Long Beach Police Department’s second-in-command has been chosen to succeed out-going Chief Jim McDonnell.
Deputy Chief Robert Luna, a 29-year veteran of the department, was announced as the new police chief Tuesday morning. Luna will be the city's first Latino chief, and will take over Nov. 21.
"I truly have a passion for this profession, this city, and I absolutely love this police department," Luna said after the announcement.
Luna is one of three deputy chiefs who had been mentioned as candidates for the role.
Luna was also a finalist for the position in 2010 when the city instead hired McDonnell, who went to Long Beach after a career with the Los Angeles Police Department. Long Beach is the second-largest city police force in the county behind LAPD.
Luna joined the force in 1985 as a beat cop, and worked his way up through the ranks. He was most recently in charge of the Patrol Bureau.
McDonnell will soon depart for a new role leading the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
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Luna said he knows that while violent crime in the city is at a 41-year-low, there are community relations challenges ahead.
"People always didn't see the police in a favorable manner, so being around family members who didn't always like the police, that's helped me today to understand some of the communities that we serve," he said.
"So when I talk about really loving the law enforcement profession, it runs through my veins, not because I have family members who have done this but just because it's a childhood dream."
