By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell warned that current staffing levels and recruitment projections may fall short of needs for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
• McDonnell told the city council the department is seeking 520 recruits for the next fiscal year but projected attrition could offset most of that growth.
• Under current plans, LAPD would provide about 2,400 officers for the Games, less than a third of total estimated needs.
• McDonnell also requested funding for vehicles, radios, body cameras and other equipment ahead of the event.
• Some city council members expressed concerns about budget commitments and federal support details for Olympics security.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell told city council members this week that the department’s current staffing trajectory could fall short of the demands anticipated for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, officials said.
McDonnell said the department has requested authorization for 520 new recruits in the next fiscal year, but with projected attrition of about 510 officers, the force would see minimal net growth, raising concerns about staffing adequacy for large-scale event security.
Under the current security plan, the LAPD would be responsible for supplying roughly 2,400 officers to help police Olympic venues and related activities, representing less than one-third of the total personnel estimated to be needed for comprehensive coverage.
Department officials also outlined a request for nearly $100 million in funding to purchase more than 500 vehicles, upgrade radio networks, acquire new computers and add more than 1,600 body cameras to support operations through the games and beyond.
Some council members questioned the timing and scale of funding commitments amid budget constraints and uncertainty about the extent of federal security support for the event, according to hearing remarks.