With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
LAPD's oversight board to vote on $100k pay bump for police chief nominee
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, right, and newly appointed police chief Jim McDonnell, center, arrive for a news conference in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
(
Jae C. Hong
/
AP
)
The governing body for the Los Angeles Police Department will vote Tuesday on whether to approve an $507,509 annual salary for chief of police nominee Jim McDonnell.
The context: If the L.A. Board of Police Commissioners votes in favor, this would be a significant bump from the current LAPD chief’s salary: Interim police chief Dominic Choi made just under $400,000 in base pay in 2023. The salary for the previous LAPD Chief, Michel Moore, was about the same.
Other department head salaries: McDonnell would not even be close to being the highest-paid L.A. city official: L.A. Department of Water and Power head Janisse Quiñones currently makes $750,000 yearly.
Other law enforcement head salaries: The head of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Robert Luna, currently receives a base salary of $397,340. McDonnell served as L.A. County’s sheriff before being defeated by the controversial former Sheriff Alex Villanueva in 2018. McDonnell’s base salary in 2017, his last full year as sheriff, was $314,178, though he also received about $160,000 in other pay and benefits.
Support for LAist comes from
L.A. elected official salaries: If this change is approved, McDonnell would make about $200,000 more than Mayor Karen Bass. The city can’t increase Bass’s salary directly: The base salaries for the mayor and city council members are tied by law to the annual pay for judges in L.A.’s municipal court.
What's next: Even after McDonnell’s salary is approved, the L.A. City Council will still need to approve his nomination. Bass announced his nomination last month.
How to attend the meeting:
- Location: John W. Mack Police Commission Hearing Room, 100 W. 1st Street,Los Angeles
- Time: 9:30 a.m.
- Virtual attendance
- Zoom Video Conference: https://lapd.zoom.us/s/289225944 | Webinar ID: 289-225-944
- Also accessible via phone (877) 853-5257
Go deeper: Read more about Jim McDonnell’s track record and how people responded to his nomination.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist