Los Angeles on Wednesday became the latest major city to give in to demands from protesters calling for defunding the police, slashing Los Angeles Police Department’s budget by $150 million.
The cuts include reducing the number of sworn officers to nearly 9,800, the department’s lowest total since 2008. Funds set aside for overtime pay were also slashed.
Councilman Curren Price said two-thirds of the savings would be transferred to services for Black, Latino and disenfranchised communities, with a focus on employment services and youth jobs.
“This is a step forward, supporting minority communities in ways in which they deserve — with respect, dignity and an even playing field,” said Mr. Price, the only black member of the council’s budget committee.
The cuts illustrate how fast big cities have reversed their positions on police funding since the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died on May 25 while in the custody of four White Minneapolis officers.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in April demanded a 7 percent increase to the police department’s budget. He has since reversed his stance since Mr. Floyd’s death.
Still, the $150 million cut was well short of demands from Black Lives Matter and other activists. They pushed to eliminate police spending and redirect the savings to housing, mental health services and other needs.
Other large cities have also taken an ax to their department’s budget in the past month. The New York city council has proposed a $1 billion cut to its police department and, in Philadelphia, the mayor has proposed a $33.3 million cut.
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