{"id":17575,"date":"2026-07-26T07:48:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T02:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17575"},"modified":"2026-07-26T07:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T02:48:46","slug":"lapd-chief-details-extent-of-citys-growing-police-shortage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17575","title":{"rendered":"LAPD chief details extent of city\u2019s growing police shortage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F07%2Fnewspress-collage-jl4jcvzot-1785032585585.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261785018384\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Los Angeles Police Department\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/02\/12\/us-news\/lapd-chief-warns-city-needs-3300-more-police-officers\/\">officer shortage<\/a> has gone from bad to worse \u2014 with the city\u2019s top cop revealing that he has lost hundreds of officers in recent months while trying bolster the beleaguered force by a staggering 4,000 more.<\/p>\n<p>LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell exclusively told The California Post\u00a0that the department\u2019s uniformed force currently stands at about 8,550, down about 200 officers from February when the LAPD had more than 8,700 cops.<\/p>\n<p>McDonnell also revealed that the LAPD currently needs about 12,500 cops to ideally safeguard the city, updating a previous estimate of about 12,000 officers that he cited to the Post in February.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell exclusively told The California Post\u00a0that the department\u2019s uniformed force currently stands at about 8,550, down about 200 officers from February when the LAPD had more than 8,700 cops. <span class=\"credit\">Jonathan Alcorn for California Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe would be able to provide the best coverage possible with 12,500 officers. We\u2019re not even in that ballpark. We currently have 8,551 for officers that are on the job today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen somebody comes into this organization from another organization as a lateral, they can\u2019t believe what we get done with the number of people we have,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton called the revelation \u201cshocking and scandalous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is totally unacceptable for America\u2019s second city to be starved of law enforcement in this way,\u201d he told The California Post. \u201cThis is what happens with years of a far left ideology that tries to systematically undermine law enforcement in the name of \u2018criminal justice reform\u2019 \u2014 defund the police, close the prisons, catch and release. It all adds up to massive demoralization of the brave men and women who put themselves at risk to keep us safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ideally the department would have 12,500 officers, the chief said.  <span class=\"credit\">Ringo Chiu for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In February, McDonnell said <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/12\/12\/us-news\/la-faces-world-cup-olympics-safety-questions-with-1400-officer-shortfall\/\">LA needed 12,000 officers just to function safely<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 a staggering 38% increase, or roughly 3,300 more cops from staffing levels at the time. The new 12,500 figure represents an ideal level, he said, enabling the department to achieve the best possible results with major events like the 2028 Summer Olympics expected to bring millions of people to the city.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/01\/21\/us-news\/la-city-council-finally-approves-hiring-more-than-400-new-cops-after-drawn-out-budget-fight\/\">City Council approved funding to hire up just to 410 officers<\/a>\u00a0this fiscal year, a move one senior department source described as \u201ca drop in the bucket.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A bloc of Democratic Socialists of America councilmembers <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/10\/us-news\/far-left-plot-to-seize-control-of-the-lapd-as-cops-warn-they-will-destroy-the-city\/\">have been openly hostile to the LAPD<\/a>, with member and now mayoral candidate Nithya Raman opposed to any increases to the department\u2019s budget and pushing to shrink its role.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are thankful that we are not dealing with a Mayor Raman, who has repeatedly voted to cut funding to hire police officers and has no real plan to keep Angelenos safe,\u201d Tom Saggau, spokesman for the city\u2019s largest police union, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, told the California Post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The LAPD had just 26 graduates in its June 2026 class, not nearly enough to offset the 500 to 600 officers LAPD officials have said the department loses per year through attrition. <span class=\"credit\">Jonathan Alcorn for CA Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In April, Mayor Karen Bass announced that she<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/09\/us-news\/la-mayor-karen-bass-ditches-lapd-growth-plan-as-sworn-officers-hit-25-year-low\/\"> was dialing back<\/a> her once-ambitious plan to rebuild the LAPD and is now aiming to simply to stop the bleeding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy goal changed, unfortunately,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/09\/us-news\/la-mayor-karen-bass-ditches-lapd-growth-plan-as-sworn-officers-hit-25-year-low\/\">Bass said of her intention to bring police headcount to 9,500 officers<\/a>.<br \/>\u201cI do hope that one day we get to the expansion, but we are not there now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The LAPD had just 26 graduates in its June 2026 class, not nearly enough to offset the 500 to 600 officers LAPD officials have said the department loses per year through attrition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople don\u2019t want to be police officers because the profession has been relentlessly criticized,\u201d said George Francisco, longtime member of LAPD Pacific Community-Police Advisory Board. \u201cOrganized and well-funded anti-law enforcement campaigns, coupled with years of negative media coverage, have created a stigma around policing that discourages many young people from considering it as a career.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The largest size the Los Angeles Police Department ever reached was approximately 10,023 sworn officers in 2013. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The largest size the Los Angeles Police Department ever reached was approximately 10,023 sworn officers in 2013.  <span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bass has moved to address the current shortage by reducing the amount of time to conduct background checks on new hires and increasing the starting pay for rookie officers.<\/p>\n<p>Under Bass\u2019s union contract with the LAPD, the starting annual base pay for new police recruits is $86,192, an increase of about 13% from previous rates.<\/p>\n<p>The mayor has also provided incentives for senior officers to stay on the force, Saggau said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe support Mayor Bass\u2019s initiatives to grow the ranks of the LAPD,\u201d he told The Post.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPublic safety is the most important service that the City of Los Angeles provides to its residents, businesses, and visitors \u2014 especially ahead of major sporting events,\u201d the mayor\u2019s office said in a statement to The Post. \u201cEven in light of the City\u2019s financial environment, Mayor Bass has fought to prioritize public safety and streamline the hiring process for LAPD officers through executive action. Mayor Bass\u2019 long-term goal is to continue to rebuild the ranks of the LAPD.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>McDonnell said the LAPD\u2019s dwindling size has forced the department to find new ways of boosting efficiencies while continuing to grapple with a shrinking staff. <span class=\"credit\">Barbara Davidson for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>McDonnell said the LAPD\u2019s dwindling size has forced the department to find new ways of boosting efficiencies while continuing to grapple with a shrinking staff.<\/p>\n<p>He cited the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/02\/17\/us-news\/lapd-oversight-board-approves-2-1m-donation-to-expand-drone-program\/\">use of drones <\/a>as an important tool for boosting the impact of the department, calling the new technology \u201ca force multiplier.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Drones have already saved police from responding to hundreds of unneeded calls for service, department officials said. Last year, the small, unmanned aircraft responded to more than 3,000 calls.<\/p>\n<p>McDonnell said the drones provide police with information that prompts stations to cancel dispatches of officers about 11% of the time, because the officers aren\u2019t really needed.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>New technologies such as drones are helping the department boost efficiencies.  <span class=\"credit\">Carlin Stiehl for CA Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe can do a video downlink and we can see that what was reported is not there,\u201d he said. \u00a0\u201cAnd so that saves us time for the units, tying up a unit on a call that\u2019s not a real call.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With the World Cup in now the rearview mirror and the Olympics on the horizon, McDonnell said the LAPD has become a model of efficiency for police in other U.S. cities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause of the way we police, we\u2019re extremely efficient,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re able to do a lot more with fewer people, and we\u2019ve been doing it for so long that that has become the way we do business.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>McDonnell said the LAPD has fewer police per resident compared to other cities.  <span class=\"credit\">Jonathan Alcorn for California Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The LAPD\u2019s current headcount stands at about 8,550.  <span class=\"credit\">Ringo Chiu for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite the LAPD\u2019s shrinking size, the department has continued to achieve dropping crime levels. The most recent figures show that personal and property crimes in LA are down about 8%, year-over-year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you compare LA with New York or Chicago, they have four to four and a half officers per thousand population. We have 2.2,\u201d McDonnell said. \u201cSo we are exceptionally lean.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Police Department\u2019s officer shortage has gone from bad to worse \u2014 with the city\u2019s top cop revealing that he has lost hundreds of officers in recent months while trying bolster the beleaguered force by a staggering 4,000 more. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell exclusively told The California Post\u00a0that the department\u2019s uniformed force currently&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/newspress-collage-jl4jcvzot-1785032585585.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1785018384&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}