LA Council May Get More Power Over LAPD

Los Angeles's current police oversight structure, which gives authority to a five-member Police Commission appointed by the mayor, was a direct result of reforms following the 1991 Rodney King beating. The Christopher Commission, formed in the aftermath, identified systemic issues of excessive force and a lack of accountability, leading to the creation of the civilian-led commission and the Office of the Inspector General to oversee the department. The new proposal comes from the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, a body created in August 2024 to review the city's foundational legal document. This recommendation is one of several significant reforms proposed by the commission, which also include increasing the number of City Council seats from 15 to 25 and implementing a ranked-choice voting system for city elections. Under the proposed changes, any police-related ordinance passed by the City Council would be sent to the Police Commission, which would have 60 days to veto it; otherwise, it would become law. Perhaps most significantly, the council would gain the power to override decisions by the police chief and a civilian Board of Rights to retain an officer accused of misconduct. Advocates for the change, including community groups like LA Forward, argue that the current system lacks direct accountability to the electorate. They contend that placing more power in the hands of the elected City Council makes the LAPD more responsive to the public will, pointing to frustrations over the department's handling of protests and rising financial settlements related to misconduct. This push for charter reform gained momentum following the 2022 City Hall tapes scandal, which exposed racist and corrupt conversations among several council members and a labor leader, sparking widespread calls for changes to the city's governance. The police reform proposals were added to the commission's agenda after sustained public pressure from community activists who argued that any meaningful charter review must address LAPD oversight. The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), the union representing rank-and-file officers, has historically engaged in city politics, often opposing reforms that it believes would weaken officer protections. While the union has supported certain changes in the past, such as 2017's Charter Amendment C which allowed for all-civilian disciplinary review panels, it has also expressed concerns about what it deems political pandering and has advocated for a "fair and favoritism-laden discipline system." A separate but related proposal previously vetoed by Mayor Karen Bass would have given the police chief more direct authority to fire officers for serious misconduct. The police union expressed support for working with the mayor on a more comprehensive fix to the disciplinary system following that veto. The Charter Reform Commission is slated to send its final recommendations to the City Council by April 2026. The council will then decide which, if any, of the proposed charter changes will be placed on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide.