Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti named Michel Moore, a 36-year police department veteran known for his mastery of subjects including crime statistics and budgets, to be the city’s next police chief, succeeding Charlie Beck, the Los Angeles Times reports. For Garcetti, who is contemplating a run for president, Moore offers the security of a proved administrator who has headed every major branch of the department. The choice disappointed some who had hoped Garcetti would appoint the city’s first Latino police chief. Garcetti described Moore as “one of, if not the most, qualified law enforcement professionals in America, acknowledged by everyone for his exceptional intelligence.” Garcetti added, “I’ve seen his work personally. No one works harder. No one reads more. And no one has a greater breadth of experience.”
Moore, 57, who runs patrol operations, was one of three finalists chosen by the civilian Police Commission from a field of 31 applicants to lead one of the nation’s largest police departments. Moore said, “I wish to continue the momentum in building trust, particularly in communities of color, and improving public safety.” He also wants to make the department “more diverse and representative.” The other finalists were Deputy Chief Robert Arcos and Bill Scott, who left Los Angeles 1 ½ years ago to lead the troubled San Francisco Police Department. Arcos, a third-generation Mexican American, had the backing of some powerful Latino civic leaders. Of the three, Moore has the most experience at the department’s highest echelons. Moore must still be confirmed by the City Council. Garcetti said he was not “looking to fill a demographic or to make history …I wanted the best person for the job, and that was Mike Moore.”