A motion that was set to come before the Los Angeles City Council seeking $2 million in grants to provide private security for faith-based organisations was withdrawn in light of expedited state funding, officials said.
A joint statement from council members Katy Yaroslavsky and Bob Blumenfield, who introduced the motion, and the Jewish Federation Los Angeles noted that Gov. Gavin Newsom has expedited the deployment of more than $76 million in nonprofit security grants. “Given the state’s accelerated timeline, the motion is no longer necessary and will be respectfully withdrawn,” the joint statement read.
Originally slated for distribution this fall, the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant program is now accepting applications from nonprofit organisations. The application can be found at CALOES.ca.gov, and the deadline to apply is Sept. 23.
“This decisive action, following the recent violence at Adas Torah Synagogue, will greatly improve safety at Jewish Institutions across Los Angeles, ensuring our communities can gather in peace. We are grateful for the governor’s leadership and commitment to protecting our faith communities during these challenging times,” the statement said.
In a unanimous vote, the council supported Yaroslavsky’s request to withdraw the proposal.
Yaroslavsky said officials are looking at offering technical assistance to local institutions seeking state funding, as well as consulting with the City Attorney’s Office on the feasibility of creating “buffer zones” around the entrances to religious institutions and other sensitive sites like Planned Parenthood. Council members are also looking at clarifying Los Angeles Police Department protocols related to managing protests.
“As we work together to protect all of our communities in Los Angeles during what are incredibly challenging times — as we’re seeing right now the polarisation is incredibly intense and we shouldn’t be seeing that playing out on our streets,” Yaroslavsky said.
About 30 speakers joined the council meeting to protest the $2 million proposal. Several speakers expressed their concerns and frustrations with using taxpayer money to fund private security. Many of them hissed and booed, interrupting Yaroslavsky when she spoke. Some critics were moved from Council Chambers for disrupting the meeting.
Yaroslavsky and Bob Blumenfield originally introduced a motion seeking to allocate $1 million to fund nonprofit security services to protect Jewish places of worship, community centers and schools. However, that proposal was later expanded to include other faiths with funding increased to $2 million.
The council members proposed that the funding would go toward the city’s Civil and Human Rights Department, which would facilitate a similar program to that of the state’s nonprofit security grants program.
