Robert Luna
{{short description|American law enforcement officer, Sheriff of Los Angeles County}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Robert Luna
| image = Sheriff Robert Luna, 2022.jpg
| caption = Luna in 2022
| office = 34th Sheriff of Los Angeles County
| term_start = December 5, 2022
| term_end =
| predecessor = Alex Villanueva
| office2 = Chief of the Long Beach Police Department
| term_start2 = November 22, 2014
| term_end2 = December 31, 2021
| predecessor2 = Jim McDonnell
| successor2 = Wally Hebeish
| birth_date =
| birth_place = East Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| party = Democratic
| otherparty = Republican (formerly)
| children = 2
| education = Long Beach City College
California State University, Long Beach
| module = {{Infobox police officer | embed = yes
|badgenumber =
|nickname =
|department = Long Beach Police Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
|service =
|serviceyears = 1985–present
|rank = Sheriff
}}
}}
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.{{Cite web|title=Robert Luna to become L.A. County sheriff as Alex Villanueva concedes |last=Tchekmedyian |first=Alene |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-15/luna-wins-la-county-sheriff-election-over-villanueva |date=November 15, 2022 |access-date=November 15, 2022}}
Early life
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.{{cite web |last=Cagle |first=Kate |date=March 14, 2022 |title=Sheriff candidate Robert Luna goes back to his East LA roots |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2022/03/14/sheriff-candidate-robert-luna-goes-back-to-his-east-la-roots |website=Spectrum News 1}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theeastsiderla.com/news/east-l-a-native-robert-luna-sworn-in-as-l-a-county-sheriff/article_2bf0a8d2-736f-11ed-a683-5bff5615c381.html|title=East L.A. native Robert Luna sworn in as L.A. County Sheriff|date=December 3, 2022|website=The Eastside LA}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.lbcc.edu/post/chief-robert-luna|title=Chief Robert Luna|website=Long Beach City College}} He would later obtain a master's degree in public administration from California State University, Long Beach.{{cite news |title=Long Beach Police Chief Luna Jumps Into Crowded Race For LA Sheriff |first=Frank |last=Stoltze |work=KPCC |date=December 1, 2021 |access-date=October 4, 2024 |url=https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/long-beach-police-chief-luna-jumps-into-crowded-race-for-la-sheriff-villanueva}}
Career
= Long Beach Police Department =
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.{{cite news |last=Vives |first=Ruben |date=November 11, 2014 |title=Long Beach selects its first Latino police chief: Robert Luna |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-new-long-beach-police-chief-20141111-story.html |accessdate=November 30, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2014/11/22/robert-luna-sworn-in-as-long-beachs-26th-police-chief/|title=Robert Luna sworn in as Long Beach's 26th police chief|author=Valenzuela, Beatriz E.|website=Press-Telegram|date=November 22, 2014}} In September 2021, Luna announced that he would retire in December of that year.{{cite web|url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2021/09/09/long-beach-police-chief-robert-luna-to-retire-in-december/|title=Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna to retire in December|date=September 9, 2021|website=Press-Telegram|author=Rasmussen, Emily}}
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.{{cite news |title=Praise in public, doubt in private for police handling of Long Beach protest |first1=Jeremiah |last1=Dobruck |first2=Jason |last2=Ruiz |work=Long Beach Post |date=June 10, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2024 |url=https://lbpost.com/news/protest-luna-critcism-long-beach-george-floyd-city-council/}} 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.{{cite news |title=Amid backlash over neck restraints, LBPD suspends use of sleeper hold |first1=Jeremiah |last1=Dobruck |work=Long Beach Post |date=June 10, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2024 |url=https://lbpost.com/news/carotid-stranglehold-chokhold-long-beach-lbpd-ban/}}
= Los Angeles County Sheriff =
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2021/12/01/long-beach-police-chief-robert-luna-launches-bid-for-la-county-sheriff/|title=Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna formally enters crowded LA County Sheriff's race|date=December 1, 2021|author=Saltzgaver, Harry|website=Press-Telegram}}{{cite web|url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2021/11/30/long-beach-police-chief-robert-luna-will-challenge-villanueva-in-la-county-sheriff-race/|title=Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna will challenge Villanueva in LA County Sheriff race|date=November 30, 2021|author=Saltzgaver, Harry|website=Press-Telegram}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-20/robert-luna-profile|title=Luna is running for Los Angeles County sheriff as the anti-Villanueva. Will it work?|author=Sheets, Connor|date=October 20, 2022|website=Los Angeles Times}} In the general election, Luna beat Villanueva to become Sheriff, with Villanueva conceding on November 15, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2022/11/15/sheriff-alex-villanueva-concedes-defeat-to-ex-long-beach-police-chief-robert-luna/|title=Sheriff Alex Villanueva concedes defeat to ex-Long Beach police chief Robert Luna|date=November 15, 2022|author=Lee, Hunter|website=Los Angeles Daily News}} Luna was sworn in as Sheriff on December 5, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/robert-luna-is-sworn-in-as-los-angeles-county-sheriff|title=Robert Luna Is Sworn In As Los Angeles County Sheriff|date=December 4, 2022|author= Gutierrez, Rebecca; Stoltze, Frank|website=LAist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-civ|pol}}
{{s-bef|before=Jim McDonnell}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chief of the Long Beach Police Department|years=2014–2021}}
{{s-aft|after=Wally Hebeish}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Alex Villanueva}}
{{s-ttl|title=Los Angeles County Sheriff|years=2022–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luna, Robert}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American municipal police chiefs
Category:American people of Mexican descent
Category:California Republicans
Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni
Category:Law enforcement officials from California
Category:Long Beach City College alumni
Category:Los Angeles County, California, sheriffs