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The LAPD has ended its 24-hour security watch for former Vice President Kamala Harris, spurred by conservative backlash and lobbying from the city’s police union.
This action follows President Donald Trump’s earlier decision to terminate Harris’s Secret Service detail, nullifying an extension set by former President Joe Biden that would have continued until July 2026.
In response, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had directed LAPD resources to continue safeguarding Harris, according to The Los Angeles Times.
However, this move faced backlash from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents rank-and-file officers. The union contended that officers were being reallocated from important crime-fighting responsibilities to safeguard a wealthy political figure who, they argued, is capable of securing private security services.
‘Pulling police officers from protecting everyday Angelenos to protect a failed presidential candidate who also happens to be a multi-millionaire with multiple homes and who can easily afford to pay for her own security is nuts,’ the union’s board said in a statement.
The board also dragged California Governor Gavin Newsom into the dispute, blasting the use of public funds for Harris’s security.
‘The mayor should tell Governor Newsom that if he wants to curry favor with Ms. Harris and her donor base then he should open up his own wallet because LA taxpayers should not be footing the bill for this ridiculousness,’ the statement continued.
The LAPD has dropped its around-the-clock protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris following outrage from conservatives and pressure from the city’s police union
The move comes after President Donald Trump revoked Harris’s Secret Service protection earlier this year, cutting short an extension granted by former President Joe Biden that would have lasted until July 2026
Typically, former vice presidents receive Secret Service protection for six months after leaving office.
However, Biden had extended Harris’s protection period to 18 months, a decision which Trump reversed in August.
‘The Vice President is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety,’ Harris’ senior adviser Kirsten Allen told CNN at the time.
During her time under both the Secret Service and LAPD, Harris reportedly received 24/7 surveillance, including officers stationed outside her Brentwood residence.
According to FOX 11, those officers were drawn from elite LAPD units typically assigned to investigative and suppression tasks.
The situation has also ignited public backlash as local residents and political commentators took to social media to slam the use of city resources.
Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt wrote on X: ‘NEWSOM AND KAREN BASS HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO HAVE LAPD AND CHP PROTECT KAMALA HARRIS BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE AREN’T TRESPASSING ON OUR DIRT LOT IN THE PALISADES AND DOING SELFIES??????!!!!’
Officers with an elite LAPD division have been pulled from working cases to provide protection to the former Vice President’s Brentwood home 24/7
The decision drew criticism from the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Pictured: Kamala Harris pictured with husband Douglas Emhoff grocery shopping with security in Los Angeles
The situation has also ignited public backlash as local residents and political commentators took to social media to slam the use of city resources
LA Republican official Lisa Cusack added: ‘Democrat elites truly have no souls.’
When asked about the controversy, Bass released a statement defending the city’s decision and criticizing Trump’s removal of federal protection.
‘This is another act of revenge following a long list of political retaliation in the form of firings, the revoking of security clearances and more,’ Bass said.
‘This puts the former Vice President in danger and I look forward to working with the Governor to make sure Vice President Harris is safe in Los Angeles.’
The LAPD told the Daily Mail on Thuraday: ‘For security reasons, the LAPD never discusses the existence of these assignments or provides details surrounding protective operations.’
Harris, who has a 15-stop book tour planned to promote her upcoming memoir 107 Days, is now expected to rely on private security.
The memoir, referencing the length of her brief 2024 presidential campaign, will be released on September 23, with the tour kicking off the next day. Stops are scheduled across the U.S. and abroad, including London and Toronto.
Going forward, the California Highway Patrol has reportedly offered to assist with security, The Los Angeles Times reported.
When reached for comment on Harris’ LAPD protection by FOX 11, LA Mayor Karen Bass replied with a statement accusing Trump of ‘political retaliation’ against Harris
Trump’s removal of Harris’s protection follows similar decisions involving former officials.
The 47th President previously cut security for former national security adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – despite reported threats from Iran.
Most recently, he revoked Secret Service coverage for Hunter and Ashley Biden, President Biden’s adult children.
Though it’s not unusual for former vice presidents to lose protection after six months, it is also not uncommon for extensions to be granted – especially in cases involving ongoing threats.
According to a White House official, a recent Secret Service threat assessment found no credible or ongoing threats to Harris, leading the administration to determine that extended protection was not necessary.
