LONG BEACH - The city celebrated the swearing-in of its new police chief Saturday, a chief who vowed to honor old traditions while looking for new ways to make a great police force even better.

"I plan to value tradition but not always be locked into old ways just because that's how it's always been done," said Jim McDonnell, Long Beach's 25th chief of police.

The City of Long Beach's new Police Chief, Jim McDonnell, has his new badge pined onto him by wife Kathy with daughters Kelly and Megan on stage with him, after he was sworn in by former California Gov. George Deukmejian at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach. (Steven Georges/Press-Telegram)

With his wife and two daughters by his side, McDonnell took his official oath of office from former Gov. George Deukmejian at the Terrace Theater in downtown Long Beach on Saturday morning.

The Long Beach resident and more than 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department was chosen to be Long Beach's top cop from a tough field of candidates, including the department's three deputy chiefs, Bill Blair, Jeffrey "JJ" Craig and Robert Luna.

All three of the deputy chiefs were thanked by City Manager Pat West for their work.

"The city of Long Beach is truly blessed to have such a strong management team," West said.

West also acknowledged the work of interim Police Chief Billy Quach, who will return to his job as a commander, and praised the work of Administrative Bureau Chief Braden Phillips.

Mayor Bob Foster thanked the department's brass, as well as a number of dignitaries who attended the ceremony, and said the city couldn't have chosen a better man for the job than McDonnell.

"Jim McDonnell has proven himself to be one of the brightest law enforcement members in the state," Foster said.

The comments from the mayor and city manager followed a rousing performance by the McCarten School of Irish Dance and the trooping of the colors by the LBPD Honor Guard, which was accompanied by bagpiper Justin Celek.

The Rev. Mike Gleeson from St. Cornelius Catholic Church gave the invocation and the Antioch Baptist Church Choir also delivered a lively performance.

McDonnell said he was honored by the performances and happy to see such a broad spectrum of the community reflected in the program and in the audience of more than 500 people who attended Saturday's ceremony.

Since the announcement of his new position with Long Beach, McDonnell spent much of his vacation time from his old job meeting with the rank-and-file of the LBPD and getting to know various community groups so that he would be ready for his first official day of work Monday.

"We're here not to discuss our differences but to focus on our similarities and our common goals," the new chief said after receiving his new badge. "We all stand on the shoulders of those who were here before us."

McDonnell received two standing ovations from the crowd and was cheered on not only by members of the LBPD but by many of his former colleagues from the LAPD and the heads of other forces from across the state, including former Long Beach chief and now Oakland Police Chief Tony Batts.

There was even some laughter when McDonnell slipped up, saying he would work to better market the LAPD, when he meant to say the LBPD.

"I'm sorry, 30 years of habits die hard," a sheepish McDonnell said.

But the new chief was also quite serious, particularly when talking about his plans to address the city's biggest challenges, from a staggering budget deficit to the ongoing struggles with gangs, and that he hoped the department and the city could take on those problems as a team.

McDonnell said he wanted to stop the complacency seen in communities hardest hit by violence and that he will push for the use of better technology for officers, as well as more training and equipment.

"We're going to aggressively go after predators in our city," he vowed, while noting that officers need to do so while providing the best example to the community they serve.

"We are the protectors of people's freedom," McDonnell told his new command of officers. "Freedom from fear, freedom from crime and freedom from abuse."