LAPD considers shutting down police academy in 2028 to flood streets with cops for LA Olympics

The Los Angeles Police Department is considering a significant plan to temporarily close its police academy in 2028 to allocate over 300 training officers to patrol duties during the Olympics, according to sources familiar with the internal discussions reported by The California Post.

The plan, which was recently discussed in a senior staff meeting, proposes halting academy operations for several months following the January 2028 graduating class, as stated by a city official who preferred to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of the discussions.

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

The proposal has sparked division among department leaders, who are concerned that pausing academy classes could further disrupt the LAPD’s recruitment efforts, potentially pushing prospective officers to seek employment with other agencies. Additionally, officials fear that the department would need to significantly expand academy class sizes after the Olympics to compensate for the hiring gap.

“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,” stated the Los Angeles Police Protective League Board of Directors to The Post.

Rank-and-file officers have also expressed concerns regarding the department’s staffing plans for the Olympics, according to another source familiar with the discussions.

“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 commented. “If the academy gets shut, it’ll mean losing hundreds and hundreds of officers.”

The source warned that the move could damage the LAPD’s hiring pipeline for years, saying, “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.”

“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.”

LAPD and city officials are exploring ways to staff and secure the upcoming Olympics, the largest event in the city’s history. Apart from the proposal to pause academy classes, the department is also considering bringing in officers from other law enforcement agencies across California and potentially from out of state, according to a source familiar with the planning.

“Everything is under consideration,” stated 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 emerged after LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell repeatedly cautioned City Hall in April about the department’s insufficient officer numbers and lack of dedicated funding to adequately police the 2028 Olympics while maintaining regular operations across Los Angeles.

McDonnell pointed out that LA28 had “zero police or other safety budgets” allocated to the LAPD, with existing federal security funds shared among multiple agencies, primarily covering officer overtime.

McDonnell also argued that the department needs more officers not only to protect Olympic venues but also to continue routine policing across the city during the 66-day period from the July 14 opening of the Olympic Games to the August 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, approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

In May, the council approved a $15 billion city budget, preserving Mayor Karen Bass’ plan to hire 510 new LAPD officers — an initiative aimed at growing the department to approximately 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 that 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.