Amid the destruction caused by the recent wildfires in Southern California, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has publicly criticized the city's funding cuts to the fire department. According to Fox LA, Crowley argued that these reductions have hampered the LAFD's ability to effectively respond to the crisis, "My message is the fire department needs to be properly funded," Crowley said, "It’s not." This statement came after the city slashed $17.6 million from the LAFD's budget for the current fiscal year, a move that has drawn intense scrutiny as the fires have claimed lives and property.
Reports surfaced that LA Mayor Karen Bass was contemplating the termination of Crowley's role following a candid conversation. However, both Mayor Bass' office and the LAFD swiftly denied the claims. "The Fire Chief was not dismissed and is in full command of the LAFD," the department clarified, in a statement obtained by FOX LA. Rumors of reprimand or required resignation following the interview were also denied.
Fire Chief Crowley held an unscheduled meeting with Mayor Bass shortly after the interview, as per Patch. They discussed the department's funding and challenges, despite being scheduled to give a public update on the wildfires—leaving LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to provide the briefing solo. Despite the department's operating budget shrinking by about 2% from the previous fiscal year, city officials maintain that the overall budget will exceed $950 million, an increase from last year.
As part of the budget reductions, Crowley's memo to the city highlighted the loss of civilian positions, impacting vital services like equipment repairs and community education. Despite the contention over the cuts, a statement from the City Council's Budget Committee Chair Bob Blumenfield's spokesperson informed the Los Angeles Daily News that overall, the fire department's budget had actually increased by approximately $53 million, as stated by Patch. This adjustment largely came from a separate account created for sworn personnel due to ongoing union negotiations at the time of budget adoption.
