LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnellwho was sworn in as Los Angeles Police Department chief on Friday, will earn one of the highest police chief salaries in the United States for a major city.

Before the ceremony, the city council approved McDonnell’s $450,000 base salary requested by the L.A. board of police commissioners. This amount is lower than the board’s initial offer of $507,509; That’s an increase of more than $150,000 from the previous chief’s salary.

During the search process, the position’s salary range was determined to be $408,475 to $507,509.

Previous chef Michel Moore explained retirement In January, he earned a base salary of $391,268 in 2023, according to city controller data.

McDonnell, 65, will assume responsibility for a force of approximately 9,000 officers led by Interim Chief Dominic Choi.

The New York Police Department commissioner, who oversees the nation’s largest police department with more than 30,000 officers, earns about $243,000, according to city records for the last two officers. Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling earns $275,748, according to city records posted online.

McDonnell will also earn more than the current L.A. County sheriff’s salary of $397,340, according to county records.

The city council confirmed McDonnell’s appointment Friday by a 10-2 vote, with council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Eunisses Hernandez opposed.

Some criticized the decision to pay McDonnell what they called an “exorbitant” salary while the city council faces budget problems.

“Why not start it at a lower rate? Given the situation the city is in,” police commissioner Maria Lou Calanche said at a meeting Tuesday.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based nonprofit think tank, said West Coast police chiefs generally earn more than their East Coast counterparts, according to a 2021 survey of more than 300 departments nationwide.

And although McDonnell’s salary was $100,000 more than the previous chief’s, he said, Los Angeles has traditionally been among the highest.

“Police officer salaries across the country have been significantly impacted by the large number of resignations and retirements,” Wexler said. “Executive salaries have increased along with the increase in entry-level salaries.”

The $450,000 salary does not include benefits or potential bonuses. McDonnell will also be allowed to continue receiving a pension from his previous positions.

McDonnell said of his compensation: “I was honored to receive what the commission thought the job was worth, I competed for the job, I was lucky enough to be the appointee.” Salary range reflects experience and education.

The vote came at the end of a long and tumultuous period of public comment and questioning from city council members that saw many people kicked out of council chambers. McDonnell’s appointment was fiercely opposed by immigration advocates who said he allowed federal authorities to operate freely and shared information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while he was sheriff.

Service Employees International Union employee Maria Estrada told the council hearing Friday that she remembers when McDonnell was sheriff and co-workers reported crimes against them.

“Some of these co-workers were deported,” he said. “Thousands of members of this community are afraid of this man taking office.”

McDonnell addressed these concerns during his confirmation hearing.

“I want to be clear. The LAPD will protect the immigrant community in Los Angeles. We will not cooperate in mass deportations, and officers at the individual level will not take action to determine a person’s immigration status and arrest them because of that status,” he said. “Los Angeles is a city of immigrants and “My job is to protect this city, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

He acknowledged the fears and campaign promises brought by President Donald Trump’s victory on Tuesday. mass exile. McDonnell said he would not work with federal agencies on immigration enforcement matters.

Mayor Karen Bass He chose McDonnell from three candidates selected by a civilian panel of Los Angeles police commissioners, including Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides and former Deputy Chief Robert “Bobby” Arcos. Both were reported by the Los Angeles Times as finalists for the position. Bass met with hundreds of LAPD officers and community leaders before making his decision.

McDonnell was elected L.A. County Sheriff in 2014 to oversee the largest sheriff’s department in the United States. Before that, he spent 29 years with the LAPD and served as Long Beach’s police chief for almost five years.