Los Angeles is bracing for a shortage of up to 300 traffic cops for the 2028 Olympics — risking chaos on the streets as hundreds of thousand of visitors descend on the City of Angels for the Summer Games.
At a joint Transportation and Public Works committee meeting Wednesday, LA Department of Transportation Parking Enforcement and Traffic Control Chief Brian Hale warned that the system meant to keep the city moving is at a breaking point.
“We’ve lost over 100 traffic officer positions,” said Hale, who oversees the city’s traffic force, noting the department currently has just over 500 officers — down from roughly 650 in recent years.
To safely operate during the 2028 Games, Hale said the city needs about 750 traffic cops.
“Based upon our current attrition rate, we can expect to lose an additional 30 officers each and every year,” Hale said.
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At that pace, the city could lose another 60 to 90 officers before the Olympics even begin, pushing the shortage above 300.
The current deficit exists as the LA region prepares for a wave of visitors unlike anything in recent memory.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to bring roughly 180,000 out-of-town visitors to the city, with eight matches set for SoFi Stadium, including the U.S. Men’s National Team opener.
The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games are projected to draw at least 1 to 1.5 million visitors, in addition to more than 15,000 athletes. Some projections are far higher, with total summer travel tied to the Games potentially reaching into the several millions.
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Traffic officers are responsible for everything from clearing crashes and directing vehicles through broken signals to keeping streets moving during emergencies and major events.
The shortage also leaves constitutionally protected gatherings at risk, according to Hale.
He said the city can no longer reliably staff non-reimbursable events, including roughly 100 permitted public gatherings that would typically require traffic cops.
“If that were to occur, LAPD will then need to provide traffic control… or simply choose to not issue a permit for that event,” he said.
