I wanted to express my disappointment with Council’s decision to move forward on instituting arbitrary cuts to the Los Angeles Police Department. I voted against these cuts as I believe they will not improve public safety and are unfair to the hardworking men and women of the department.
Our LAPD has raised the bar in terms of what residents should expect from their local law enforcement. These kinds of changes don’t just happen. They need to be prioritized and mandated by leaders who have the courage and fortitude to implement policies and programs to make that change happen. LAPD has become a model many other departments strive to follow on community policing, use of force, and public accountability.
I want to be clear that the City faces real budgetary challenges. COVID-19 has had a real impact on the City’s revenue. However, public safety should be the last, and not the first priority we reduce.
I am profoundly thankful to the men and women of LAPD who have been tirelessly serving our communities through these many crises. From a global pandemic to civil unrest, they faithfully respond to emergency after emergency. In both good times and in bad, the men and women of our police department will always have my gratitude and support.