LA Police Pulled from Cases to Secure Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris Receives LAPD Security Following Secret Service Withdrawal
After her Secret Service protection was revoked, Kamala Harris now has a security team composed of officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). According to reports, up to 14 officers from LAPD’s elite Metro Division have been reassigned from their usual crime-fighting duties to provide security for the former vice president.
This shift was observed outside Harris’ residence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, where unmarked LAPD SUVs with plainclothes officers were seen patrolling. Harris has been residing there since leaving office, sharing the home with her husband, Doug Emhoff.
The move follows an executive order signed by former President Trump, which took away Harris’s Secret Service detail starting September 1. Traditionally, ex-vice presidents receive six months of protection post-office, but President Joe Biden extended her security for an additional year before his departure in January. The reason for Biden’s extension remains unclear.
Local officials criticized Trump’s decision. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass voiced concerns, stating, “This is retaliatory, and it jeopardizes her safety.” She emphasized the importance of safeguarding Harris in Los Angeles, promising to coordinate with authorities to ensure her security.
Furthermore, Harris was reportedly offered protection from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), which would require approval from Governor Gavin Newsom. A spokesperson for Newsom refrained from confirming any security arrangements but condemned political retaliation, asserting that public officials’ safety should not be compromised by political motives.
Earlier this year, Trump also terminated taxpayer-funded security for several prominent figures, including members of the Biden family, former officials such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, and security advisors like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo.
Harris’s office and the LAPD have not responded to requests for further comment regarding her current security details.