4:45pm | Over the weekend, Jim McDonnell was sworn in as the 25th chief of the Long Beach Police Department in a ceremony at the Terrace Theater. The former assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department now faces a daunting task.

Though the LBPD is roughly one-tenth the size, McDonnell inherits a department with just as many challenges as the one that he left. Extreme budget difficulties will lead to some tough decisions that will almost certainly mean the loss of new tools and technology, and McDonnell said last week that he expects the department will have to cut personnel as well.

Not that McDonnell isn’t up to the challenge. He is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost policing minds – particularly in the areas of ethics, public policy and community policing – and was considered a front-runner for the head job in Los Angeles when William J. Bratton stepped down in August 2009 (Charlie Beck was ultimately chosen for the position).

In a community like Long Beach – with many distinctly different neighborhoods, each with its own set of concerns – familiarity will be key. Former chief Tony Batts was widely considered a success in his seven years at the helm because of a deep understanding of the community due to more than twenty years in the department. While McDonnell spent more than 28 years with the LAPD and therefore may need time to transition to his new job, his family has called Long Beach home for the past twelve years – which could go a long way towards building positive relationships. McDonnell is also a major proponent of community policing, as was Batts.

But the main question facing McDonnell is how he will address a live gang problem with diminishing resources. The LBPD takes up more than two-thirds of the city’s entire general fund budget and public opinion has soured since some 700 officers filed suit against the City to collect pay for dressing and undressing in their police gear. McDonnell has publicly discussed plans to use community programs that keep youth away from gang activity, but also acknowledged that many of those programs are the ones that will be cut to save money. With a police force that will struggle to add new officers, it is unclear how crime will be fought under the circumstances.

But if anyone can handle the situation, it’s McDonnell. He served as the face of the LAPD whenever Bratton left town – which, according to some reports, was often – and ushered in a new age of ethical policing after a debilitating scandal put the LAPD under federal supervision. In fact, many expected McDonnell to be named Chief over Bratton in 2002, and it was even more surprising when McDonnell was passed over for Beck in 2009.

No stranger to reform, McDonnell said when he was introduced as the selection for LBPD chief that he looked forward to lending a fresh pair of eyes to the budget. Coupled with his experience in turning around bad situations, that perspective bodes well for the department even in murky waters.

McDonnell met with local Latino leaders last week, in an effort to build relationships and hear views from all sides of the community. It will take time for him to acclimate to Long Beach and its unique challenges, but armed with the expertise of longtime Long Beach department heads like William Blair and Robert Luna, McDonnell looks to build upon the solid foundation set for him by Chief Batts. Starting today, McDonnell finally gets his shot at being the man.