Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass swore in Dominic Choi as interim chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Friday morning.
Choi was joined by his wife and three daughters for the ceremony, which took place at the Police Administration Building in Downtown Los Angeles.
The 28-year LAPD veteran became the 58th Chief of Police for the City of Los Angeles and is the first Korean American to assume the role
“It’s not just about breaking barriers … it’s really about building bridges. It’s about this great department, this great city,” Choi said during the ceremony.
During his tenure with the LAPD, Choi has served as a commander, deputy chief of an operational bureau and chief of staff to Chief Michel Moore.
Mayor Bass said during the ceremony that Choi had no plans to enter the race for the permanent position of chief.
“I asked you why you didn’t want to be the permanent chief,” Bass said. “And you said ‘it wasn’t about titles, it was about service.’ To me, that is exactly what we need in a leader.”
Mayor Bass and the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners are expected to spend the next six to nine months conducting a nationwide search to find a permanent replacement for Moore, who was honored on his last day with the department Thursday.
The veteran L.A. police chief exited the downtown headquarters to an Honor Cordon, considered one of the department’s highest tributes.