators.

Villanueva fought with other county agencies like the Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, refusing to testify to the latter for its probe into deputy gangs.

In contrast, Luna has pledged to collaborate with all agencies and to eliminate deputy gangs. Luna hails from a traditional law enforcement background but has promised a “180-degree difference” from Villanueva. My colleagues Frank Stoltze and Emily Dugdale have some additional insights here.

At the ceremony this weekend, Luna promised new strategies to address homelessness, repair relationships with the community, and modernize the Sheriff's Department overall. He said:

It’s a crucial time for the department, as Frank has reported. The LASD is under investigation by the California Attorney General for alleged civil rights violations, including excessive use of force and those aforementioned deputy gangs.

Frank, in an interview last Friday with our newsroom's All Things Considered afternoon show, which airs on 89.3 KPCC, said that because Luna will likely have better relationships with the supervisors and other county agencies, it could mean more funding and other resources to do his job. One of the biggest challenges will be to earn the trust of the department’s deputies, who mostly supported Villanueva in the election and who don’t like outsiders coming in and “running their department.”

Lastly, and hardly least, Frank said, Luna faces an increasing crime rate, something law enforcement leaders are struggling with across the country.

As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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The Top Three Tea-Sipping Trends

How To LA podcast host Brian De Los Santos and newsletter writer Aaricka Washington pose for a picture together at the 42nd CicLAvia in South Los Angeles on Dec. 4, 2022.

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Megan Botel

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THREE —  Baby, Keke Palmer is Having a Baby. 

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