The Los Angeles City Council Friday approved partial, additional funds that would allow the Los Angeles Police Department to continue hiring new officers in the next two months.
Following hours of discussions as well as some tense moments, the LA City Council green-lit over $ 1 million for January and February hiring, only about 25% of what the LAPD had initially requested.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and Mayor Karen Bass pleaded with the city councilmembers this week. saying an additional $4.4 million is crucial for the department so it can continue hiring through the end of the fiscal year and keep them on track for upcoming events in Los Angeles, including the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
“We are bleeding out. We are preparing for the Games, and we are going the wrong direction,” McDonnell said during the city council meeting, saying his department 1,400 officers down.
The LAPD is expected to lose up to 500 officers in the coming years to retirement.
As Friday was the last City Council meeting of 2025, the councilmembers would meet again in January to discuss how to fund the LAPD’s hiring plans for the rest of the fiscal year.