Los Angeles Police Department has an Asian-American chief for the first time
- Dominic Choi will head force in America’s second-largest city for at least six months
- ‘Proud’ Korean-American vowed to ‘represent all communities within this city’
An Asian-American assistant chief was named interim chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, taking charge of a force that mostly has been led by white men.
Assistant Chief Dominic Choi was unanimously appointed by the civilian Board of Police Commissioners. Choi, the son of Korean immigrants, will be the first Asian-American to head the agency when he begins his role on March 1.
The appointment follows the surprise retirement of Chief Michel Moore, whose tenure was marked by greater scrutiny into excessive force and police killings of civilians in the nation’s second-largest city. Choi said he has never used deadly force during his 28 years as an officer.
Choi will be the interim chief as the mayor and police commission spend the next six to nine months searching for a permanent replacement – among the LAPD’s ranks and nationwide – to head up the department of nearly 9,000 officers during the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
Moore will stay on as a consultant for an unspecified period of time. He had pledged during his tenure to increase diversity within the department.
As of January 14, the latest figures, the agency is comprised of 8,975 sworn personnel: 54 per cent are of Hispanic descent, 25 per cent are white, nearly 9 per cent are black officers and 8 per cent are Asian-American.