LAPD Union Criticizes Mayoral Candidate Nithya Raman Over Stances on Public Drug Use, Police Staffing

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is facing scrutiny from the city's police union over her positions on public drug use and police staffing, with union officials accusing her of contradicting her past votes as she campaigns against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

During an appearance on "The Iced Coffee Hour" podcast, Raman suggested that some calls involving individuals experiencing homelessness could be managed without armed police officers. She argued that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) might be unable to intervene if no crime is actively occurring and the person is not a threat to themselves.

Host Graham Stephan challenged Raman's assertion, pointing out that the individuals he described were openly using illegal drugs. "Well, there is a crime. They're doing drugs," Stephan stated.

Chris Wecker, vice president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), responded to Raman's comments, questioning her commitment to maintaining police staffing levels. Wecker cited Raman's earlier vote this year against a proposal intended to offset officer retirements.

"No, there are not enough police officers now to keep residents and officers safe," Wecker said in a statement. "What has Angelenos scratching their heads is the stark contrast between what Candidate Raman is saying today and what Councilmember Raman voted on earlier this year. This year she voted against hiring 170 officers to replace those who were retiring. This wouldn't have increased the number of officers; it simply would have kept the number of officers the same."

Raman's voting record shows opposition to a January proposal that authorized funding for 130 recruits, which was the final part of a 170-recruit hiring plan. The measure passed the City Council with a 9-4 vote, with Raman among the four council members who voted against it.

When pressed on the sufficiency of current officer numbers, Raman stated, "I want to maintain the size of our police force. That's what — that's where we're at right now." She advocated for hiring civilian employees for administrative tasks and expanding alternative response teams to allow existing officers to focus on criminal activity, attributing recruitment challenges partly to bureaucratic delays.

Wecker also expressed concerns about using unarmed responders for situations involving public drug use, warning that such encounters could escalate and endanger responders. "We support unarmed responses to some calls for service. Public drug use is not one of those calls," he told Fox News Digital. "These are some of the most dangerous and unpredictable calls to which officers must respond."

In contrast, Mayor Karen Bass' office stated that the incumbent mayor has been working to expand the LAPD force to 9,500 officers. A spokesperson for Bass' re-election campaign noted that Raman "voted against hiring more police officers every chance she got in city council, and we have less officers now directly because of her."

Bass' proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-27 called for hiring 510 new officers, a target that was maintained in the city's adopted budget. The mayor has also supported expanding civilian crisis response, announcing over $2 million in federal funding for the CIRCLE program, which sends unarmed mental health professionals to certain nonviolent calls related to homelessness or mental health crises.