LOS ANGELES (CN) - Mayor Eric Garcetti selected Michel Moore to head the Los Angeles Police Department Monday, a veteran of the force and a crime statistics expert who says he wants to build trust between police and communities.
At a crowded press room in the mayor’s office, Garcetti described Moore, 54, as "one of if not the most qualified law enforcement professional in America” who doesn’t need to hit the ground running because “he is already running.”
The mayor told reporters he’d only made his decision early Monday and called Moore shortly after to offer him the position.
Moore - who was passed up for the same job back when he applied in 2009 - said he wants to build on the accountability and technological reforms initiated in recent years by his predecessor Charlie Beck, who is set to retire June 27.
“I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to lead the extraordinary men and women of the [LAPD],” Moore said. “Together, we will do our part to keep the momentum going in reducing crime, enhancing public safety, building the confidence of our communities in this Department.”
Moore choked up as he thanked his wife for her support and again when he looked into the cameras to tell his daughter - who he said is probably watching live on social media from her classroom - he loved her and hoped to make her proud.
Hector Villagra, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said Moore must expand the “humane” policies he has previously developed with the group.
“The new chief must commit himself and the LAPD to working collaboratively with all the communities of Los Angeles to address vital issues including completely disentangling the department from federal immigration enforcement and limiting dragnet surveillance,” Villagra said. “Moore, if confirmed, must also adopt de-escalation policies, reform gang enforcement practices and increase transparency and accountability around officer misconduct.”
When asked about SB 54, the state’s so-called Sanctuary State bill that limits police collaboration and interaction with immigration enforcement agencies, Moore said “the LAPD will respect the dignity” of every resident.
“An individual’s immigration status doesn’t matter to us,” he said. “We will concern ourselves with public safety.”
Garcetti hailed Moore as a reformer and a "rethinker" at the center of the department’s recent challenges.
In recent years, Moore has been at the center of the Los Angeles Police Department challenges around police shootings, immigration and corruption. He took over the reins at the Rampart Community Police Station after a corruption scandal overshadowed the force in the 1990s.
Moore said he wanted LAPD personnel to know they could “step forward” to address challenges in policing and offer ideas and innovations.
“This organization has an opportunity to reset, reinvigorate and renew,” he said.
LAPD officers have already told him some things he knew and other things that were like “water on my face in the sense of waking me up and saying I need to take a fresh look at this," he said
Garcetti said it was a “stressful time for police officers” who are under more intense scrutiny and for communities of color “who still feel too far of a gap between those who police their communities and those neighborhoods where they live.”
