Long Beach has its first Latino police chief as Robert Luna was sworn into the post Saturday.
"I'm excited. I'm proud. I'm very humbled and honored," Luna said at the ceremony.
A 29-year-veteran, Luna was most recently deputy police chief. He takes over a force with over 1,200 personnel and a reputation for officer-involved shootings -- most recently Friday, Luna's first day in charge of the department.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to give back and serve the community that has given so much to me," Luna said in a press release.
Luna replaces Jim McDonnell, who was elected Los Angeles County Sheriff Nov. 4 after a nearly uncontested race -- McDonnell's opponent, Paul Tanaka, made few public appearances after narrowly making it past the primary election. Luna has McDonnell's endorsement.
"I've been working closely with Robert Luna. He's a true leader, a man of integrity. Log beach is in good hands," McDonnell said.
Luna was selected to replace McDonnell a week later. He has a degree in state and local government management from Harvard and worked his way up through the Long Beach Police Department, starting as a beat cop.
Jackie Giordano contributed to this report.
