Mayor Bass pushes for $4.4 million budget increase to hire LAPD officers

Mayor Karen Bass urged the Los Angeles City Council to allocate $4.4 million for the Los Angeles Police Department to hire 410 more officers.

Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that if the funds are not approved, staffing levels at the department could drop to levels not seen since the mid-1990s. 

"We're currently down 1,400 officers from our high in 2019," McDonnell said. "Our officers are doing an awful lot with less every day."

The City Council approved a motion to hire 240 more officers in the budget approved earlier this year. Mayor Bass spoke about the issue with KNX News.

"Bottom line is that in LA, we are getting ready to lose 400-500 officers from retirement," Bass said in her interview with KNX. "We are six months away from the World Cup. The last thing in the world we can do is not continue to hire officers. We have to find the officers. We are in the process of doing that now."

Sources inside City Hall told CBS LA that some council members are frustrated with Bass because of the budget request without clarifying where the money would come from. In June, city leaders went through grueling budget negotiations to close the city's nearly $1 billion deficit.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents LAPD officers, said the funding is essential for the high-profile events coming to the city. 

"We need more officers to ensure that our numbers stay up, to meet current public safety needs," LAPPL spokesman Chris Wecker said. "And more importantly, with the World Cup looming and the Olympics on the horizon, we cannot afford to lose the momentum that we've gained."

McDonnell said the department has increased its recruitment numbers by about 27%. 

"We're optimistic about bringing the best and brightest to join the LAPD," he said. "We need the resources and the support necessary to be able to follow up with that process."