LA Mayor Proposes Modest Boost to Policing Budget, Bucking ‘Defund Police’ Advocates
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has called for a modest 3 percent increase in law enforcement funding after an 80 percent spike in shootings this year, bucking “defund the police” advocates.
Garcetti’s proposed $11.2-billion budget (pdf) for the coming fiscal year allocates $1.76 billion for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), up from the $1.71 billion the council approved last summer when they opted to slash the police budget by $150 million amid protests and pressure to defund the police following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“If you want to abolish the police, you’re talking to the wrong mayor,” Garcetti said on April 20, during his 2021 State of the City address in Los Angeles.