Jim McDonnell

James McDonnell (born August 26, 1959) is an American law enforcement officer who has been the 59th Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department since November 8, 2024.

He is the former sheriff and head of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the largest in the US, having been elected as L.A. County's 32nd sheriff on November 4, 2014, defeating former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka. He replaced interim Sheriff John Scott on December 1, 2014. Scott replaced former Sheriff Lee Baca (who was also in federal prison). McDonnell was defeated for re-election as Sheriff in 2018 by Alex Villanueva.

Previously, McDonnell served as the Chief of Police in Long Beach, California from 2010–2014, and before that, he had served in various positions in the Los Angeles Police Department from 1981–2010, including First Assistant Chief, the second-highest position in the department.

Early life and education McDonnell grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Brookline, Massachusetts. He graduated from Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he received a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice. He then received a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from the University of Southern California. While at the LAPD McDonnell was viewed as an ambassador who helped the department connect with Los Angeles' diverse communities and political leaders as Bratton's chief of staff and second-in-command. During his tenure, the June 2025 Los Angeles protests occurred and resulted in over 400 arrests and the California National Guard being deployed.

LBPD After losing the LAPD Chief's job to Charlie Beck, McDonnell in March 2010 was appointed as the police chief of Long Beach, California, replacing former Chief Anthony Batts, who left to become the chief of the Oakland Police Department. This occurred over objections by some in the department who preferred a chief from within the Long Beach Police Department and, indeed, a career LBPD officer would succeed McDonnell. As police chief, McDonnell oversaw a large increase in officer-involved shootings and a 20% decrease in sworn officers from 1,000 to 800.

Violent crime also fell during McDonnell's tenure and he has received credit for improving community relations with the police, reducing gang activity, and trying to improve racial diversity in the department. Luna was considered a frontrunner for the position before McDonnell was appointed and became the department's first Latino police chief. who in turn would lose a 2022 reelection bid to Robert Luna, who had been McDonnell's successor as Long Beach police chief.

November 2014

Dates of rank centerPolice Officer IJune 29, 1981No rank insignia, badge shown.

Policies

In January 2026, McDonnell announced that he plans to override state and local bans forbidding federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks.

Personal life McDonnell is married to Kathy McDonnell. They have two daughters.