Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman voted against a $13 million package for 107 Los Angeles Police Department vehicles on Wednesday. The funding is intended to help the department prepare for the security demands of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Raman, along with councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Ysabel Jurado, were the only three to vote against the measure, which passed the City Council with an 8-3 vote.
The $13.04 million in debt financing would acquire 107 non-patrol vehicles, including 30 dual-purpose vehicles, 30 unmarked investigative vehicles, seven mobile substations, four van substations, and a fleet of trucks, transport vans, and emergency-response vehicles. These vehicles are slated for use during the Games in venue command, staging, investigations, and other operations. Los Angeles is expected to host more than 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes during the 2028 event.
The LAPD has warned of a significant vehicle and staffing shortage leading up to the Olympics. The department estimates a need for over 900 patrol vehicles during the Games and faces a projected shortfall of 300 vehicles, even with plans to borrow from other units, extend the service life of older cars, and maximize its current fleet. The department is also seeking an additional $30 million for 300 standard patrol vehicles to address this projected deficit.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has previously informed City Hall that the LA28 organizing committee does not have a dedicated budget for law enforcement costs. While the committee has a security budget, it does not cover law enforcement expenses. On peak days during the Games, the LAPD estimates it may need nearly 6,700 officers across eight Los Angeles venues, though the department can only supply about one-third of that number itself.
Raman's vote against the vehicle funding comes as she faces Mayor Karen Bass in the November mayoral runoff election. This vote has drawn renewed attention to Raman's past positions on policing. During her 2020 City Council campaign, she expressed support for "defund the police" and advocated for transforming the LAPD into a "much smaller, specialized armed force." Her stance has since evolved during her mayoral campaign, where she stated that the LAPD should not be reduced from its current strength of approximately 8,600 officers. However, she has continued to oppose some significant police spending initiatives, including a previous vote against Mayor Bass's proposal to hire 170 additional LAPD officers.
Raman's office did not immediately provide a statement regarding her vote on the vehicle funding package.