LAPD Captain Named Torrance Police Chief

A Los Angeles police captain who has earned praise for his community outreach techniques Monday was named the new chief of the troubled Torrance Police Department.

Capt. Joseph C. De Ladurantey, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division, will assume his new post Dec. 1.

He will take over a department that has been bruised by a series of multimillion-dollar lawsuits and by public criticism. De Ladurantey will replace 21-year chief Donald E. Nash, who retired in June, citing health problems. He is being investigated by the district attorney’s office after disclosures that he underpaid sales taxes on two personal cars.

De Ladurantey, 48, said Monday that he did not anticipate making major changes in Torrance.

“If there’s a change, it’s going to be in the visibility in top command,” he said, saying that his management style is “one of involvement.” Nash, his predecessor, was known for delegating projects to his captains.

At Harbor Division, De Ladurantey, a 26-year veteran of the LAPD, has drawn attention for his emphasis on community efforts such as a strenuous orientation program for officers new to the area.

“You look at fixing things that are wrong with a community rather than just handling incidents,” De Ladurantey said. “It puts you in a mode of problem identification--why we have a drug problem in this corner, why you have a homicide.”

A number of recent lawsuits have tarnished the reputation of the Torrance police. In the best-known case, the city in May paid $6.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of a 19-year-old motorcyclist killed in a 1984 traffic collision with an off-duty police officer.

But De Ladurantey said he does not know of any “glaring problem” with the department. “I do know they have a strong reputation in terms of the quality of the people that they have,” he said.

De Ladurantey will be paid $95,112 annually, along with benefits and a $446-a-month car allowance. He now earns $89,053 a year.