LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF JIM MCDONNELL
Sheriff McDonnell is a Boston native who began his law enforcement career in 1981 as a twenty-two-year-old graduate from the Los Angeles Police Academy. Sheriff McDonnell served for 29 years at the Los Angeles Police Department, where he held every rank from Police Officer to second-in-command under Chief Bill Bratton. During his time at the LAPD, he earned that Department’s highest honor for bravery, the Medal of Valor, and led LAPD through the implementation of significant reforms. He helped create the blueprint for LAPD’s community-based policing efforts that have now become a model for law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. Then for five years, Sheriff McDonnell served as the Chief of the Long Beach Police Department. In that role, he implemented numerous improvements that resulted in safer communities, increased morale, and enhanced community relations.
From his first day on the job as our Sheriff, McDonnell has stressed the importance of treating all members of our community with respect, being transparent with and accountable to the individuals that the LASD serves, and creating an environment that recognizes and rewards character, competence and compassion. He is also a believer in prevention-oriented strategies and dedicated to proactively addressing the root causes of crime — including mental illness, homelessness and the challenges facing youth at risk. He is a proven and respected voice in local, state, and national criminal justice organizations, having served as President of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association, President of the California Peace Officers’ Association, a member (appointed by both Governor Brown and Governor Schwarzenegger) of the California Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards & Training (POST), and a board member of the Peace Officers’ Association of Los Angeles County.