Former Chief Robert Luna promises to restore public trust, reform Sheriff's Department
Former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna takes in the views of the city he knows well.
"I always tell people I dreamt of being a police officer from a very early age and this city allowed me to fulfill my dreams," he said.
Luna held the position of Long Beach's top cop for the last seven years. As a 36-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department, he helped protect a city of a couple hundred thousand people. Now, Luna is in the race to oversee the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department charged with protecting millions.
The two men vying to be the next sheriff, Luna and incumbent Alex Villanueva faced off in a fiery debate in September. The two traded jabs at each other with Villanueva calling Luna a "puppet" for the Board of Supervisors. The former police chief responded by saying that working with others does not make him a puppet.
"I believe that at the end of the day, that people who saw the debate saw a significant contrast between his style and mine," Luna said.
In addition to calling Luna a "puppet," Sheriff Villanueva has also questioned Luna's East L.A. roots.
"I was born in East Los Angeles and lived there until I was in the fourth grade," he said. "I still have family there."
Luna said, if elected, his focus would be on these five priorities:
- Reducing violent crime
- Addressing homelessness
- Restoring public trust and accountability
- Reforming and modernizing the Sheriff's Department
- Improving deputy and employee wellness
Violent crime in LA County is up 13%. According to Luna, during his tenure as chief, violent crime went down by 6.5%.
Luna also said that the Sheriff's Department is in a crisis of leadership, accountability and public trust. He points out conflicts between the Sheriff and the Board of Supervisors.
"I would say the number one thing, is an 'us versus them' demeanor," Luna said.
The other candidates whom Luna defeated in the primary are now endorsing him.
Luna said he could have retired but instead is trying to unseat an incumbent and command the largest Sheriff's Department in the United States.