FBI Veteran Robert Clark Named LA Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Impacts Inglewood Border Areas

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has appointed Robert Clark, a 22-year FBI veteran, as the city’s new deputy mayor for public safety, a position with significant implications for communities bordering LA, including northern sections of Inglewood.

Clark, who began work Monday, will oversee several critical departments that regularly coordinate with Inglewood public safety agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, Emergency Management Department, Los Angeles Port Police, and Los Angeles Airport Police.

The appointment comes at a challenging time as the city faces a $1 billion budget shortfall that could potentially lead to personnel reductions in the departments Clark will oversee—a situation that could affect response times and resources in areas near the Inglewood-Los Angeles border.

Clark brings substantial experience to the role, having served as an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office from 2009 to 2016. During his tenure, he worked to improve policy and community relationships, confront international organized crime, and address human trafficking in the greater Los Angeles region, including operations that extended into South LA communities.

His varied career also includes service as executive director of the Central Texas Public Safety Commission, vice president of public safety for the Philadelphia Housing Authority, and director of public safety for Columbus, Ohio. Clark began his career in public service as a police officer in Youngstown, Ohio.

For Inglewood residents, particularly those living in neighborhoods adjacent to Los Angeles, Clark’s approach to public safety and community policing could influence cross-jurisdictional cooperation between LAPD’s Southwest and 77th Street divisions and the Inglewood Police Department. These agencies frequently collaborate on cases and emergency responses that cross city boundaries.

Clark succeeds Brian Williams, whom Bass placed on administrative leave following an investigation into an alleged bomb threat against City Hall. While that investigation continues, Williams remains on the city payroll, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Mayor’s Office was notified in December that the FBI searched Williams’ home after he allegedly made the threat. The Los Angeles Police Department led the initial investigation, which determined Williams was “likely the source of the threat” before referring the case to the FBI “due to the department’s working relationship” with Williams.

Through his attorney, Williams has strongly maintained his innocence, according to multiple reports.

This story includes information from City News Service.