LA Mayor Bass Protests Decrease in Violence Prevention Grants Amid Unrest

Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass, voiced her concerns about the recent decrease in violence prevention grants, particularly in the context of civil unrest tied to anti-ICE protest. She voiced this during a conversation on the recent rise of crime suppression efforts in Washington, D.C., and the mention of potential National Guard deployment initiated by the current president, Donald Trump.

Bass, affiliated with the Democrats, expressed her disappointment after Trump decided to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles in response to protests that came about due to an increased wave of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. The city had witnessed a surge in protests, followed by violent riots that shook the city during the weekends.

In her statement, Bass indicated that not only Los Angeles, but also Chicago and potentially Washington, D.C. are unfolding as testing grounds for an unprecedented military presence. She vocalized her concern that the goal might be to establish a customary acceptance for this broad-stretching pattern of deploying troops, when in her view, the situation in Los Angeles didn’t mandate a military response.

Bass disagreed with the deployment, stating that the large numbers of National Guard troops stationed were ultimately redundant, fulfilling little more than the duty of standing guard by a building. She vocally criticized this decision alongside California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, stating the deployment was unwarranted.

Prior to the troops’ arrival, Los Angeles was already grappling with widespread civil disorder, including rampant looting, destruction of vehicles, and damages to property throughout the city’s downtown area. The introduction of the National Guard did little to quell the situation, as the downtown continued to witness a significant number of protestors and rioters.

As the civil unrest continued well into mid-June, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had to issue the declaration of an unlawful assembly in the city’s downtown Civic Center. Mayor Bass subsequently established a curfew, an attempt to regain control of the deteriorating situation.

Bass lamented that the bulk of the deployed troops spent their time at a base nearby, seemingly indulging in video games and expressing their discontent at being used in such a manner. She argued for a different approach, urging that violence prevention grants should be maintained, allowing cities to proactively battle crime, a commitment she emphasized both she and Newsom shared.

Outside of Los Angeles, a similar situation developed in Washington D.C. After a series of high-profile crimes that gained national media attention, President Trump mobilized the National Guard under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act’s Section 40 on August 11.

However, crime statistics from 2024 indicated a decline of 35% according to local law enforcement data, but this figure fails to include serious offences such as felony and aggravated assault. Presumably, these omitted crime typologies could potentially distort the perceived efficacy of crime suppression strategies, including the recent deployment of troops.

By the end of the week, Trump hinted at sending the National Guard to another city, describing Chicago as a chaotic state, with citizens reportedly pleading for assistance in restoring order. Both Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, emphasized their opposition to this decision, arguing for non-military solutions.

Mayor Johnson cited reduced crime rates in Chicago as a reason against the deployment. According to data released by the Chicago Police Department for the period until August 16, homicide incidents reported a downswing of nearly 25% compared to rates from the previous year, 2023.

While there has been a decrease in the murder rate, the frequency of these incidents remains elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels. In the twelve-month span ending on August 16, 474 homicides were recorded. This figure, though lower, remains high when compared to the annual average of 722 homicides recorded between the years 2021 and 2023.

While Los Angeles has seen a diminishing crime trend, an entirely different facet of crime emerged – a noticeable uptick in officer-involved shootings prevalent during the first half of 2025, compared to the equivalent timeframe last year.

Jim McDonnell, Chief of LAPD, emphasized this concern, illustrating the gravity of the situation by comparing the number of such incidents in the first half of 2024 and 2025. The first seven and a half months of 2025 saw 25 officer-involved shootings, a discernible increase from 18 incidents taking place over the same period the previous year. This notable increase indicates an escalating problem that merits attention alongside the city’s efforts to reduce overall crime rates.