As Los Angeles continues to grapple with violent protests and ongoing fallout from the wildfires earlier this year, the city is expected to spend a record-breaking amount of overtime pay after already spending over a billion dollars last year.
According to a report from Open the Books, the city of Los Angeles spent $1.1 billion in overtime spending in 2024. This amount is enough to cover the city’s entire budget deficit. At least five individuals earned more than $400,000 each in overtime alone.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) accounted for $265.5 million of the total overtime cost. This comes as the LAPD’s budget anticipates the loss of 150 officers in the coming year, bringing the department’s force down to 8,620 officers. This is the lowest number of officers the department has seen since 1995.
Despite the shrinking workforce, payroll costs have continued to rise. In 2020, LAPD had 14,902 employees with a combined payroll of $1.71 billion. By 2024, that number dropped to 12,617 employees, but payroll increased to $1.73 billion. Staffing shortages are not limited to law enforcement but have affected city departments across the board, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
After spending over a billion dollars in overtime costs last year, the city is expected to do the same once again in 2025. The city continues to see a strain in resources, particularly as anti-ICE protests have turned violent. According to the Los Angeles Times, the city has spent nearly $20 million in costs relating to the protests, including police overtime.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell admitted to CBS News that officers had become “overwhelmed” by demonstrators and acknowledged that the situation was “out of control.” However, McDonnell also criticized President Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to assist local law enforcement in response to the unrest.
