The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has stopped providing protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, just days after assisting the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in guarding her Brentwood home. The decision followed criticism within the department that officers were being pulled from crime suppression duties to cover Harris.
The controversy began after President Donald Trump revoked Harris’s Secret Service protection last week, consistent with the standard policy that former vice presidents lose protection roughly six months after leaving office. While Democrats and legacy media outlets expressed outrage, the move was in line with precedent.
In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordered CHP officers to provide a security detail, and the LAPD briefly joined the effort. Jennifer Forkish, an LAPD communications director, said at the time that the assistance was only temporary “to ensure that there is no lapse in security” while Harris arranged for private protection.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a dozen or more LAPD Metropolitan Division officers were assigned to Harris. These officers typically focus on crime suppression in areas struggling with violent crime, sparking backlash among rank-and-file members and city residents who argued that resources were being misused.
By Saturday morning, the LAPD ended its involvement, leaving CHP to cover Harris until she hires private security. The city had been funding LAPD’s temporary detail, an arrangement critics said wasted taxpayer dollars in a city already battling rising crime.
Harris, who recently announced she will not run for governor in 2026, has not revealed her long-term political plans. Speculation continues over whether she will attempt another presidential run in 2028.
