Los Angeles City Council Candidate Sparks Criticism Over Anti-Police Comment

Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles on Aug. 7, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Los Angeles City Council candidate Ysabel Jurado on Oct. 21 responded to criticism over a recent comment she made about the police while meeting with students at California State University, Los Angeles.

At a meeting on Oct. 17, a man who said he’s a resident of the 14th Council District—the district Jurado is seeking to represent—asked Jurado her thoughts on police spending.

Jurado, an attorney, responded with a lyric from a 1988 protest song by the Compton-based hip-hop group N.W.A.

“Yeah, what’s the rap verse, ‘[expletive] the police’? That’s how I see them,” she said, according to audio obtained by local news outlet Westside Current.

The remark drew criticism from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing Los Angeles Police Department officers.

“Ysabel Jurado revealed her true colors on how she views police officers who protect the residents of Los Angeles. She’s made it clear that she will jeopardize public safety for failed social experiments by pulling police off of crimes like retail thefts, car thefts, smash-and-grab robberies, hate crimes, and more,” the union stated.

In a statement on Oct. 21, Jurado defended her comments, saying she quoted from a song that has been “part of a larger conversation on systemic injustice and police accountability for decades.”

“But it was just a lyric,” she said, adding that she is committed to public safety.

Councilman Kevin de León, who currently represents the 14th Council District and is seeking reelection, said in a statement to The Epoch Times: “Those comments are simply disrespectful. I stand where I’ve always stood, 100% behind our frontline officers who go out every day risking their lives to protect Angelenos across our city.”

De León has also faced criticism over the last two years following his participation in a racially charged recorded conversation in 2022 that led to former Council President Nury Martinez’s resignation.

Protestors demonstrate outside City Hall calling for the resignations of L.A. City Council members Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo in the wake of a leaked audio recording in Los Angeles on Oct. 12, 2022. Mario Tama/Getty Images

In her statement, Jurado said it’s not enough to be tough on crime, and said settlements over police misconduct have contributed to the city’s fiscal challenges.

“We’re in this mess because of reckless decisions, including massive payouts for police misconduct. The result? A city broke, unable to fix busted sidewalks, broken streetlights, or trim trees—services that keep us safe and whole; services that we desperately need,” Jurado said in her statement. “We’ve got to be tough and smart, and operate with the fiscal responsibility necessary to fix our lopsided budget. And I’m prepared to work with whoever I need to—whether it’s the LAPD or colleagues I may not always see eye to eye with—because my priority is delivering for our district, plain and simple. Our campaign is about real solutions, not distractions.”

Jurado, endorsed by several local Democratic groups including the Democratic Socialists of America, is campaigning to become the first Filipina to hold a seat in the Los Angeles City Council.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League and Jurado’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment by The Epoch Times.

City News Service contributed to this report.