Thursday marks LAPD Chief Michel Moore's final day leading the Los Angeles Police Department.
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He spoke with KNX News' Craig Fiegener before being honored at the start of Wednesday's Los Angeles City Council meeting.
Moore said that while he is feeling immense gratitude and a strong sense of pride for his four-plus decades of service to the community, he is looking forward to a new adventure.
He said his retirement offers an opportunity to now, "Focus on my daughter and my wife for that next chapter of our life, so there's excitement there as well."
The long-time lawman had some advice for anyone interested in a career with the LAPD, saying, "There is no other profession that is more rewarding than to be a police officer. It's a challenging one. It's one that has its critics, but I would do this in a moment if given an opportunity to do it all over again."
His comment about critics unfolded during the city council meeting, where a protestor was removed from city hall for aggressively yelling grievances at the outgoing chief.
As the interim Chief, Dominic Choi, steps up to take the rein, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass shared with KNX News how the search for a permanent replacement is going.
"We're beginning the community conversations. I've been going to different stations for roll calls, asking the officers what they want to see, not who, but what they want to see in the next chief," said Bass.
She said all the information compiled from these meetings would be handed over to a search team so that when they're out looking for a chief, "They would already have the input of Angelenos from many different sectors and points of view."
While many have speculated that the process could take nine months, Bass is hopeful they will find the right person within the summer, saying, "I want that new chief to have enough tenure before we move into these major events like the World Cup in 2026."
You can tune in to KNX News for an on-air in-depth special with Chief Moore and the interim Chief Dominic Choi, set to air Thursday at 6 PM and again at 8 PM.
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