The LAPD is considering whether to close its police academy for part of 2028 to put hundreds of officers back on the road during the Olympics and Paralympics, according to four department sources.
The sources, who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to disclose internal affairs, said this proposal was floated in a senior staff meeting last week. The idea has fueled debate, the sources said, as some officials fear the freeze will set back the department's efforts to hire more officers and fill its dwindling ranks.
The LAPD declined to make any officers available for an interview about the proposal. In response to a Times investigation, the department released a brief statement that said: “The Olympic Games are two years away. The LAPD will prepare as always to keep the residents and visitors of Los Angeles safe. We look forward to an unforgettable event.”
A lot can change between now and the start of the Olympics. The size of the chartered classes is determined by the department's annual budget, which is approved by the City Council before each fiscal year.
Recently, the council signed off on the city's $15 billion budget for 2026-27, keeping Mayor Karen Bass' plan to hire 510 officers — just enough police to replace those expected to leave in the next fiscal year.
It is common that when there are big events, the department brings together officers from the special unit and others who do not usually work in this field. But the potential cancellation of more than half of the 13 academy classes the LAPD typically attends in a given year surprised some.
Under the proposal, the facility could be out of service for up to seven months after the January 2028 class, which would allow the department to temporarily lay off more than 300 officers from its training unit. This includes teachers who usually spend their days teaching the basics of how to handle firearms, pull overs for speeding, gather evidence at crime scenes and interview victims and suspects.
Sources said the proposed plan calls for increasing school class sizes before and after the Olympics and Paralympics to eliminate resignations and retirements.
The plan is still being met with serious skepticism in some quarters, as officials point to the department's well-documented recruitment tussle over the years. Any disruption by hiring officials could set the department back, skeptics argue.
LA City Councilman Tim McOsker said he understands the department's need to continue its hiring efforts, but said bringing training officials back to the field felt like “a sacrifice necessary to be able to host the Olympics.”
Late last month, LA officials reached a small deal with Olympic organizers setting out a process to repay the city hundreds of millions of dollars in public services, from traffic management to trash collection. But the question of how the city will pay for police protection remains unresolved.
The cost could be covered by $1 billion in federal funding for the Games. However, some elected officials have expressed concern that this money may not be available after the games. Another funding option is a $270-million contingency fund maintained by LA28 that can be distributed as surplus if the Games make money or used to cover any losses in the event of a deficit.
For months, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has warned that public safety will be compromised if the city does not hire more officers to not only protect Olympic venues, but also continue normal operations during the 66 days between the July 14 start of the Olympic Games and the end of the Paralympic Games. At a budget hearing last year, McDonnell asked the council to fund new hires — while arguing against creating any delays in hiring and promoting more officers.
Some City Council members pushed back, saying that overspending on the LAPD would force city leaders to consider cuts to other city functions, which they oppose.
The Olympics will also be staffed by thousands of officials from organizations from across the region. A bill currently being considered in the California Legislature would pave the way for hundreds of police officers from other states to help police the 2028 Games. The proposed law is opposed by the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the state's largest labor organization, which has argued that bringing in officers who don't meet statewide training standards could spell disaster.
