Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman voted against a $13 million package for 107 LAPD vehicles, intended for 2028 Olympics security, joining two other progressives in opposition amidst the department's vehicle and staffing shortfalls.
Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman, currently battling Mayor Karen Bass, voted against a $13.04 million debt financing package for 107 non-patrol LAPD vehicles, including mobile substations and emergency-response vehicles. The vote, which passed 8-3 with Raman, Eunisses Hernandez, and Ysabel Jurado dissenting, comes as the LAPD scrambles to build its fleet for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics, which will bring over 15,000 athletes to the region. The new vehicles are crucial for venue command and investigations during the Games. However, LAPD is already warning of a significant vehicle and staffing crunch, estimating a need for over 900 patrol vehicles and facing a 300-vehicle shortfall, even after borrowing and maximizing existing resources. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has also highlighted that LA28 organizers have no dedicated budget for law enforcement costs, stating their security budget doesn't cover police. The department projects needing nearly 6,700 officers on peak days, while it can only provide about one-third of that manpower. Raman's "no" vote aligns with her history of opposing some major police spending measures, despite shifting her stance from her 2020 "defund the police" campaign to arguing against further shrinking the force. She previously voted against hiring 170 additional LAPD officers earlier this year. The department is separately seeking $30 million for another 300 patrol vehicles.
