Mayor Bass says LAPD officers are 'down in the dumps'

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tells KNX News that serious morale problems within the Los Angeles Police Department heavily influenced her pick for the department's next chief.

She says they are issues that former L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell will be uniquely qualified to fix--- if he officially becomes chief .

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Mayor Bass had the shortlist of three finalists from the Board of Police Commissioners for several weeks before she decided on McDonnell , and now we know why it took so long.

She tells KNX News' Craig Fiegener that she spent an exhaustive amount of time with rank-and-file officers "Because if I was going to make a selection that significant, I certainly needed to deepen my understanding of the department."

The Mayor said, "The way I believe you should make decisions, especially policy decisions, is you work with the people who are the most impacted by it. And the officers were certainly at the table."

She listened to officers from 19 of the department's 21 stations and, to her surprise, learned that the morale issues were not just about the public's perception of policing as she expected.

Bass discovered many internal issues in the police department have contributed to low morale. "If the police officers are down in the dumps, then how do you expect their interactions with communities to be positive?"

According to Mayor Bass, if approved, McDonnell will have two main areas of focus: morale and officer wellness.

As for McDonnell's confirmation, he still has to appear before a public safety committee and a big hearing before the entire 15-member city council. He will need 8 YES votes during the hearing, which could happen as early as next week, if not very likely next month.

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