Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said planning for the 2028 Olympic Games faces significant gaps in dedicated law enforcement funding, warning that current budgets do not fully account for the policing needs of the global event.
"LA28 confirms that they have zero police or other safety budgets," McDonnell said Wednesday during a City Hall budget meeting, referring to the private organizing committee for the Games.
"While they do have a security budget, it doesn't cover law enforcement."
McDonnell said existing funding tied to Olympic security is broader in scope and not specifically allocated to the Los Angeles Police Department or other local agencies responsible for on-the-ground policing.
"The funding that exists is for all agencies involved in the Olympics, not just the LAPD, and it will be restricted primarily to police officer overtime," he said.
The comments highlight ongoing questions about how Los Angeles and its public safety agencies will manage the scale and complexity of securing the Summer Games, which are expected to draw millions of visitors and require coordination across multiple jurisdictions.
In response, an LA28 spokesperson said planning remains underway with government partners to determine the full scope of security and related costs.
"We are in the planning process with local, state, and federal partners to determine what security and other related costs for the LA28 Games will be," the spokesperson told The California Post.
The person also pointed to recent federal funding aimed at supporting Olympic security efforts nationwide.
"We are grateful that the administration and Congress recently appropriated $1 billion in security funding to support planning and operations, including reimbursements to local and state law enforcement," they said.
Organizers emphasized that the Games have been designated a National Special Security Event — a classification that allows federal agencies to take a leading role in coordinating security operations alongside state and local partners.
"We will continue to work with our partners at the federal, state, and local levels, including the City of LA, to ensure a safe, secure, and successful Games," the spokesperson said.
Such designations have been used for past large-scale events, including previous Olympic Games and national political conventions, and typically involve agencies such as the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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