Jurado says ‘F– the police’ while campaigning for LA City Council; police union hits back

Los Angeles City Council candidate Ysabel Jurado used the phrase “F– the police” during a campaign stop last week at Cal State L.A., a comment that sparked sharp criticism and prompted a new ad from the local police union.

Jurado, a tenants’ rights attorney, is seeking to unseat incumbent Councilmember Kevin de León in the 14th council district, which includes downtown L.A., Boyle Heights and stretches to El Sereno and Eagle Rock.

Police spending has been a hot topic during the campaign.

De León called the comment “disrespectful.”

Jurado was speaking to students at Cal State L.A. on Oct. 17, when she made the comment in response to a question: “As someone who is myself pro-abolishment of police, where do you stand on that spectrum,” the questioner said.

She responded: “What’s the rap verse? F— the police, that’s how I see ‘em.”

Jurado’s response

Jurado was unavailable for an interview Tuesday, according to a campaign spokesperson, but she released a written statement.

“In a meeting with students at Cal State LA, I quoted a lyric from a song that’s been part of a larger conversation on systemic injustice and police accountability for decades,” she said.

“F—Tha Police,” by N.W.A., was a famous police protest song on the album Straight Outta Compton in 1988.

Jurado maintained that “my commitment to public safety remains as strong as ever.”

But Jurado also went on in the statement to criticize “massive payouts for police misconduct” and to lament a “lopsided” city budget. She said the payouts have contributed to placing L.A. “on the edge of a financial emergency.”

“The safest cities in America invest in parks, recreation, youth development, and public infrastructure,” Jurado said.

Rare comment from the LAPD chief

De León, who is seeking his second term on the City Council, issued a statement Tuesday calling Jurado’s comment “simply disrespectful."

"I stand where I’ve always stood, 100% behind our frontline officers who go out every day risking their lives to protect Angelenos across our city,” he added.

In a rare instance of the chief of police commenting on an L.A. political campaign, Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi said “hearing the words ‘--- the police,’ is disappointing and diminishes the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the LAPD.”

“This divisive language only serves to erode what should be a positive and collaborative relationship between the police and the people we serve,” Choi added.

Police union responds

The Los Angeles Police Protective Leagues, which represents rank and file LAPD officers, blasted Jurado for making the comment.

If Jurado wins, “that means; fewer officers patrolling neighborhoods and enforcing the law, it means more crime and more victims of crime,” said LAPPL President Craig Lally. “Ms. Jurado does not support Mayor Bass’s efforts to improve the police department or hire more officers. She has no business making decisions about the safety of Angelenos.”

The union immediately released a new digital campaign ad featuring Jurado’s words.

Jurado has said she would have voted against Mayor Karen Bass’s budget for this fiscal year, which included more money for the LAPD. She has said she also would have opposed a new labor contract with the police union that boosted police salaries.

De León supported both of those measures.

The union has endorsed De León. It contributed $150,000 to an independent expenditure committee campaigning on his behalf.

What’s next?

It's unclear whether Jurado’s comment will hurt her campaign to unseat De León.

“I don’t think this one event will turn the election,” said Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Mount University, unless “other mistakes are made.”

In 2022, De León was caught participating in a secretly recorded conversation that included racist and derogatory remarks. He has apologized for the incident and said it's time to move on from it.