LAPD chief becomes polarizing figure as Bass and Raman diverge on handling of police

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Set us as preferred In the race to become L.A.’s next mayor, the city’s top cop — LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell — has become a lightning rod for debate.The two candidates — incumbent Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman — have staked out differing positions about how the Los Angeles Police Department has performed under McDonnell.Raman has vowed to replace McDonnell, saying he has not “met the moment” given the department’s response to federal immigration raids.Bass has publicly backed the chief she hired two years ago, saying the LAPD could be thrown into disarray if McDonnell is removed before the 2028 Olympic Games.Raman’s potential ouster of McDonnell and desire to push reforms on the LAPD has pitted her against the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the powerful union for rank-and-file officers that campaigned against Bass during her first election but is now backing her.

The union has poured millions of dollars into attack ads against Raman, who has said she declined contributions from the organization in the past.California The rise of multimillion-dollar “nuclear verdicts” involving the Los Angeles Police Department has caused payouts over officer misconduct, traffic accidents and workplace discrimination to soar in recent years, according to a Times analysis of data from the city attorney’s office.In an op-ed published in the Protective League’s monthly magazine earlier this year, union president Richard Mendoza called the Democratic Socialists of America, which has endorsed Raman, an “imminent threat to our members.”Last week, Raman faced criticism for an Instagram video in which she appeared to slam McDonnell and the mayor, saying at one point “only you can stop fascist liars.” She later denied that she was referring to Bass or McDonnell, saying her remarks were impro...