LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday moved forward an effort to explore expediting the hiring process of police officers, as well as positions in building and safety and several other areas.

What You Need To Know

  • The LA City Council has instructed staff to explore ways to expedite LAPD and building and safety hiring 

  • The council voted unanimously

  • The effort comes at a time when the city is looking to bolster the Los Angeles Police Department's ranks as recruitment efforts remain a challenge

  • In January, Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council slowed down hiring, a move intended to address a budget deficit of nearly $300 million caused by labor agreements and overspending

In a unanimous vote, the City Council instructed the Personnel Department to report back with a framework and an analysis for expediting sworn and civilian hiring. The report is also expected to detail ways in which the hiring process could be taken out of personnel's hands and given to other city departments looking to fill positions.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who supported the motion, noted the city needs to "overhaul the system in its entirety."

"What's critical in all of the hiring practices is for us to really take a deeper dive in evaluating the workflow map for each of the hiring practices for each of the classifications that we have and figuring out with the department that are affected by these practices," Rodriguez said.

"We want to hire the best and the brightest, and we should equally provide a response in our hiring practice that is eager to get them on board," she added.

The effort comes at a time when the city is looking to bolster the Los Angeles Police Department's ranks as recruitment efforts remain a challenge.

During the council's Personnel, Audits and Hiring Committee on Aug. 6, Dana Brown, general manager of the Personnel Department, explained various challenges the LAPD faces in the hiring process. She noted the process for hiring officers takes a "significant amount of time because that is the industry standard," and that some candidates actually slow themselves down.

The city has experienced an increase in applications for police officer positions, according to the city. LAPD reported in January it received more than 1,200 applications for sworn police officer positions, representing a two-year high, according to the motion.

LAPD also reported significant increases in the number of qualification exams administered and the number of candidates participating in the candidate assistance program, which provides support to eligible applicants navigating the hiring process. Yet, the hiring of officers remains slow.

Additionally, City Council is seeking to boost hiring for proprietary departments such as building and safety, library, as well as select positions within fire, personnel, and Bureau of Sanitation -- those not impacted by the city's "prioritized critical hiring" process.

In January, Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council slowed down hiring, a move intended to address a budget deficit of nearly $300 million caused by labor agreements and overspending, according to recent city documents.

Through July 31, the city administrative officer has received 1,875 submissions from departments for review by a committee overseeing the prioritized critical hiring process. A total of 1,023 submissions have been approved, authorizing departments to hire 5,210 employees.

Another effort is in the works to possibly sunset the prioritized critical hiring process in a phased approach, using the 2024-25 first and mid- year financial status reports as benchmarks to ensure the city's expenditures and revenue balance.