Arthur C. Hohmann - Becoming Chief

Becoming Chief

Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron had preferred that Captain R.R. McDonald become chief, but he left the decision up the Police Commission, which decided to base the appointment on merit. The civil service exam for chief was a two part test, which was traditional with the L.A.P.D., when testing was first implemented for promotions. The first part of an L.A.P.D. civil service exam was written, which accounted for 95% of the score, followed by an oral exam. Those who took the test were given a score and placed on a promotion list, off of which promotions were supposed to be made.

In 1939, Mayor Bowron, a reformer who had closed down 600 bordellos in L.A. after assuming office in a drive against corruption, and his Police Commission had all the extant promotion lists jettisoned and new round of testing implemented. The office of chief was officially put up for grabs, and acting chief Davidson declined to test for it.

The written exam for chief was undertaken by 175 candidates. Of these, 31 qualified to take an oral examination. Lieutenant Hohmann placed first on the list of candidates and thus won the position, which surprised many. (Acting Captain William H. Parker, a future police chief who is credited with cleaning up the L.A.P.D. during the 1950s, placed eighth.) Mayor Bowron appointed Hohmann chief as the official selection of the Police Commission. The members of the Commission had been personally appointed by Bowron.