Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, known for her vocal opposition to police funding, recently utilized Los Angeles Police Department officers for security at a public event, incurring significant taxpayer costs. The event, a Mexican Independence Day celebration held on September 13, 2025, at City Hall, required 13 armed officers who logged more than 100 hours of overtime, totaling approximately $134,498.65, according to documents obtained through a public records request by the New York Post.
Hernandez, a 36-year-old socialist representing District 1 in northeast Los Angeles, was elected in 2022 on a platform that included calls to abolish the police and redirect resources to community-based initiatives. She has consistently voted against the city's annual budget, citing the allocation of about $2.4 billion—or roughly one-quarter of the total budget—to the LAPD as a misalignment with her values and those of her constituents. In a tweet dated May 18, 2023, Hernandez stated, "I voted no on the budget today. Budgets are a statement of values—and a budget that allocates one quarter of our entire budget to LAPD while underfunding every other department and service does not reflect my values or the values of my constituents."
Despite this stance, Hernandez's office arranged for LAPD security for the event titled “El Grito 2025,” which commemorated the 1810 “El Grito de Dolores” battle cry that ignited Mexico's war of independence. City event records indicated the celebration was expected to draw about 500 attendees and featured politically charged speeches amid ongoing tensions in Los Angeles over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeting undocumented migrants and the deployment of the National Guard in the city.
Internal LAPD records detailed the deployment of the 13 officers for the security operation at City Hall. The overtime costs stemmed from this special-event staffing, which Hernandez's office coordinated despite her earlier opposition to similar arrangements. Just four months prior, on May 20, 2025, the City Council had approved an 11-3 vote a contract authorizing LAPD's special-event security services—the same funding stream used for the El Grito event. Hernandez was among the three councilmembers who voted against it.
The New York Post reported that it requested these records after learning of Hernandez's security request for the event. In response to the inquiry, Hernandez's office provided emails discussing the security details with the LAPD, but her office did not offer comment on the use of police protection. An LAPD spokesperson also declined to comment on the matter.
The arrangement has drawn criticism from law enforcement advocates. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents more than 8,700 sworn LAPD officers, issued a statement condemning Hernandez's decision. “It should come as no surprise that some politicians act like hypocrites, but Eunisses Hernandez takes the cake,” the union’s board of directors said. “Hernandez has repeatedly voted to defund and disband the police, yet she saw nothing wrong with requesting police security at a community event to keep herself and others safe. Apparently, she has no problem spending taxpayer dollars for her safety but opposes doing the same for the residents she represents. It is time for change in Council District 1.”
Maria “Lou” Calanche, a former Los Angeles Police Commissioner, founder of the nonprofit Legacy LA, and a challenger to Hernandez in the upcoming election for the northeast Los Angeles district, echoed this sentiment. “Eunisses Hernandez is a hypocrite: Using LAPD for private security while voting against hiring more police officers is a crime and hypocrisy at its worst,” Calanche told the New York Post. “Denying our communities the public safety they deserve should never be the priority of an elected official. Eunisses Hernandez’s hypocrisy—at the expense of taxpayer dollars—needs to stop.”
Hernandez's district includes areas like MacArthur Park in Westlake, where public safety concerns have escalated. Residents and business owners have reported rising issues, including open drug use, increasing crime rates, and expanding homeless encampments that have transformed the once-iconic green space into a perceived risk for families and local commerce. According to New York Post reporting, recent observations in the park revealed people smoking from glass pipes on benches, hand-to-hand drug transactions in plain view, and encampments blocking walkways.
One resident, 92-year-old Korean War veteran Richard Reggio, expressed dismay during a recent visit to the park, which is named after General Douglas MacArthur, under whom he served. “I wish I never saw this,” Reggio commented about the deteriorating conditions. In response to federal and LAPD efforts to dismantle the notorious 18th Street Gang—a key player in California's drug trade—agents flooded the park and surrounding blocks, highlighting ongoing challenges in the area.
Hernandez has claimed progress in addressing these issues since taking office. In a recent social media post, she highlighted a decline in drug overdoses in the MacArthur Park vicinity. “The opioid epidemic didn’t happen overnight,” she said, attributing the problems to “failed policy, corporate greed, disinvestment and a system that treated problematic substance use as a crime instead of a health issue.” However, New York Post investigations have documented persistent problems, including visible drug abuse and homelessness, contradicting her assertions of improvement.
Politically, Hernandez aligns with a progressive bloc on the Los Angeles City Council, advocating for alternatives to traditional policing, such as unarmed crisis response teams and mental health experts handling certain incidents. She has also pushed to strengthen Los Angeles as a sanctuary city, resisting federal immigration enforcement efforts. During her 2022 campaign in the Highland Park area, Hernandez emphasized replacing police functions with community-led solutions, stating, “When we say abolish the police, we mean replace it with this.” She has publicly declared that she does not want police to play “any role in my community.”
This latest episode underscores tensions between Hernandez's ideological positions and practical governance decisions. While she has voted against the city budget for three consecutive years, arguing it prioritizes law enforcement over other services, the use of LAPD resources for her event has fueled accusations of inconsistency. Critics, including the police union and political opponents like Calanche, argue that such actions undermine public trust and highlight a disconnect between rhetoric and reality.
As Hernandez campaigns for re-election in District 1, these controversies could influence voter perceptions in a district grappling with safety concerns. The El Grito event, intended as a cultural celebration, instead spotlighted broader debates over police funding and personal security for elected officials. With Los Angeles facing heightened immigration-related tensions and persistent urban challenges, the incident reflects ongoing divisions in how the city balances progressive ideals with public safety needs.
City officials have not indicated any review of the security costs or Hernandez's decisions, and the councilmember's office has remained silent on the matter. Meanwhile, the LAPD continues to provide special-event services under the approved contract, serving various public gatherings across Los Angeles. As the November election approaches, challengers like Calanche are positioning themselves as advocates for stronger law enforcement, potentially capitalizing on voter frustrations in areas like MacArthur Park.
The broader implications extend to national discussions on police reform, where progressive leaders face scrutiny for policies that appear selective in application. In Los Angeles, a city long divided over policing—especially following high-profile incidents and budget battles—these events remind stakeholders of the complexities in reallocating resources amid competing priorities.