After a bruising election battle, Los Angeles’ political rivals are making an effort to move past their campaign clashes.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and Mayor-elect Nithya Raman have begun repairing their relationship, with the two arranging an afternoon meeting Thursday to get to know each other better.
McDonnell told the California Post that he and Raman were already in regular contact about police operations—just weeks after Raman appeared in a campaign video describing the chief and police officers generally as “fascist liars.”
The controversial video, filmed with left-wing influencer Ed Choi, showed images of McDonnell and outgoing Mayor Karen Bass beside the slogan, “Only you can stop fascist liars.”
Raman later denied referring to either official as a fascist liar.
Since defeating Bass earlier this month, however, the 45-year-old city councilwoman—and Los Angeles’ first mayor-elect backed by the Democratic Socialists of America—has adopted a more conciliatory tone. Her approach suggests McDonnell could still remain in his position.
McDonnell, speaking before Thursday’s meeting, said he would not be “begging for his job.”
“I’m a fairly known quantity to the mayor-elect,” said McDonnell, 67, who joined the LAPD in 1981—the same year Raman was born.
“So it’s not going to be a job interview as much as it is: ‘Where are we in alignment? What can we do to be able to come into further alignment?’”
“Our role, as the police, is to help familiarize the mayor-elect with what we’re currently doing.”
McDonnell said he and Raman had already spoken several times about emergencies facing Los Angeles, characterizing their discussions as “very strong and positive.”
“I’m very encouraged by that,” he added.
McDonnell said he wants to keep his post and sees grounds for optimism in his conversations with Raman, who has repeatedly avoided saying whether she still intends to remove him or who could replace him.
“As far as being able to tout the work of the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department, I look at our numbers—the metrics that you generally judge a police department by,” McDonnell said.
“Crime is down this year, 9.2%. Homicides are down 10.3% after last year, bringing them to the lowest level since 1966.”
CONTINUE READING: California Residents Denounce New Reservoir Plans as ‘Cultural Genocide’
The apparent cooperation marks a dramatic shift from the campaign, when Raman accused McDonnell of losing the trust of Los Angeles’ immigrant community because of his handling of federal immigration raids and protests.
She also alleged that the LAPD had secretly shared sensitive information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, potentially exposing undocumented immigrants to danger.
“There have been reports, credible reports, that LAPD has actually shared information with ICE, including information from our fingerprint databases and through Flock cameras,” she said.
McDonnell has categorically rejected those claims, maintaining that state and city laws prohibit the department from assisting federal immigration enforcement.
The chief also responded sharply to Raman’s criticism of the LAPD’s handling of last year’s violent anti-ICE protests, pointing to his own presence on the streets during the unrest.
“I was out there,” McDonnell told the Post, in a pointed reference to Raman, who faced criticism for attending a happy-hour gathering while the protests were taking place.
“I don’t know that people who are criticizing us were anywhere near there.”
“It’s ugly,” he said of the attacks. “Some people take it to an extreme and do things they can’t take back later.”
That hostility, however, appears to have eased since Raman won the election.
Last week, she said McDonnell was one of the first people she contacted after her victory because “public safety is the most important service that the city is delivering to its people.”
Raman has nevertheless pledged a sweeping police overhaul. Her first 100-day public safety plan calls for hiring more 911 operators, expanding unarmed crisis-response teams and auditing LAPD compliance with the city’s sanctuary law.
McDonnell, meanwhile, has emphasized the value of steady leadership as crime continues to decline and Los Angeles prepares for major events, including the 2027 Super Bowl in nearby Inglewood and the 2028 Olympics.
Even if the pair’s newly improved relationship deteriorates, Raman cannot remove McDonnell on her own.
Under the city charter, the five-member Board of Police Commissioners can remove the chief before his term expires, subject to review procedures involving the mayor and City Council.
The City Council can also oust him directly, but only after securing a two-thirds vote to begin removal proceedings and a second two-thirds vote following a public hearing.
