The Los Angeles School board voted to defund the school police budget by $25 million following weeks of protests by student activists involved in the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved an immediate 35% cut to its school police force, a reduction of $25 million, in response to weeks of protests by student activists and community groups who had called for the elimination of the department.
The 4-3 vote was supported by Garcia, Jackie Goldberg, Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez. Opposing the move were board President Richard Vladovic, George McKenna and Scott Schmerelson — all retired longtime school administrators who expressed concerns about safety risks.Goldberg’s chief of staff, Sharon Delugach, said Tuesday night that the resolution also would require officers to be unarmed and would prohibit the use of pepper spray.
The vote to reduce the police force came at the end of a 13-hour meeting that started with public comments over the issue, which has roiled the school district since June 8, when leaders ofSeveral student protests in Los Angeles were part of a nationwide movement calling for the “defunding” of police. Local activists have long opposed the school police, but their effort gained momentum after the death in May of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police.
Goldberg advanced her compromise after Garcia pressed the issue by bringing it back to the board one week after her earlier defunding effort failed. Speakers against the school police dominated more than five hours of public comments; there also were numerous and passionate defenders of the police.“There is nothing I can say to move the board that hasn’t been said by passionate advocates,” Garcia said as she began her 11th-hour bid.
The groups pushing to eliminate the school police said they would have preferred Garcia’s original 50% cuts but would continue fighting toward the goal of completely eliminating the department. Before the vote, school police Chief Todd Chamberlain told the board the cut would result in an immediate reduction of 65 officers and would limit officer presence at high schools to school hours Monday through Friday. In addition, he said, 39 vacancies would not be filled, and there would be no overtime available to fill the gaps. The department has a total of 472 employees, including 344 sworn officers, who are certified to carry weapons.
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