Los Angeles does not have enough cops or the funding to properly secure the city for the Olympic Games, the head of the LAPD has warned.
Chief Jim McDonnell said he fears the department could be stretched past its limits when millions flock to LA for the 2028 blockbuster.
He pointed out there was “zero” specific fundings for his team, aside from the pooled budget shared by cops, the fire department and federal agents.
His startling warning during a City Council Budget and Finance Committee hearing at City Hall on Wednesday as lawmakers scrutinize Mayor Karen Bass’s plans for the city.
It also comes amid a heightened security threat across America and Los Angeles, as tensions with the Middle East and domestic threats at home plague the country.
McDonnell said: “LA28 confirms that they have zero police or other safety budgets. While they do have a security budget, it doesn’t cover law enforcement.”
He continued: “The funding that exists is for all agencies involved in the Olympics, not just the LAPD, and it will be restricted primarily to police officer overtime.”
The warning means City Hall will be responsible for stumping up specific funds for the cops, while already drowning in a cash shortfall.
LAPD officials told councilmembers they are losing more than 500 officers a year to attrition, while overtime is surging to cover the gap.
The department expects to log nearly 1.4 million hours of overtime this year, with a projected deficit of $16.5 million.
The Olympics Special Events Unit, which plans security, said LA will need to deploy about 6,700 officers across eight venues in 2028.
That operation would require another 700 to 800 patrol vehicles, equipment that is not fully funded. Even the funding that does exist comes with limits and delays.
Inside the chamber far-left councilmembers were quick to seize on McDonnell’s comments. Anti-cop Democratic Socialists of America member Eunisses Hernandez asked if police deploment was even needed.
She said: “Do they all need to be cop cars? Can we not use school buses?”
Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the committee overseeing the city’s budget, said she was “frustrated” by conflicting messages about the role of the federal government.
She said: “We are hearing two different conversations, and it’s frustrating.”
Olympic organizers at LA28 said that federal authorities will take on a larger share of security because the Games are designated a National Special Security Event.
LAPD officials pushed back, saying it is “inaccurate” to believe federal authorities will handle it.
An LA28 spokesperson told The California Post that it is “in the planning process with local, state, and federal partners to determine what security and other related costs for the LA28 Games will be.”
“We are grateful that the Administration and Congress recently appropriated $1 billion in security funding to support planning and operations, including reimbursements to local and state law enforcement,” the spokesperson continued.
“We will continue to work with our partners at the federal, state, and local levels, including the City of LA, to ensure a safe, secure, and successful Games. The Games have been designated a National Special Security Event, which will allow security to be coordinated among federal, state, and local public safety agencies, including LAPD services.”
