LA Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman Under Fire for Remarks on Former Police Chief

Socialist mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, currently favored to become the next leader of Los Angeles, faces criticism for comments made during a televised debate that appeared to praise former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates. Raman, a city councilmember, stated on October 13 that the city "used to be the gold standard in terms of non–cooperation with immigration enforcement years ago during the era of Daryl Gates."

In 1979, Gates issued Special Order 40, a directive that prohibited law enforcement officers in Los Angeles from stopping and questioning individuals solely for the purpose of determining their immigration status. However, Gates's tenure as chief was also marked by controversy, including criticism for his response to the 1992 Rodney King riots and repeated accusations of racial violence within the LAPD during his command.

Raman later issued an apology, calling her reference to Gates a "mistake" and stating she had "fumbled" her point. "That point was not to praise Daryl Gates in any shape or form," she told CNN. "I sincerely apologize for mentioning his name. I know it causes real pain for so many people across Los Angeles and I should not have said it."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who is seeking a second term, has been highly critical of Raman's remarks. Bass stated that Raman was not "ready for primetime" and indicated that Raman was "not really familiar" with the city, particularly its Black community. "It's clear [Raman] has no idea what it takes to ensure safe streets," Bass said in a statement. Bass also rejected Raman's apology, calling it "too little, too late" and asserting that Gates "had inflicted serious harm to the African American community."

During her time as chief, Gates made controversial statements, including telling the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 1990 that casual drug users "ought to be taken out and shot." He also faced scrutiny for high rates of deaths from LAPD chokeholds, to which he responded that it could be due to "arteries do not open as fast as they do in normal people."

Raman has accused Bass of attempting to "twist" her comments about Gates and Special Order 40, emphasizing that her intention was to highlight a past period when "immigrant residents of Los Angeles were able to reach out to our law enforcement without fear of being reported to immigration authorities." Special Order 40 remains in effect and has not been rescinded by the LAPD.

Raman has also questioned the LAPD's cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Bass's administration, calling for the removal of current LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. She stated on her website that Los Angeles needs a police chief who "stands with Angelenos against federal intimidation and rebuilds community trust in LAPD."

Former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso expressed "extreme concern" over Raman's plan to replace the current chief, suggesting that her approach would "take LA in the wrong direction." He added, "I don't think we need LAPD being a lab experiment for the [Democratic Socialists of America]."

A recent poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies indicates Raman is currently leading the mayoral race with 39 percent of likely voters, compared to Bass's 28 percent, with 33 percent undecided.