LA Police Union Accuses Mayoral Hopeful Nithya Raman of Pledging Socialist Policies

The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) has accused mayoral candidate Nithya Raman of pledging to enact socialist policies that could lead to defunding the police, closing jails, and exacerbating the city's drug issues if elected. Tom Saggau, a spokesperson for the LAPPL, stated that voters should not be misled by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), suggesting Raman intends to co-govern Los Angeles with the DSA's LA branch and advance its agenda from City Hall.

"Nithya Raman agreed to co-govern with the DSA, and the actual DSA policy demands listed on their website are quite scary," Saggau told the Daily Mail. The DSA-LA's stated demands include decommissioning facilities like Men's Central Jail and rejecting efforts to expand domestic anti-terrorism laws that target protestors. Saggau also referenced proposals attributed to the DSA, such as seizing private homes and small businesses, defunding and abolishing the police, and allowing homeless encampments near schools and daycares.

Raman, a current councilmember, secured the endorsement of DSA-LA for the upcoming election. The police union distributed a pamphlet to 100,000 homes, asserting that Raman was endorsed after explicitly pledging to participate in the DSA-LA program to run as a Democratic Socialist.

The union cited DSA proposals on its website that include expropriating privately owned housing and expanding public ownership of businesses like grocery stores and restaurants. The LAPPL also pointed to Raman's recent vote against allocating $100,000 for the LAPD's participation in the Joint Regional Intelligence Center, which facilitates information sharing on terrorist threats among federal and local agencies. However, she did vote in favor of $320,000 in federal funds for de-escalation training for new police recruits.

"They are wolves masquerading as sheep, skilled at misinformation and distraction," Saggau commented on the DSA's approach. "Make no mistake, they are playing a long game designed to embed a socialist regime in Los Angeles."

Among DSA-LA's other stated policy goals are redirecting police funds, reducing sworn personnel in favor of civilian employees for traffic enforcement and mental health interventions, and decriminalizing drug use. The organization also calls for an end to collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to Saggau, voter focus groups organized by the union showed strong negative reactions, particularly to the concept of property expropriation. Raman, who has been backed by the DSA since her first council election in 2020 and supported her 2024 reelection campaign, has previously expressed opposition to an anti-camping rule that mandates tents be at least 500 feet from schools. At a 2024 debate, she stated, "I don't think a kid's going to be safer because a tent is 500 feet away from a school, it's like, whatever."

A recent poll by Impact Research indicates a close race, with Raman at 37 percent and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass at 38 percent, while 26 percent of voters remain undecided.