Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore announced Jan. 12 that he will be retiring early at the end of February. USC experts said they expect the next chief to lead the department similarly to Moore as the LAPD prepares for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games.

Last year, the LAPD Board of Police Commissioners reappointed Moore as police chief for a second five-year term. In a press conference hosted with Mayor Karen Bass, Moore said he will be stepping down to spend more time with his family and move closer to his daughter.

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“I mean to shift my focus to those most important in my life and dedicate my time and my passion to them,” Moore said.

A month before Moore announced his retirement, two detectives in the LAPD’s Internal Affairs Division filed complaints with the Office of Inspector General, alleging Moore ordered them to investigate a scholarship Bass received to USC’s master’s in public administration program. Moore denied knowledge of the alleged investigation.

After he steps down, Moore will remain on contract to serve as a consultant to assist the unmanned interim chief for an unspecified time period, Bass said in a Jan. 12 press conference. Bass did not name a successor for Moore but said a “nationwide search” will be conducted for the next LAPD chief. 

Bass wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the search will “include significant community input and consultation with law enforcement officers and experts.” Any candidates for police chief appointed by Bass will also require the approval of the Police Commission and the Los Angeles City Council.

After 42 years of service with the LAPD, Moore was elected police chief by former Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2018. During his administration, Moore navigated the LAPD through the protests against police brutality in the summer of 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic.

“The LAPD has returned, in my opinion, to the shining star that it used to be years ago and that’s where we were headed. So, the loss of Chief Moore will be felt,” said George Newhouse, an adjunct professor of the practice of political science and international relations. “It’s going to be very difficult to find someone of his temperament, his leadership and his connections to the community.”

Newhouse said previous experience in law enforcement will be a key determining factor in selecting the next police chief.

“My prediction [for the next chief] is a police chief in another large metropolitan area. It could be someone who’s running the sheriff’s department,” Newhouse said. “Federal agents rarely make that transition to local law enforcement. So, it will be someone probably out of state but with significant law enforcement experience.”

Jody Armour, a professor of law, said he hopes the new chief will usher in prevention-focused changes for the LAPD. Armour, who advocates for slowing the expansion of the police force, said the LAPD should be deemphasizing police duties, such as pretextual stops — the practice of stopping drivers for minor traffic violations with the intention of searching the car for higher-level crimes — and traffic enforcement. 

Instead, Armour said he’d like to see more investment into social support programs, such as education, mental health support, healthcare and job programs.

“This might be a golden opportunity. We have a department that has a paramilitary history,” Armour said. “It’d be real salutary if the new police chief really changed the course of the department and made it a model for how we can approach safety in ways that are more respectful to citizens and less costly to our city budget.”

Despite his hopes, Armour is doubtful the next chief will implement major reform, such as decreasing the police force’s size, given upcoming large-scale sport events in L.A. and Moore’s focus on increasing the police force.

“I regret to honestly predict that it will be more of the same continuation because Mayor Bass has demonstrated risk averseness when it comes to policing matters and striking out in new directions,” Armour said. “We have the Olympics coming up in 2028 and the World Cup coming up in 2026. There’s going to be a call for greater police presence.”

Bass praised Moore during the conference for increasing police recruitment and decreasing violent crimes, while stressing the importance of having an experienced chief for the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games.

“You can’t have a brand new chief at the same time as these world events are taking place. You need to get somebody in advance so they can get their sea legs and manage the department, even if that’s an internal candidate,” Bass said. “I’m certainly not closed [to an internal candidate] and neither is the police commission.”

After holding a special closed-session meeting to discuss appointing an interim chief of police last Friday, the  Board of Police Commissioners announced that no action in selecting an interim chief of police was taken.