In a rare opportunity to examine both the past and future of policing in Los Angeles, KNX News Chief Correspondent Charles Feldman sat down with outgoing LAPD Chief Michel Moore and incoming Interim Chief Dominic Choi for an In-Depth Special.
With Interim Chief Choi taking himself out of the running for consideration as the next LAPD Chief, the city embarks on a comprehensive search effort that will include internal and external candidates.
From the struggles of reforming LAPD practices over decades to discussing how the department might receive a fresh face from outside Los Angeles, KNX News gets rarely-heard perspectives from two men tasked with running the third-largest police force in the United States.
After 43 years with the LAPD, what is your most prominent thought as you leave the department?
Chief Moore: "Pride in the men and women of this organization. They come to work, they continue to come to work each day regardless of the circumstances, turmoil, chaos, or calm waters, and they come to do their best.
What I see every day is that dedication, that sacrifice, their great work, and makes me proud to be a member of this organization."
When you started with the LAPD, was your goal to one day become chief?
Moore: "Not at all. I'm the first person and the only person in my family in law enforcement or even in public service. I came on the job at 21 years of age to make a difference; really, as a believer, a Christian myself, I thought I was here for something more than just to be a CPA or to have a well-paying job.
I wanted to have something that made a difference in people's lives, that I could contribute to a life for a purpose...And it has delivered on that tenfold."
When you started 28 years ago with the LAPD, did you think of leading the department?
Interim Chief Dominic Choi: "Absolutely not. Before coming on LAPD, I was an accountant, and I never dreamed of being a police officer quite frankly, growing up. But I did, at a certain point in my life, decide to make a career choice change."
My brother actually handed me the number to LAPD's hiring - I called it that week, I went down to take the test - five months later, I was in the academy."
That's quite a leap - from accountant to police.
Choi: "Well, first of all, I didn't enjoy accounting, and second of all, I wanted to do something more meaningful, more valuable with my time.
I was young. I had a lot of energy, and this was perfect for me. I haven't looked back. I don't regret a day of changing careers, and this has been beyond what I could have imagined as far as rewarding and being able to help people."
You've known each other for more than a decade. So, Chief Moore, is Dominic Choi the right person to take your place?
Moore: "1000%. Because of his ability to be a team builder, to be a communicator. He is approachable, he has a heart of service, he's genuine, he cares about the men and women of this organization, he cares about the people of Los Angeles...He's a person with unflappable integrity.
I'm proud of the board of police commissioners who sought out, with my announcement, an important task... They drew interest from both inside and outside [the department]...and I'm grateful that they did because I think they challenged the commission to really consider and evaluate who, at this point in time, is best suited for this position to continue to move this department forward. To not just be a placeholder, not to be someone who's going to have us go into neutral, but is going to continue to take on the critical task of protecting a city of 4 million."
As interim chief, are there things you want to change within the department?
Choi: "I grew up in the organization. We have strategic plan initiatives that we move forward in all parts of policing, from crime fighting to community engagement to technology. But I was part of developing those initiatives with Chief Moore so, to say that I want to come in and change everything, not only would it be hypocritical, but it's not accurate.
I believe in those initiatives. I think we have a great strategic plan. It goes out to 2025 and beyond; it's a living document that changes and morphs as things change in the environment, in the community, and what have you.
I'm not here to change a lot of things. What I'm here to do is make sure that we stay on course, that those initiatives that were developed...and that we continue to, quite frankly, fight crime, build our community engagement, build public trust, increase employee wellness and morale."
Chief Moore, do you plan to stay on as a consultant?
Moore: "I'm not in a consultant agreement yet, but you know I'm very supportive of entering whatever agreement with the city is needed or desired.
I am here to help and support him, to support Mayor Bass, to support the board of police commissioners. But what Angelinos can trust is that the mayor, this board of police commissioners - they've chosen well of a person who has the best insight and knowledge.
There is no one better suited to take the playbook that we're in the midst of in the sixth inning and move forward."
Interim Chief Dominic Choi, do you want Chief Moore to stay as a consultant?
Choi: "Absolutely."
With a glowing endorsement like the one Chief Moore gave, why disqualify yourself from permanently taking the job?
Choi: "As I said before, it was a personal decision; even before the opportunity was there, it was a personal decision for me.
I have a timeline that I've set with my family and my wife on when I would be departing the city, and I want to stay true to that.
If you get to know me, when I'm into something, I'm 110% in. So it wouldn't be a one-term deal for me. I would want to go for a second term, and I just can't give that commitment of 10 years at this point in my life.
And by the way, after this interim position, I'm still going to stay with the department in whatever capacity they'll have me until my internal timeline that I've committed with expires."
Should the permanent chief come from within LAPD or without?
Moore: "It's my sincere hope that the next chief of police for the Los Angeles Police Department would be someone who is from within the organization or at least recently been a successful member of this organization.
It's history is rich with both successes as well as shortcomings, and I think that an internal candidate is best suited.
Now, having said that I think the reality of the matter is...Chief Willie Williams was the first external chief following Daryl Gates... I'll say that the organization did not treat him well. There was a cultural resistance to it.
At the same time, Chief Parks, Chief Beck, and myself, as internal candidates, had our own challenges because we are internal. So, there's no perfect scenario.
At the end of the day, that's not going to be my responsibility, it's going to take the board of police commissioners to really understand what are Angelinos looking for. Not who, what are they looking for - then solicit across the country.
I suspect maybe an international flavor may actually... step forward."
Wouldn't there be great resistance to that within the LAPD?
Moore: "What I'm saying is people can apply from wherever they come from. And I'm suggesting this is an iconic agency and an absolute capstone position for people to aspire to. And so I fully expect that there'll be outside candidates.
Extended and unedited: The full In Depth interview with LAPD Chief Moore & Interim Chief Choi
What do you say to people like civil rights activist Connie Rice who believe Choi was the 'safe' choice? Is she right?
Moore: "No.
This is an organization that will forever be on this pursuit of building trust and building productive relationships with communities, of living up to our core values of living out our motto. And we're never going to get there. We're always going to be in that pursuit.
We're not in the same spot from where we were a year ago, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 years ago, but we're in a better spot.
To say that the organization is broken, to say the organization is hiding or obscuring things from the public view is not a reality with what the LAPD is today. It may have been in her experience 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, which is how far her experience goes - but she's not in the conversations today.
But I understand her criticism and I understand her criticism that here's an insider that she views the organization in much more critical and costing manner than I do. It's fair for her perspective and it's her perspective alone. It's not mine, and I don't think it's the vast majority of Angelinos."
How do you view the criticism, Choi?
Choi: "I don't know if constructive would be the right term, but I don't take it as offensive or a hit on me, and I don't think she meant [offense].
Let me just address this. If a door needs to be kicked open, I will kick it.
I have no problems addressing anything that needs to be addressed organizationally, externally, or internally. I just want everyone to know that and have confidence in that.
What I don't want to do is create an environment where everything's turned upside down, where people are shifting organizational changes, and then you have a new chief that comes in that may not see eye to eye with what I have and then they do it again."
Chief Moore, in your view, what was the best advice you gave Interim Chief Choi?
Moore: "Well, there is a bit of a custom with Chiefs as they go from one to the next - 10 suggestions, if you will. I have that prepared for Chief Choi, it'll be in his desk.
The first one is something of, you know, you're no smarter, you're no wiser, and you're no funnier than you were yesterday.
And the last one is, if things don't work right - blame me, recognizing that, you know, use it frequently as needed, but it has a diminishing return over time.
Those are two factors that Chief Beck passed on to me, I don't know where he got his rules from, but, I'm passing those on as well as some other customs as we do this transition."
Other than the 10 things Chief Moore will leave in the desk, what has he told you so far that you think has been valuable?
Choi: "I've learned so much from this man. He's led an organization during the toughest times in policing, and I know my almost 30 years is not close to his 42 years, but I've been around for a little bit and, by far, in my experience, the last 56 years has been the most challenging in policing, not just here in the city, but nationwide, if not worldwide.
He's done that with grace, passion, and commitment. Just watching him, I've learned so much, but from a practical standpoint of what things he'd said or told me, I've said this publicly before:
As a young lieutenant, everybody wants to make captain and the next level, right? And sometimes, Chief refers to this as 'silly season.' People start to talk and get in camps and try and figure out how they're going to promote quicker.
He said, hey, don't get involved in that stuff. Keep your head down. Don't worry about the next step. Just work hard and do a good job at what you do now, and your actions will reward itself.
I've kept that close to me. I've shared it with others, and obviously, it's worked out for me."
Chief Moore's last day in office is Feb. 29, and Choi's first day is set for March 1.
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