John Thomas was appointed as UCLA’s police chief Jan. 11 after serving as interim chief since December 2022. Thomas, who attended UCLA from 1980 to 1984, previously served at the University of Southern California, holding positions including police captain, assistant chief, executive director and chief.
The department confirmed that an internal affairs investigation has been launched into the allegations that the photos of an employee have been shared on the internet. It is not the first nude-photo scandal at the LAPD.
The Police Commission will have to move quickly to get an interim chief in place over the next six weeks. Opinions vary about what qualities to look for.