Democrat Mayors in California Who Backed ‘Defund the Police’ Scramble to Add Cops

Democratic Party mayors in Los Angeles and San Francisco who backed the “Defund the Police” movement during the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020 are now scrambling to add more cops to the beat as their cities face major crime waves.

In Los Angeles, where outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti slashed over 10% of the police budget in June 2020, even as rioters rampaged through the streets, the city council revealed Wednesday it could not meet his new target for hiring more officers.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

The Los Angeles City Council scaled back Mayor Eric Garcetti’s spending plan for the Police Department on Wednesday, after receiving a report that said his target for police hiring cannot be achieved.

Garcetti proposed a citywide budget last month that called for the recruitment of 780 officers — a number that, once departures are factored in, would increase LAPD staffing to 9,735 officers. Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso, who advises the council, warned in a recent memo that the LAPD would not reach that number, since staffing at the department has continued to decline.

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Wednesday’s vote comes at a time when LAPD staffing is an issue in the June 7 election. Real estate developer Rick Caruso and businessman Mel Wilson have called for the LAPD to have 11,000 officers, while Rep. Karen Bass and Councilman Kevin de León have argued in favor of 9,700.

In San Francisco, where Mayor London Breed once called for $120 million to be redistributed from law enforcement to the black community, before reversing her position last year, an upcoming budget battle will feature fights about funding cops.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported:

San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Wednesday she’ll push for police academy classes and investment to recruit and retain officers in the upcoming city budget amid public safety concerns from residents and businesses.

Breed told business leaders Wednesday morning public safety “would be a top priority” in the budget she will propose to supervisors on June 1, according to a copy of the speech. She mentioned police are below recommended staffing levels.

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The mayor could get pushback from the board — dominated by progressives — if she wants more academy classes and police funding, but supervisors are more likely to support filling vacant positions. Breed needs supervisors’ support to pass the budget.

Both cities face ongoing efforts to recall local prosecutors. In San Francisco, District Attorney Chesa Boudin faces a recall election on the June 7 ballot. In Los Angeles County, George Gascón faces an aggressive petition drive for a recall election.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.