May 31, 2020; Los Angeles, CA, USA: Police officers and the National Guard watch over LAPD headquarters as a protest is held nearby. The death of unarmed black man George Floyd allegedly by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked protests across the country. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro/Staff via USA TODAY NETWORK
Los Angeles, California – Facing a projected $1-billion budget shortfall, a key Los Angeles City Council committee advanced a plan Thursday that would reduce the number of police officers and cancel Mayor Karen Bass’ proposal to create a homelessness unit within the fire department.
The five-member budget committee endorsed a hiring slowdown that would lower Los Angeles Police Department staffing to about 8,400 officers by June 2026 — down from more than 8,700 this year and a significant drop from around 10,000 in 2020. If approved by the full City Council later this month, the measure would mark LAPD’s lowest sworn staffing level since 1995.
The proposed cuts would help preserve 133 civilian positions within the LAPD — forensic specialists, crime scene photographers, and lab analysts — who are essential to public safety but not sworn officers. Councilmember Tim McOsker described the choice as “difficult, painful and regrettable,” but necessary to maintain key investigative services.
“These are people that do all this incredibly important work for public safety,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. “But they’re not sworn officers.”
The Los Angeles Police Protective League strongly criticized the move, accusing city officials of endangering public safety. “The City is sitting on a nearly $15-billion investment portfolio that could reasonably be used to alleviate the current budget crisis,” the union’s board said in a statement. “Instead, they’re gutting LAPD staffing.”
Mayor Bass, who had proposed increasing LAPD hiring and launching a new homelessness unit within the fire department, signaled ongoing collaboration with the committee but stood by her original budget priorities. Her plan had included hiring 50 new firefighters and creating street medicine teams to address homelessness — one of the few proposed investments in an otherwise austere fiscal year.
That plan, however, was shelved. Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who leads the budget committee, said starting new programs was not justifiable amid potential layoffs of existing city workers. “Our job today is to make the very difficult trade-offs… that reflect this council’s values,” she said.
The committee also called for cutting LAPD recruit training in half — from 480 to 240 — which, combined with expected retirements and resignations, would shrink the force further. Additionally, they proposed up to $10 million in cuts to Bass’ Inside Safe initiative, which shelters unhoused residents in city-funded housing. Under the new plan, some individuals may be required to share rooms in motels or interim housing.
The committee’s recommendations are not final. Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso will present cost-saving alternatives next week before the full City Council votes on the final budget by the end of May.
The city’s financial crisis stems from rising personnel costs, major legal settlements, and a sluggish local economy. Negotiations with public employee unions — including discussions about deferring scheduled raises — remain unresolved.
