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Robert Luna

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Robert Luna
Luna in 2022
34th Sheriff of Los Angeles County
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 5, 2022
Preceded byAlex Villanueva
Chief of the Long Beach Police Department
In office
November 22, 2014 – December 31, 2021
Preceded byJim McDonnell
Succeeded byWally Hebeish
Personal details
BornEast Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Republican (formerly)
Children2
EducationLong Beach City College
California State University, Long Beach
Police career
DepartmentLong Beach Police Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Service years1985–present
RankSheriff

Robert G. Luna is an American law enforcement officer who is the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, previously serving as Chief of the Long Beach Police Department before defeating Sheriff Alex Villanueva in the 2022 election.[1]

Early life

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Luna was born and raised in East Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents and has said that his early experiences with deputies patrolling his neighborhood shaped his view of law enforcement.[2][3] He graduated from Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe Springs in 1984. After high school, he went on to graduate from Long Beach City College, where he met Long Beach Police Sergeant Mike Woodward and decided to pursue becoming a law enforcement officer.[4] He would later obtain a master's degree in public administration from California State University, Long Beach.[5]

Career

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Luna as Long Beach Police Chief in 2016.

Long Beach Police Department

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In 1985, he joined the Long Beach Police Department and served as a patrol officer and on the SWAT team and was named as the Deputy Chief in 2006. In November 2014, Luna was appointed as the 26th Chief of the Long Beach Police Department, succeeding Jim McDonnell who had become the Sheriff of Los Angeles County.[6][7] In September 2021, Luna announced that he would retire in December of that year.[8]

Luna was criticized by small business owners, local officials, and other LBPD officers for his handling of the George Floyd protest in Long Beach on May 31, 2020, as part of the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality.[9] Soon after the protest, the Long Beach Police Department banned the use of sleeper holds, a type of chokehold that restricts blood flow to the brain, which had specifically come under scrutiny during the protests. Luna stated that it was the "first of many steps" in building trust with the community.[10]

Los Angeles County Sheriff

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In December 2021, Luna entered the race for the 2022 Los Angeles County Sheriff election, challenging incumbent Alex Villanueva alongside a crowded field of candidates.[11][12] In the primary election, Luna scored second place in the election, putting him against Villanueva in the general election with endorsements from the seven defeated candidates.[13] In the general election, Luna beat Villanueva to become Sheriff, with Villanueva conceding on November 15, 2022.[14] Luna was sworn in as Sheriff on December 5, 2022.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Tchekmedyian, Alene (November 15, 2022). "Robert Luna to become L.A. County sheriff as Alex Villanueva concedes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Cagle, Kate (March 14, 2022). "Sheriff candidate Robert Luna goes back to his East LA roots". Spectrum News 1.
  3. ^ "East L.A. native Robert Luna sworn in as L.A. County Sheriff". The Eastside LA. December 3, 2022.
  4. ^ "Chief Robert Luna". Long Beach City College.
  5. ^ Stoltze, Frank (December 1, 2021). "Long Beach Police Chief Luna Jumps Into Crowded Race For LA Sheriff". KPCC. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Vives, Ruben (November 11, 2014). "Long Beach selects its first Latino police chief: Robert Luna". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  7. ^ Valenzuela, Beatriz E. (November 22, 2014). "Robert Luna sworn in as Long Beach's 26th police chief". Press-Telegram.
  8. ^ Rasmussen, Emily (September 9, 2021). "Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna to retire in December". Press-Telegram.
  9. ^ Dobruck, Jeremiah; Ruiz, Jason (June 10, 2020). "Praise in public, doubt in private for police handling of Long Beach protest". Long Beach Post. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Dobruck, Jeremiah (June 10, 2020). "Amid backlash over neck restraints, LBPD suspends use of sleeper hold". Long Beach Post. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Saltzgaver, Harry (December 1, 2021). "Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna formally enters crowded LA County Sheriff's race". Press-Telegram.
  12. ^ Saltzgaver, Harry (November 30, 2021). "Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna will challenge Villanueva in LA County Sheriff race". Press-Telegram.
  13. ^ Sheets, Connor (October 20, 2022). "Luna is running for Los Angeles County sheriff as the anti-Villanueva. Will it work?". Los Angeles Times.
  14. ^ Lee, Hunter (November 15, 2022). "Sheriff Alex Villanueva concedes defeat to ex-Long Beach police chief Robert Luna". Los Angeles Daily News.
  15. ^ Gutierrez, Rebecca; Stoltze, Frank (December 4, 2022). "Robert Luna Is Sworn In As Los Angeles County Sheriff". LAist.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Police appointments
Preceded by Chief of the Long Beach Police Department
2014–2021 		Succeeded by
Wally Hebeish
Preceded by Los Angeles County Sheriff
2022–present 		Incumbent
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