Who will answer the calls, how will the city pay for changes and will officers stay?
Those were among the questions Police1 readers raised in response to Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman’s public safety agenda. Her proposals call for expanding unarmed crisis response, moving more sworn officers from administrative assignments to patrol and strengthening civilian oversight of LAPD.
Following the election results, we asked: What are the biggest challenges LAPD will face under Raman’s public safety strategy?
Readers who responded directly to Police1 and commented on Facebook questioned how civilian teams would handle dangerous calls and whether officers would leave the department. Others supported hiring more civilian personnel, while one self-described longtime LAPD officer urged colleagues to keep working through the leadership change.
Concerns over unarmed crisis response
Raman proposes expanding unarmed crisis response to every neighborhood and integrating those teams into 911 dispatch. Teams would include crisis responders, behavioral health specialists, medical professionals and outreach workers, primarily handling behavioral health crises and other nonviolent calls.
Several readers questioned how civilian teams would handle calls that turn violent.
“It’s hard enough to get enough applicants for law enforcement at this point in time, let alone civilians willing to respond to these calls unarmed,” one Police1 reader wrote. “Good luck with that.”
The reader also raised concerns about liability if a responder were seriously injured or killed.
On Facebook, another commenter questioned whether mental health and social services personnel would have sufficient protection.
“Mental health and social services personnel deserve protection; do not take that from them,” the commenter wrote.
Raman’s platform calls for standardized dispatch protocols based on risk, the assistance needed, location and call history. Civilian teams would coordinate with the 988 crisis line and could request law enforcement assistance, but the outline does not provide detailed criteria for assigning calls or procedures for obtaining police backup.
Officer retention and pay
Raman has said she does not want LAPD staffing to decline further. Her public safety outline, however, does not specify a sworn staffing target or an academy hiring schedule. She also opposed the 2023 police contract, citing its cost.
Some readers questioned whether officers would stay with the department under the incoming administration.
“Going to be a lot of lateral transfers,” one Facebook commenter wrote.
Another Facebook commenter, who described retiring after more than 37 years in law enforcement in Oregon, said officers nearing retirement might consider leaving.
“If I were with LAPD and close to retirement, I think I would get out of there the sooner the better!”
A Police1 reader said retaining officers would require attention to compensation.
“Need to support the police. Need to pay salaries to keep officers from leaving,” the reader wrote.
But one respondent, who identified themselves as an LAPD officer with nearly 20 years of service, urged colleagues to keep working through the transition.
“I’ve worked through multiple mayors, multiple chiefs, and at multiple divisions,” the reader wrote. “LAPD needs to just put in the work it always does and not pull back just because another Democrat got into office we think is gonna be bad.”
That reader also questioned how the department would retain officers who depend on overtime income if that work becomes less available.
Moving sworn officers back to patrol
Raman’s platform calls for increasing civilian personnel and working with LAPD to change deployment. It references a 2025 RAND assessment that recommended hiring civilians for critical positions occupied by sworn officers and identifying officers in administrative assignments who could return to patrol.
One Police1 reader supported using more civilian employees in administrative positions, arguing that officers capable of working patrol should be reassigned to the field.
“The LAPD rank and file must recognize, without the influence of unions and politics, how patrol and crime enforcement will actually be different with a new mayor,” the reader wrote.
“Civilian personnel are essential to a balanced department and should be the foundation of a strong administration.”
Raman’s outline does not specify how many civilian positions she would add or how many officers could return to patrol.
On Facebook, another commenter called for increasing the department’s overall staffing.
“Our police force needs to be expanded! We are already understaffed for a city of this size. Make LA safe!”
Funding and contracts
Raman’s agenda would expand civilian response and community violence intervention programs, increase civilian staffing and strengthen oversight. Her outline does not include an overall implementation cost or a complete funding plan.
The cost and time required was pointed out by one Police1 reader.
“The Mayor-elect better have a printing press for money because everything she wants to do will cost big bucks and take 12 to 24 months to implement,” one Police1 reader wrote.
A Facebook commenter pointed to negotiations with the city’s public safety employees.
“Biggest challenge will be fire and police contract,” the commenter wrote.
Raman also proposes examining limits on how much departments could draw from the General Fund for liability costs before using their own budgets. Her outline does not set a proposed cap or estimate potential savings.
What happens to LAPD leadership?
Raman campaigned on replacing LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. Following the election, she said she had spoken with him about maintaining public safety services during the transition but did not announce a replacement. McDonnell congratulated Raman and said he looked forward to working with her administration.
Raman’s call during the campaign to replace Chief Jim McDonnell also drew a response.
One Facebook commenter urged the mayor-elect to retain the chief.
“Leave Chief McDonnell alone and let him run LAPD.”
Another Facebook commenter focused on accountability, calling for the Police Commission to have authority to fire and discipline officers.
Raman’s oversight proposals call for ensuring the commission and its Office of the Inspector General have the resources and department data needed to conduct their work. She also proposes having the mayor’s office act on their recommendations and use the budget process to support identified reforms.
