Los Angeles city leaders must get their act together to protect the Olympics
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell warned the Los Angeles City Council that the city lacks the 6,700 officers needed to secure the 2028 Summer Olympics, highlighting a growing concern over public safety planning. The California Post editorial board criticized Mayor Karen Bass' budget for insufficiently addressing Olympic security needs, noting limited mentions of the event and reduced police funding. With limited time before the Games, city leaders face mounting pressure to secure funding and resources despite financial constraints and unclear federal support.
- ▪LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell stated that Los Angeles does not have the 6,700 police officers required to secure the 2028 Summer Olympics.
- ▪Mayor Karen Bass' budget included only about 8,500 police officers, falling short of previous goals and down from earlier staffing levels.
- ▪The LA28 Committee has no funding for public safety, only for event-specific security.
- ▪President Donald Trump has pledged federal support for the Olympics, but the extent of federal law enforcement involvement remains unclear.
- ▪The LAPD also lacks funding for an additional 700 to 800 patrol vehicles needed for the Games.
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Opinion Los Angeles city leaders must get their act together to protect the Olympics By CA Post Editorial Board Published April 30, 2026, 9:06 p.m. ET LAPD chief Jim McDonnell warned the LA City Council on Wednesday that the city does not have the 6,700 police officers it will need to secure the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Who could have seen that coming? Oh, just about everyone who was paying attention. The California Post warned several weeks ago that Mayor Karen Bass’ budget was distinctly unambitious — so much so that in more than 500 pages, it only mentioned the Olympics twice. We also noted that the mayor only budgeted for about 8,500 police officers — 1,000 less than her previous goal of 9,500, and down from the 10,000 that the LAPD had before the vaccine mandates.
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