LAPD on brink of dropping critical training as Olympic security demands come into focus 

The Los Angeles Police Department is weighing a dramatic plan to temporarily shut down its police academy in 2028 and deploy more than 300 training officers to patrol the city during the Olympics, sources familiar with the discussions told The California Post.

The proposal, discussed at a recent senior staff meeting, would pause academy operations for several months after the department’s January 2028 graduating class, according to a city official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions are internal.

“None of this has been approved. This is just a statement someone made in a meeting,” the official said. “It’s all under consideration. They’re trying to find staff.”

The plan has divided department leaders, who fear suspending academy classes could further derail the LAPD’s already struggling recruitment efforts by driving prospective officers to other agencies. Officials also worry the department would have to significantly increase academy class sizes after the Games to make up for lost hiring.

“Pausing police hiring may make sense to those whose sole focus is the safety of the Olympic Games, but for anyone who wants a safer Los Angeles beyond the games, it’s a horrible idea,” the Los Angeles Police Protective League Board of Directors told The Post.

Rank-and-file officers have also voiced concerns about the department’s Olympic staffing plans, another source familiar with the discussions said.

“Every unit in the entire department is going to get harvested to cover the Olympics. The one unit that should get some grace is the academy,” the source said. “If the academy gets shut, it’ll mean losing hundreds and hundreds of officers.”

The source warned the move could damage the LAPD’s hiring pipeline for years.

“The pipeline will be closed and they’ll have to restart it. We’re talking years to recover — and I don’t know that we’ll get it back,” the source said.

“There’s a lot of fear of the unknown. We still have not seen the deal that’s been cut between the city and the Olympic committee,” the source said. “There’s a little bit of apprehension and concern about it. We hope that it’s all going to come together.”

The LAPD and city officials are searching for ways to staff and secure the upcoming Olympics, which will be the largest event in the city’s history. In addition to the proposal to pause police academy classes, the department is also considering bringing in officers from other law enforcement agencies across California and even from out of state, a source familiar with the planning told The Post.

“Everything is under consideration,” said the source.

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“California’s patrol departments are already stretched thin, so of course staffing the Olympics will require creativity. But if the conversation continues to focus solely around assembling a temporary workforce, we’ll miss the opportunity right in front of us,” Brian R. Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the largest law enforcement labor organization in the United States, told The Post.

The proposals came after LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell repeatedly warned City Hall in April that the department does not have enough officers — or dedicated funding — to adequately police the 2028 Olympics while maintaining normal operations across Los Angeles.

McDonnell said LA28 had “zero police or other safety budgets” dedicated to the LAPD, adding that existing federal security funding is shared among multiple agencies and is expected to primarily cover officer overtime.

McDonnell also argued the department needs more officers not only to protect Olympic venues but also to continue routine policing across the city during the 66-day stretch between the July 14 opening of the Olympic Games and the Aug. 27 closing ceremony of the Paralympics.

Much could still change before the 2028 Olympics, as the size of LAPD academy classes ultimately depends on the department’s annual budget, which is approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

In May, the council approved a $15 billion city budget that preserved Mayor Karen Bass’ plan to hire 510 new LAPD officers — a recruitment push aimed at growing the department to roughly 8,555 officers by summer 2027.

The mayor’s office did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The LAPD declined to discuss internal planning and instead issued a brief statement.

The strain is particularly significant because security planners estimate the LA28 Games will require between 24,000 and 30,000 law enforcement officers across Southern California during the 66-day Olympic and Paralympic period, according to officials who have briefed state lawmakers.