City Council Vetoes LA Mayor's Override Of Spending Plan For LAPD Funds

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to veto the mayor's override of a spending plan to redirect some funds from the LAPD to social programs.

The initial plan would have redirected $88 million from the LAPD budget to youth and recreation programs, neighborhood beautification programs and some nonprofits.

The new council proposal will direct more money to homeless and eviction defense services and jobs outreach.

Councilman Joe Buscaino voted against the veto.

"We should not have to use between funding patrol officers who respond to 911 calls and funding innovative public safety pilots, we need both," he said. "The action before us members is like cutting ambulances to fund healthcare."

In December, the City Council voted to redirect funding to youth programs, jobs and business programs and other non-profit services.

Black Lives Matter led the effort in what they called "re-imagining" policing, but co-founder Melina Abdullah says the money should not be reinvested in any policing initiatives.

"We want to be clear that money absolutely needs to go to intervention work rather than over policing," she said. "We need money to go to housing, healthcare and mental health care and we don't need money going into policing. Police do not make communities safe."

The LAPD and the police union have said it would jeopardize safety to make those cuts.