One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
LAPD commission president steps down in surprise move
Teresa Sánchez-Gordon at the Nov. 4, 2025, meeting of the LAPD Board of Police Commissioners.
(
Martin Romero
/
The LA Local
)
This story first appeared on The LA Local.
The leadership of the Los Angeles Police Commission experienced a significant shakeup Tuesday during a regularly scheduled meeting, when it was announced that Teresa Sánchez-Gordon had stepped down as president of the police oversight body.
Rasha Gerges Shields was appointed the commission’s new president, and Daniel Tabor was appointed vice president soon after the announcement. Sánchez-Gordon was not present at the meeting.
Shields announced that Sánchez-Gordon would be stepping down and added that she would be playing some continued role on the commission, but did not provide further details before the group went into closed session. A spokesperson for the commission said that Sánchez-Gordon would continue to serve as a commissioner.
“Thank you and I look forward to serving all of you in the community in this role,” Shields said after being appointed president.
-
Populations of two disease-carrying mosquito species are concerning public health officials, who are employing new strategies to reduce their populations. -
The inaugural event kicks off Friday, July 24. The crawl includes stores from Pasadena to Santa Monica, from Montrose to Manhattan Beach. -
Recent rulings have struck down requirements in L.A. and Pasadena for landlords to pay thousands of dollars to tenants who couldn’t afford large rent hikes.
The announcement came as a surprise to those present at the meeting. There was no indication on the commission’s agenda or other public forum that the president would be stepping down. The commission’s website was updated with the new titles shortly after the votes.
Sponsored message
Sánchez-Gordon had been serving on the commission since 2024, and was appointed president in late 2025. She has shared her experience as an immigrant who settled in East L.A. as a child and has expressed concern about widespread federal immigration enforcement in the city, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
Erroll Southers preceded Sánchez-Gordon as president of the commission before stepping down last October.
Shields was appointed to the commission in 2023. She has worked both as a federal prosecutor and as a lawyer in private practice.
Tabor was appointed to the commission in January and formerly served as the mayor of the City of Inglewood.
The Los Angeles Police Commission did not immediately respond to request for comment. This story will be updated if it does.
LA Documenter Martin Romero contributed reporting for this piece from the LAPD Board of Police Commission meeting. LA Documenters trains and pays LA residents to take notes at local government meetings around Los Angeles. You can find meeting notes and audio at losangeles.documenters.org
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
