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Council adopts Rule 23 findings and approves overtime pay related to recent disturbances amid public criticism
Summary
On June 18 the Los Angeles City Council adopted the findings required by Rule 23 and approved payments for police overtime tied to recent disturbances. The actions drew strong public criticism from multiple speakers who accused law enforcement of excessive force during protests.
The Los Angeles City Council on June 18 adopted findings required under its special-procedure rule and approved payments for overtime for law enforcement connected to recent disturbances.
Council President Marco Isjarres Dosson opened the matter and Councilmember Lee — identified in the record as chairing the public-safety motion — explained the request and asked the council to adopt findings under Rule 23 so the city could pay overtime costs that had arisen from responses to demonstrations. "We're trying to remediate this with Rule 23," Lee said, asking the council to approve payment for overtime that was described as an unexpected cost tied to public-safety responses.
The council recorded two related votes during the meeting. The clerk announced an initial vote to adopt the motion’s findings, which the council recorded as approved by 14 "yes" votes. Later, when the council opened the roll for the implementing action on the special motion, the final tally on the related item was recorded as 13 in favor and 2 opposed.
The agenda language identified the action as a special motion to cover overtime expenses and reflected the council’s concern about public-safety costs the city incurred while responding to disturbances. The clerk noted that the findings required a two-thirds vote; the council met that threshold when it adopted the findings.
Public commenters responded strongly during the reopened special-comment period. Several speakers accused the Los Angeles Police Department of using excessive force during protests, described use of less-lethal weapons and mounted tactics, and urged the council to reject additional payments to law enforcement. Other speakers supported the overtime payments, saying they were necessary to ensure timely police response to 911 calls and public safety.
The council’s action authorizes payment of overtime as described in the special motion; the record does not attach a dollar amount to the vote in the public session. The vote does not change departmental policy on crowd-control tactics; it records a funding authorization for overtime compensation tied to the described events.
Council procedural notes in the transcript show the meeting reopened a public-comment period for the special motion and then took the required roll-call votes. Members of the public and several elected officials used the reopened record to voice views for and against the funding.
The council referred other items to committee and continued several matters to future dates; the overtime vote stands as a separate financial authorization tied to the disturbances and will be reflected in departmental payroll and budget reconciliations.
