April 1, 2026|News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2026
LOS ANGELES — Today, the Los Angeles City Council approved a Budget and Finance Committee recommendation to continue sworn police hiring during the current fiscal year using identified savings from within the Police Department’s existing budget.
Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, issued the following statement:
“This vote keeps hiring moving this year and sets clear expectations for next year. If we add officers above the adopted plan, those costs have to be paid for responsibly, with real offsets or new revenue, and without civilian layoffs or cuts to core city services.”
The action allows the City to address officer attrition without creating new impacts in the 2025–26 budget and supports hiring up to 410 sworn officers this fiscal year. The approved plan also directs City officials to identify ongoing funding solutions for future years as part of the upcoming budget process.
The Council’s action follows direction given in December to fund near-term hiring while requiring a clear plan for how additional officers would be supported long term. The report approved today identifies one-time savings to fund hiring this year and outlines the estimated ongoing cost of expanded hiring in the 2026–27 fiscal year.
As part of the action, the Council reaffirmed that future budget decisions must protect civilian workers and essential City services while addressing the City’s broader fiscal challenges.
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