LAPD Considers Freezing Academy for 2028 Olympics, Faces Union Opposition Over Officer Shortage

In an idea out of the movie “Police Academy,” the Los Angeles Police Department is considering changing its training protocols in order to allow more cops to patrol the city for the 2028 Olympics, according to a report.

Under the plans, operations at the LAPD’s training academy would be frozen for several months, and more than 300 training officers would be deployed to patrol Los Angeles. Operations would be paused after the January 2028 graduating class, a city official told The New York Post.

The source claimed that the proposal was “just a statement” made during a senior staff meeting and has not yet been approved.

Another source claimed that the closing of the academy could lead to the loss of “hundreds and hundreds” of officers.

“Every unit in the entire department is going to get harvested to cover the Olympics,” they said. “The one unit that should get some grace is the academy.”

The Los Angeles Police Protective League Board of Directors told the publication that pausing police hiring is a “horrible idea” for “anyone who wants a safer Los Angeles” outside of the Olympic Games.

In a statement, the LAPD told The Los Angeles Times that the Olympic Games are still two years away.

“The LAPD will be prepared as always to keep the citizens and visitors of Los Angeles safe,” the statement continued. “We look forward to a memorable event.”

Jaime McBride, director of the LAPD Police Union, warned NBC4 that the police force needs to hire just under 1,500 additional officers.

“Right now, if the Olympics are held today, we're not safe," McBride warned.

According to him, around 10,000 officers are required each day to keep the city’s communities safe. He says that the LAPD currently has around 8,600 sworn officers. Speaking to the same outlet, LAPD Commander Mario Mota said that the department needs 12,000 to 15,000 officers assigned to the LAPD to cover the games.

Mota told the state’s Senate Public Safety Committee earlier this year that Olympic events outside of Los Angeles, but still in Southern California, will need an additional 12,000 to 15,000 officers.

The 2028 Olympic Games will kick off on July 14 and will end on July 30, with the Paralympic Games commencing on August 15 before concluding on August 27, according to the LA28 website.

Brian Hale, chief of parking enforcement & traffic control at the L.A. Department of Transportation, told The Transportation Channel that authorities expect 5 million people to visit Los Angeles during the 28-day period over which the Olympic and Paralympic Games take place.