By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• The Los Angeles City Council approved funding to allow the Los Angeles Police Department to expand recruiting and hire up to 410 officers during the current fiscal year.
• The action Jan. 21 follows months of earlier resistance and budget negotiations with Mayor Karen Bass’s office.
• Council members initially reduced the LAPD’s hiring allocation amid a broader budget shortfall and concerns over ongoing costs.
• Funding for the additional hires, about $2.6 million, will come from internal LAPD budget sources rather than the city’s general fund.
• The hire plan passed on a nine-to-three vote, with some members questioning long-term financial impact.
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council voted Jan. 21 to approve funding that will allow the Los Angeles Police Department to hire additional officers beyond earlier budget allocations amid ongoing fiscal discussions with city leadership.
The approved plan permits the department to recruit and hire up to 410 officers during the current fiscal year, aligning with outreach from Mayor Karen Bass who had sought broader hiring authority to bolster staffing.
Earlier council actions had scaled back the LAPD’s hiring allocation to 240 officers and later to 280, as members weighed budget constraints and other city priorities.
Council members voted nine to three in favor of the expanded hiring plan, which utilizes roughly $2.6 million from within the department’s budget, including accumulated overtime funds, to support recruitment through June.
Some council members expressed concern about the city’s ability to fund ongoing personnel costs in future budgets, while others cited support for increased staffing amid recruitment challenges.
No new timeline for additional hires beyond the current fiscal year was announced at the meeting.