L.A. council committee agrees to $133 million in LAPD cuts, stopping far short of ‘People’s Budget’
A key committee of the Los Angeles City Council agreed to cut the Police Department’s budget by more than $133 million, slashing police overtime pay in the coming year and taking the size of the force well below 10,000 officers.
ERIC SPILLMAN LIVE IN WEST LAWITH MORE ERIC.MORNING MAY GOOD MORNINGCHRIS, THE CITY COUNCIL'SBUDGET COMMITTEE RECOMMENDINGSOME SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO THELOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENTIS GOING TO MEAN FEWEROFFICERS ON THE STREET.
BUTTHE CUTS THEY'RE TALKING ABOUTOR NOT AS SEVERE AS WHATACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN DEMANDINGNOW PROTESTERS TOOK TO THESTREET.
LAST MONTH AFTER THEKILLING OF GEORGE FLOYDTHEY'RE DEMANDING BIG CHANGES.ONE OF THEIR RALLYING CRIESWAS DEFUND THE LAPD THEY WANTMONEY SHIFTED AWAY FROM THEPOLICE AND INSTEAD INVESTED INCOMMUNITIES OF COLOR FORSOCIAL AND PUBLIC HEALTHPROGRAMS AS WELL AS HOUSING.NOW LA MAYOR ERIC GARCETTIRESPONDED BY PROPOSING AMILLION CUT TO THE LAPD ANDYESTERDAY THE CITY COUNCIL'SBUDGET COMMITTEE VOTED 4 TOONE TO CHOP JUST ABOUT ALLTHAT MONEY AWAY FROM THEDEPARTMENT.
BLACK LIVES MATTERAND OTHER ACTIVISTS WANTEDDEEPER CUTS THEIR SO-CALLEDPEOPLE'S BUDGET WOULD HAVESLASHED THE POLICE DEPARTMENTBUDGET BY 90% THAT WOULD HAVELED TO LAYOFFS OF THOUSANDS OFPOLICE OFFICERS.
INSTEAD THECOMMITTEE AGREED TO REDUCEFUNDING TO THE LAPD BY ABOUT5% OR MILLION.
BACKERS OF THEPEOPLE'S BUDGET.
CALL THAT TOOLITTLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCEBUT LEADERS OF THE POLICEUNION SAY THE CUTS WILL MEANFEWER POLICE PATROLS ANDLONGER RESPONSE TIMES.
ONEPOLICE UNION REPRESENTATIVECALLS IT A BAD DEAL FORNEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND THEBAD DEAL FOR TAXPAYERS.
HERE'SWHAT THE COMMITTEE AGREED TODO THE CUTS THEY'RERECOMMENDING I MEAN HUNDREDSOF OFFICERS WHO ARE RETIRINGOR LEAVING THE LAPD WILL NOTBE REPLACED.
BY JUNE OF 2021THE LAPD WHICH SHRINK FROM10,000 TO 9,700 OFFICERS FORTHE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN ADECADE IN THERE WOULD BE ALSOSOME MAJOR REDUCTIONS TOPOLICE OVER TIME.
NOW THE PLANSTILL NEEDS APPROVAL FROM THEFULL CITY COUNCIL, BUT THISMAY NOT BE THE END OF THESTORY.
