LOS ANGELES, CA - Police Chief Jim McDonnell told city leaders that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) does not currently have the proper staffing or funding in preparation for the Summer Olympic Games.
Chief McDonnell raised the alarm during the City Council Budget and Finance Committee hearing at City Hall on Wednesday, April 29, KTLA reported. The chief told the council that the LAPD is facing a massive funding problem for the 2028 Olympic Games.
He warned that without specific city funding, the department will be stretched past its limits to protect both visitors and locals.
"The $1 billion budget is for all agencies involved in the Olympics, not just the LAPD, and will be restricted primarily to police officer overtime,” McDonnell said. “LA28 confirmed that they have zero police or public safety budget. And while they do have a security budget, it doesn’t cover law enforcement."
LA28 said it is grateful for the $1 billion from Congress, but the chief explained that the current financial plan relies on a pooled budget shared by police, fire departments, and federal agencies. He said that money is largely restricted to overtime reimbursement, which is capped out even in non-event years.
Already this fiscal year, with two months left to go, they've already surpassed the overtime budget, and it's not even an Olympic year.
LAPD projects it will need to deploy 6,700 officers across eight different venues during LA28. They have been provided money for more vehicles, but not the 800 they need or the equipment inside, according to the chief.
During the meeting, council members asked a few questions, like why the LAPD needs millions of dollars for vehicles, why the department can't use school buses to get large numbers of officers to and from venues, or why they can't use unmarked vehicles instead of pursuit-ready patrol cars.
They also asked questions about the roles of federal security versus local law enforcement. "What is LAPD’s role inside the perimeters of the venues? My understanding is that it’s not, the same goes for inside the Athletes’ Village,” asked L.A. City Council Budget Chair Katy Yaroslavsky. “The fact that we haven’t nailed this down, and I feel like we’re having two different conversations, and it’s confusing and starting to get frustrating."
Recently, LA Mayor Karen Bass pushed for more money for LAPD officers. In a letter to the City Council, she said Los Angeles cannot welcome the world for the FIFA World Cup or the Olympic Games without a significant surge in personnel. She told the city to lift its hiring freeze and bring on more officers.
With two years to go, McDonnell said the department needs to stop the attrition problem. LAPD is losing 500 officers a year.
Chief McDonnell raised the alarm during the City Council Budget and Finance Committee hearing at City Hall on Wednesday, April 29, KTLA reported. The chief told the council that the LAPD is facing a massive funding problem for the 2028 Olympic Games.
He warned that without specific city funding, the department will be stretched past its limits to protect both visitors and locals.
"The $1 billion budget is for all agencies involved in the Olympics, not just the LAPD, and will be restricted primarily to police officer overtime,” McDonnell said. “LA28 confirmed that they have zero police or public safety budget. And while they do have a security budget, it doesn’t cover law enforcement."
LA28 said it is grateful for the $1 billion from Congress, but the chief explained that the current financial plan relies on a pooled budget shared by police, fire departments, and federal agencies. He said that money is largely restricted to overtime reimbursement, which is capped out even in non-event years.
Already this fiscal year, with two months left to go, they've already surpassed the overtime budget, and it's not even an Olympic year.
LAPD projects it will need to deploy 6,700 officers across eight different venues during LA28. They have been provided money for more vehicles, but not the 800 they need or the equipment inside, according to the chief.
During the meeting, council members asked a few questions, like why the LAPD needs millions of dollars for vehicles, why the department can't use school buses to get large numbers of officers to and from venues, or why they can't use unmarked vehicles instead of pursuit-ready patrol cars.
They also asked questions about the roles of federal security versus local law enforcement. "What is LAPD’s role inside the perimeters of the venues? My understanding is that it’s not, the same goes for inside the Athletes’ Village,” asked L.A. City Council Budget Chair Katy Yaroslavsky. “The fact that we haven’t nailed this down, and I feel like we’re having two different conversations, and it’s confusing and starting to get frustrating."
Recently, LA Mayor Karen Bass pushed for more money for LAPD officers. In a letter to the City Council, she said Los Angeles cannot welcome the world for the FIFA World Cup or the Olympic Games without a significant surge in personnel. She told the city to lift its hiring freeze and bring on more officers.
With two years to go, McDonnell said the department needs to stop the attrition problem. LAPD is losing 500 officers a year.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments