LA mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman votes against $13M for 107 LAPD vehicles ahead of Olympics

Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman voted against a $13 million package for 107 LAPD vehicles Wednesday as the department scrambles to build up its fleet ahead of the massive security demands of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.Raman joined fellow progressives Eunisses Hernandez and Ysabel Jurado as the only three councilmembers to vote against the package, which passed the City Council 8-3.The $13.04 million in debt financing would pay for 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.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story The vote comes with Los Angeles set to host the Olympics in 2028, when more than 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes are expected to descend on the region.The new vehicles would be used for venue command, staging, investigations and other operations during the Games.But LAPD is already warning that it faces a major vehicle and staffing crunch ahead of the global spectacle.The department estimates it will need more than 900 patrol vehicles during the Games and still faces a 300-vehicle shortfall, even after plans to borrow vehicles from other units, keep older cars on the road and maximize its existing fleet.LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has also warned City Hall that Olympics organizers have no dedicated pot of money to cover the department’s law enforcement costs.“LA28 confirms that they have zero police or other safety budgets,” McDonnell told councilmembers in April.“While they do have a security budget, it doesn’t cover law enforcement.”California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, Ti...