LAPD chief: Proposed cuts to non-police staff could hurt department and public safety

The Los Angeles police chief warned members of the City Council on Wednesday that the mayor's proposal to lay off more than 400 civilian workers in the department represents a “staggering” reduction to the workforce and would endanger public safety.

Those who would be laid off include criminologists, forensic scientists and crime scene photographers, said Chief Jim McDonnell, who spoke to the council’s Budget and Finance Committee.

Mayor Karen Bass has proposed laying off 1,647 city employees as part of her plan to address a nearly $1 billion shortfall facing the city for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The most layoffs would come from the Police Department — 15.2% non-sworn employees, for a total of 403.

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What the chief said

"These professionals undergo years of specialized training and their expertise is irreplaceable,” McDonnell said. “Eliminating or slowing this work will delay justice for victims and allow dangerous offenders to stay on the streets longer than they should.”

The chief said Wednesday that if the mayor’s plan is approved by the council, he would be forced to backfill some civilian jobs with uniformed police officers. He said 133 of the civilian jobs are so specialized that they could not be backfilled.

Reactions from councilmembers

Councilmember Ted McOsker, who represents District 15, which includes San Pedro, said pulling officers from the streets would be “disastrous” and would “effectively cripple” the Police Department. McOsker, a member of the budget committee, suggested recruiting fewer officers and using the money to keep the civilian workers.

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez of northeast L.A.'s District 1 asked the department for more information on how it operates its fleet of 17 helicopters and how money might be saved there.

What’s next

The Budget and Finance Committee is in the midst of a series of hearings on the mayor’s proposed budget. The next one is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m. at City Hall.

Find the committee's agenda here.

The full council will take up the budget in about a month.