LAPD's first chief and its latest chief. Photos courtesy of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles Rangers (Volunteer California State Militia Company) - 1853-1857
Alexander W. Hope, Captain, Commanding
Los Angeles Guards (Volunteer California State Militia Company) - 1853-1880
John O. Wheeler, Captain, Commanding
Los Angeles City Guards (Volunteer California State Militia Company) - 1855-1861
William W. Twist, Captain, Commanding, 1855
W.W. Moore, Captain, Commanding, 1856
Los Angeles City Marshal - William C. Warren (1), 1865-1870
| Chief | Period in Office |
|---|---|
| Jacob F. Gerkins (2) | 1876-1877 |
| Emil Harris (3) | 1877-1878 |
| Henry King | 1878-1880 |
| George E. Gard (4) | 1880-1881 |
| Henry King | 1881-1883 |
| Thomas J. Cuddy | 1883-1885 |
| Edward McCarthy | 1885 (Jan-May) |
| John Horner | 1885 (May-Dec) |
| James W. Davis | 1885-1886 |
| John K. Skinner | 1886-1887 |
| P. M. Darcy | 1887-1888 |
| Thomas J. Cuddy | 1888 (Jan-Sep) |
| L. G. Loomis | 1888 (Sep) |
| Hubert H. Benedict | 1888-1889 |
| Terrence Cooney | 1889 (Jan-Apr) |
| James E. Burns | 1889 (Apr-Jul) |
| John M . Glass | 1889-1900 |
| Charles Elton | 1900-1904 |
| William A. Hammell (5) | 1904-1905 |
| Walter H. Auble | 1905-1906 |
| Edward Kern | 1906-1909 |
| Thomas Broadhead | 1909 (Jan-Apr) |
| Edward F. Dishman | 1909-1910 |
| Alexander Galloway | 1910 (Feb-Dec) |
| Charles E. Sebastian | 1911-1915 |
| Clarence E. Snively | 1915-1916 |
| John L. Butler | 1916-1919 |
| George K. Home | 1919-1920 |
| Alexander W. Murray | 1920 (Oct) |
| Lyle Pendegast | 1920-1921 |
| Charles A. Jones | 1921-1922 |
| James W. Everington | 1922 (Jan-Apr) |
| Louis D. Oaks | 1922-1923 |
| August Vollmer (6) | 1923-1924 |
| R. Lee Heath | 1924-1926 |
| James E. Davis | 1926-1929 |
| Roy E. Steckel | 1929-1933 |
| James E. Davis | 1933-1938 |
| D. A. Davidson | 1938-1939 |
| Arthur C. Hohmann | 1939-1941 |
| Clarence B. Horrall | 1941-1949 |
| William A. Worton | 1949-1950 |
| William H. Parker (7) | 1950-1966 |
| Thad F. Brown | 1966-1967 |
| Thomas Reddin | 1967-1969 |
| Roger E. Murdock | 1969 (May-Aug) |
| Edward M. Davis | 1969-1978 |
| Robert F. Rock | 1978 (Jan-Mar) |
| Daryl F. Gates | 1978-1992 |
| Willie L. Williams (8) | 1992-1997 |
| Bayan Lewis | 1997 (May-Aug) |
| Bernard C. Parks | 1997-2002 |
| Martin H. Pomeroy | 2002 (May-Oct) |
| William J. Bratton | 2002-2009 |
| Michael Downing | 2009 (Nov) |
| Charles L. Beck | 2009-2018 |
| Michael Moore | 2018-2024 |
| Dominic Choi (9) | 2024 (Mar-Nov) |
| James "Jim" McDonnell (10) | 2024-Present |
Source: Los Angeles Police Department
(1) In 1869, William C. Warren (1865-1870), who had been serving as Los Angeles City Marshal since 1865, was authorized a small force of six paid officers, $50 to furnish a police office and $25 per month for rent. He was also expected to serve as city dog catcher and city tax collector. In return, he received 25 percent of all tax receipts collected. The following year, in 1870, Warren found himself in a dispute with one of his deputies, Joe Dye, over a $100 reward for returning a kidnapped Chinese woman who had been taken to San Diego. During a trial related to the kidnapping, Dye shot and killed Warren outside the courthouse at Spring and Temple. Dye went to trial over the death of Warren, but was later acquitted.
(2) Chief Jacob F. Gerkins (1876-1877) was appointed the first Police Chief of Los Angeles after the abolition of the office of the Los Angeles City Marshal. He had previously twice been elected to the LA City Council
(3) Chief Emil Harris (1877-1878) was the only Jewish Chief of Police to serve in Los Angeles. He was also credited with helping to form the city's first volunteer fire department.
(4) Chief George Gard (1880-1881) also served as Sheriff of Los Angeles County.
(5) Chief William A. Hammel (1904-1905) also served twice as Sheriff of Los Angeles County.
(6) Chief August Vollmer (1923-1924) was a significant figure in the development of modern policing in the United States in the early 20th Century. Prior to serving as Chief of the LAPD, he served as the first Chief of the Berkeley Police Department from 1909-1923.
(7) Chief William H. Parker (1950-1966) served 16 years as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, the longest serving Chief of the LAPD.
(8) Chief Willie Williams (1992-1997) had previously served as Police Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department. Chief William Bratton (2002-2009) had served as Police Commissioner for the New York City and Boston Police Departments.
(9) Interim Chief Dominic Choi (2024) became the first Asian American chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. Choi, who had been serving as Assistant Chief since 2021, was the son of Korean immigrants to Los Angeles. He had earned an accounting degree from USC and joined the LAPD in 1995.
