The number of officers employed by the LAPD has dropped below 9,000, fewer officer than the agency fielded in the 1990s.
Several City officials told NBC Los Angeles that as of July 30 there were 8,967 officers employed, far below Mayor Karen Bass' goal of a 9,500 officers, and about 300 below what the current budget allows, roughly 9,300 officers.
The Department grew to more than 9,000 in the ‘90s when Mayor Richard Riordan and the City Council were united in efforts to try to grow the department to at least 10,000 officers.
By 2009 the LAPD's workforce had expanded to 9,895, when then-Chief Bill Bratton said there were still too few officers for the size and population of the nation's second largest City.
