LA police chief Jim McDonnell warns city not ready to secure 2028 Olympics

Los Angeles’ police chief has warned that the city is not ready to secure the 2028 Olympics due to staffing shortages and a lack of private funding.

The warning comes at a time when security concerns are rising around large-scale public events across the country.

Speaking at the City Council Budget and Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the department does not have dedicated funding beyond a common security pool with other agencies, the New York Post reported.

“LA28 confirms that they have zero police or other security budget,” McDonnell said. “Although there are security budgets, this budget does not include law enforcement.”

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“The available funding applies to all agencies participating in the Olympics, not just the LAPD, and will be limited primarily to police officer overtime,” he added.

The Olympic Special Events Unit determined that Los Angeles will need approximately 6,700 officials at eight venues during the 2028 Games, according to the report.

Police will also need another 700 to 800 patrol vehicles; However, this need cannot be fully met.

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Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell warned city leaders that the department may not have enough resources to secure the 2028 Olympic Games. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

The department already loses more than 500 officers a year to attrition, driving up overtime costs, officials warned.

The LAPD expects to log about 1.4 million hours of overtime this year, contributing to a projected $16.5 million deficit, the report said.

While Olympic organizers said the federal government would help provide security because the Games were designated as a National Special Security Event, LAPD officials pushed back, calling the claim “false.”

Eunisses Hernandez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and a member of the Los Angeles City Council, questioned whether the police deployment was necessary.

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LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell is sounding the alarm about the security challenges facing Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

“Are they all supposed to be police cars?” he asked. “Can’t we use school buses?”

Fox News Digital has reached out to LAPD and LA28 for comment.