Los Angeles’ incoming Democrat mayor is pushing for a lower bar for new recruits to diversify the LAPD while vowing to boot officers with ties to “domestic far-right organizations.”
- Mayor Karen Bass plans to reform the defunded LAPD by making it easier to join
- Bass attempts to lower recruit qualifications to diversify the department
- She also promised to remove “right-wing” officers from their positions
Los Angeles’ new mayor is trying to lower the bar for new police department recruits and has pledged to fire officers with “ring-wing” connections.
Democrat Karen Bass is quickly recruiting officers for the defunded Los Angeles Police Department by hiring a third party to investigate why some recruits are failing in hopes of eliminating some qualifications, according to Fox News.
The mayor’s goal of diversifying the police department and lowering skills has been deemed “dangerous” by LAPD union leaders because some aspiring officers are grossly unsuited for the job.
“This is just a recipe for disaster,” Tom Saggau, spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, told the news agency. “We think the lowering of standards sets a dangerous precedent.”
Other goals Bass wants to focus on include reducing the number of police-involved shootings and eliminating “officials linked to domestic far-right organizations.”
Democrat Karen Bass quickly recruits officers for the defunded Los Angeles Police Department by hiring a third party to investigate why some recruits are failing in hopes of eliminating some qualifications
The mayor’s goal of diversifying the police department and lowering skills has been deemed “dangerous” by LAPD union leaders because some aspiring officers are grossly unsuited for the job
Saggu told the news outlet that those who don’t qualify as a new hire “don’t have the mental fitness or the physical fitness to be a police officer.”
“For example, if you have police officers who cannot meet minimum qualifications or minimum standards, there are recruits who have been in the academy who simply cannot meet the minimum requirements for a physical fitness test,” Saggau told the news outlet.
“One hundred is the maximum score, 50 is acceptable. There are people who score below 10 points. That’s just dangerous.
As Bass continues to lower qualifications, obstacles including “ethnic groups disproportionately excluded from training new officers” will be removed.
Aside from lowering guidelines to become a civil servant, Bass is also seeking to identify, discipline and/or fire civil servants linked to far-right domestic extremist organizations, according to the news outlet.
The Democrat mayor also plans to hire more homicide detectives in light of staffing shortages and to consider other policing options, including “alternative measures and community policing,” Bass told the Los Angeles Times.
“Mayor Bass sees an urgent need for more officers,” Saggau said. “The question is, how do you get there? And we are fully committed to civilizing positions where police officers should do policing and civilians should do civilian work.’
Bass’ moves come nearly three years after the Los Angeles City Council voted to cut the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget by $150 million in 2020
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (pictured) previously vowed to keep officer levels high at the LAPD but seemed to falter as calls for budget defunding mounted
Other goals Bass wants to focus on include reducing the number of police-involved shootings and eliminating “officials linked to domestic far-right organizations.”
Bass’ moves come nearly three years after the Los Angeles City Council voted to cut the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget by $150 million in 2020 amid the George Floyd riots and protests.
The City of Los Angeles’ total budget for 2020-2021 is approximately $10.5 billion, according to KCAL 9. The $150 million cuts represent eight percent of the nearly $1.8 billion LAPD budget dedicated solely to police forces.
At the time, the Los Angeles Times reported that the LAPD’s hiring took the hit, dropping its officer count to just 9,757 by the next summer. It is the LAPD’s lowest staffing level since 2008.
The 12-2 vote impacted overtime pay, reducing the workforce to its lowest level in 12 years.
Maintaining a 10,000 officer staff had been a goal for Los Angeles officials after the department first reached that number in 2013.
Former Mayor Eric Garcetti previously promised to keep staffing levels high.
It’s unclear if Bass will seek to increase police funding as it lowers recruit skill requirements.