The Los Angeles City Council Friday has approved report seeking to address barriers to hiring lateral transfers from outside law enforcement agencies to the Los Angeles Police Department in an effort to increase the department’s rank-and-file of officers.
The Council voted 12-2 — with councilwoman Monica Rodriguez absent from Friday’s meeting — to instruct the Personnel Department to identify and report back with possible solutions to address barriers to hiring lateral transfers to the LAPD.
The Council approved the vote with no discussion, but Councilman Hugo Soto-MartÃnez did call for a separate vote on item. Soto-MartÃnez and Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez voted against it.
On Wednesday, the Council approved a nearly $1 billion four-year contract with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, according to the union representing LAPD. The labor agreement outlines a series of pay raises and bonuses intended to address issues of retention and recruitment.
The deal also increases health care benefits and patrol incentives.
In a statement, Mayor Karen Bass said that the LAPD’s sworn force dipped below 9,000 for the first time since 2022. Bass previously stated she intends to increase the LAPD’s sworn force by more than 750 officers.
Following the vote Wednesday, LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore said the contract is “another critical step in attracting and retaining highly qualified personnel.”
“The Los Angeles Police Department is at a critical juncture with staffing levels at historic lows,” Moore said in a statement. “The passage of the well-deserved contract by the majority of the City Council, coupled with the many voices from various business and residential community members, demonstrates the collective support of our people and the tireless work they do to protect and to serve every day.”
Council members Soto-MartÃnez, Hernandez and Nithya Raman voted against the contract, and called the deal “irresponsible.”
Hernandez said the deal came at a time when several city unions are still in contract negotiations, and said the city already allocates a quarter of its general fund to the LAPD.
“Our budget is a zero-sum game. When we allocate so much of our city dollars to just one department we starve all of our other departments from the money, personnel and resources that they need to serve Angelenos,” she said.
Moore reported the department’s strength stands at 9,011 officers, while its civilian force stands at 2,621, during Tuesday’s Police Commission meeting.
Moore said recruitment issues has affected the department’s ability to meet challenges with crime, such as a spike in organized retail theft, property crimes and assaults with deadly weapons. He acknowledged that having 1,000 fewer officers has limited the department’s response to calls for service and affected public engagement.