In the more than five years since Michel Moore became police chief of Los Angeles, this city has (along with the rest of the nation) endured a global pandemic, public health shutdowns, protests and riots over the murder of George Floyd, heated debates about the purpose and proper methods of policing, a rise and then fall in homicides, concerns about retail theft.
It's enough for any law enforcement professional, let alone the head of one of the largest cities in the country.
Moore's announcement Friday afternoon that he will resign next month is the right move and gives Mayor Karen Bass the opportunity to reshape public safety in Los Angeles in a way that better serves its people. We can't wait for her to make the most of it.
Shortly after taking office, the mayor began polling Angelenos about their opinions on police, crime and safety. She expects that process to intensify, along with a nationwide search for a new chief befitting a big city and uncertain times.
Bass's first year was devoted, appropriately enough, to addressing homelessness, Los Angeles's number one challenge and an integral part of any public safety program. She hastily repeated Moore for a second term. But the boss said he wouldn't stay for the full five years and it turns out this is the perfect time.
Now Bass should be ready to take on the task, along with all Los Angeles leaders, of protecting the city and making residents feel safe using the right public safety tools: armed officers, unarmed outreach teams, traffic light cameras in red and all the other resources that the civic spirit and creativity of Los Angeles can muster.
Bass is not a mayor who will abolish the police, and thank goodness. But she is a committed police reformer and has dedicated her political career to fighting for a more just, equitable and humane criminal justice system.
It is to Bass' credit that he is seeking the opinion of Angelenos. However, she is the mayor, and ultimately the city will look to her to articulate a vision for the police department's role in the broader landscape of public safety.
