On Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, the Los Angeles Police Department stopped providing a visible protection detail for former Vice President Kamala Harris at her Brentwood residence after internal criticism that officers were being reassigned from crime-suppression duties.
Key takeaways
- The LAPD withdrew Metropolitan Division officers who had been assisting the California Highway Patrol (CHP) outside Harris’s Brentwood home.
- The change followed a decision last week by former President Trump to revoke Harris’s Secret Service protection; President Biden had extended that coverage to July 2026.
- Sources say a dozen or more LAPD officers worked the temporary detail; officials described the arrangement as short-term and coordinated with CHP.
- The move drew sharp criticism from the Los Angeles Police Protective League and prompted statements from Mayor Karen Bass and state officials.
- City sources said some officers were pulled from crime-suppression shifts in the San Fernando Valley to staff the detail.
- The Secret Service’s recent threat assessment reportedly showed no new credible threats to the former vice president.
Verified facts
The LAPD’s Metropolitan Division had been visible outside Harris’s Brentwood home until Saturday morning, assisting the CHP as the state agency provided protective services. Jennifer Forkish, an LAPD communications director, said the department was “assisting the California Highway Patrol in providing protective services for former Vice President Kamala Harris until an alternate plan is established.”
According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, at least a dozen LAPD officers were assigned to the detail. Those sources — who were not authorized to speak publicly — told reporters the city was covering the cost and that the deployment was intended to be temporary while Harris arranged private protection.
The change occurred after President Trump revoked Secret Service protection for Harris last week; President Biden previously signed an order extending her protection through July 2026, beyond the customary six months given to former vice presidents. The Secret Service has carried out periodic threat assessments for Harris; major outlets report the most recent review did not identify immediate, credible threats.
Context & impact
The decision to use local police for a high-profile protection detail touched off debate about priorities in a city facing persistent violent crime in some neighborhoods. Union leaders and some rank-and-file officers argued that deploying Metro personnel to a single residential detail diverted resources from patrol and crime-suppression work elsewhere, notably in the San Fernando Valley.
Mayor Karen Bass requested LAPD assistance while CHP handled primary protection responsibilities; Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office was involved in authorizing the CHP role. The Los Angeles Police Protective League criticized the temporary assignment as an inappropriate use of taxpayer-funded officers to protect a wealthy private citizen.
Officials and law-enforcement experts say alternatives include CHP continuing the assignment, the former vice president contracting private security, or a mixed model involving off-duty officers reallocated on a reimbursable basis. Any prolonged local deployment would have budgetary and operational implications for LAPD patrol staffing and scheduling.
Political and public-safety considerations
- Use of municipal officers for protective details can become politicized when the protected individual is a high-profile political figure.
- Short-term arrangements have precedent in Los Angeles; prior protections for Harris were provided when she served as a U.S. senator and were later ended after threat evaluations changed.
“This temporary coordinated effort is in place to ensure that there is no lapse in security,”
Jennifer Forkish, LAPD communications director
“Pulling police officers from protecting everyday Angelenos to protect a failed presidential candidate… is nuts,”
Los Angeles Police Protective League board statement
Unconfirmed
- How long the CHP will continue to lead or supplement protection for Harris under the new LAPD posture.
- Whether the city formally committed to fund the detail beyond the initial brief period cited by sources.
- Exact plans and timing for Harris to hire private security for her upcoming book tour.
Bottom line
The LAPD’s withdrawal of visible assistance marks a shift after a brief, politically charged local response to the revocation of federal protection. City and state officials are weighing options that balance the former vice president’s safety with operational needs of Los Angeles police forces; the arrangement appears intended as a short-term bridge while a longer-term security plan is finalized.
Sources
- Los Angeles Times (reporting by Richard Winton)
- Los Angeles Police Department
- California Highway Patrol
- Office of the Governor of California
- Associated Press (threat-assessment reporting)