Council Member Nithya Raman Critiques LA Police Union Ads Amid Controversial Voting Record

Nithya Raman is taking a firm stance against the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), criticizing their attack ads aimed at her and expressing disapproval of Mayor Karen Bass’s decisions on police funding.

In a recently released campaign video, Raman portrayed the LAPPL as a formidable political entity opposing her campaign efforts. She alleged that the league has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into attack ads to undermine her position.

Raman claims the LAPPL has targeted her because of her past refusals to allocate additional funds for policing. She attributes a significant portion of the city’s current budget deficit to a 2023 agreement between Mayor Bass and the union, citing this as a factor contributing to the deterioration of the city’s infrastructure.

Throughout her tenure at City Hall, Raman has consistently voted against increasing police funding and expanding the force, even as Los Angeles has faced a decrease in officer numbers and challenges in promptly responding to emergencies.

In 2023, she opposed a contract with the LAPD that included pay raises and bonuses designed to retain officers. The following year, she voted against a city budget that proposed over $100 million in additional funding for the police department.

By 2025, Raman advocated for reducing police hiring from 480 officers to 240 as a measure to address the escalating budget deficit.

Then in early 2026, she voted against increasing hiring to 410 officers, a level city leaders said was needed just to stabilize the force.

At the same time, the Los Angeles Police Department has lost roughly 1,200 officers since 2019, leaving the city with fewer police on the street.

Just this week at City Hall, that shortage was front and center during budget talks, with officials warning about strained staffing as Los Angeles prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Raman has also pointed to slow 911 response times as proof the system is failing, warning that residents can be left waiting on hold or for help to arrive.

But the issue is not limited to a fight with the police union. The 911 system runs through the Los Angeles Police Department’s communications division, where civilian dispatchers say chronic understaffing and budget constraints have left operators overwhelmed and calls going unanswered.

The same push to limit police funding is now spilling into emergency response, where staffing shortages are hitting the front lines and delays are being felt across the city.

At the same time, Raman argues Los Angeles is overspending on policing, she chairs the council’s homelessness committee, which oversees nearly $1 billion a year in spending on about 43,699 people experiencing homelessness in a city of roughly 4 million.

We reached out to Raman’s campaign for comment.

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