Public Safety Committee · Held

Los Angeles City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, August 26, 2026

August 26, 2026, 2:30 p.m. · Updated October 2, 2026

From official records: On Aug. 26, 2026, the Los Angeles City Council's Public Safety Committee approved 18 of 19 items, including a $29.5 million, three-year extension of LAFD's ambulance billing contract, a $5.1 million federal staffing grant for Fire Station 7 and an ordinance request for 30-day impounds of illegal dumpers' vehicles. Hugo Soto-Martinez cast the only no vote, on a $100,000 threat assessment grant; an idle oil well report was continued to Sept. 15 (journal).

As of October 2, 2026, outcomes for the August 26, 2026 meeting of the Public Safety Committee of the Los Angeles City Council come from official records posted so far, such as council files, recorded votes and filed statements. Some results may be missing until the full minutes are posted and read.

Committee members, per the journal: John Lee (chair), Curren Price, Tim McOsker, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Traci Park. All 18 votes were 5-0 except item 5, where Soto-Martinez voted no.

1. Reappoint Rasha Shields to the Board of Police Commissioners through June 30, 2031

• What it does: Confirms the Mayor’s reappointment of Rasha Shields to the Police Commission for a term ending June 30, 2031 (journal).
• Neighborhood council positions: Against: Winnetka, which said reappointment “should never be treated as automatic” (Winnetka CIS).
• What happened: Approved, 5-0 (journal).
• What’s next: The Council confirmed her Sept. 16, 2026, 14-0, with Heather Hutt absent (CF 23-1200-S8).

4. Accept a $1 million state Byrne grant for a domestic violence restraining order and firearm surrender task force

• What it does: Lets the Mayor’s office accept a $1,000,000 Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections, Aug. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2027, to enforce domestic violence restraining orders and firearm surrender (committee report).
• Money: $444,500 for salaries, $435,000 for contracts of $145,000 each with Jenesse Center, Peace Over Violence and The People Concern, $100,000 for a UCLA evaluation and $20,500 for training and travel (committee report).
• What happened: Approved, 5-0 (journal).
• What’s next: Budget and Finance concurred Sept. 15, and the Council adopted it Sept. 22, 2026, 13-0, with Hutt and Tim McOsker absent (CF 26-0417).

5. LAPD accepts a $100,000 Regional Threat Assessment Center subaward from the Sheriff

• What it does: Lets LAPD accept a $100,000 subaward from the County, through the Sheriff’s Department, for the Regional Threat Assessment Center program, funded by a federal Homeland Security grant through Cal OES; $45,505 goes to sworn overtime (committee report).
• What happened: Approved, 4-1; Hugo Soto-Martinez voted no (journal).
• What’s next: The Council adopted it Sept. 16, 2026, 9-5. Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado, Curren Price, Nithya Raman and Soto-Martinez voted no; Hutt was absent (CF 21-0460-S5).

7. City Attorney to draft an ordinance allowing 30-day impounds of vehicles used for illegal dumping

• What it does: Asks the City Attorney for an ordinance amending Municipal Code Section 41.70.3 to allow 30-day impounds of vehicles used to dump illegally; the committee amended it (journal).
• Who brought it: John Lee, seconded by Traci Park (CF 26-0645).
• What happened: Approved as amended, 5-0 (journal).
• What’s next: On Sept. 15 the Council adopted Amending Motion 14A (Lee, Monica Rodriguez), which instead asks for an ordinance deleting Section 41.70.3 and its impound references and a report on other legal tools. The vote was 13-1, Jurado voting no and Imelda Padilla absent (CF 26-0645).

9. City Attorney to report on suing fireworks makers, sellers and shippers over illegal fireworks

• What it does: Asks the City Attorney to report on suing manufacturers, importers, shippers, distributors and sellers whose conduct contributes to illegal fireworks in the City, and asks the City Attorney and Chief Legislative Analyst for next steps (committee report).
• Who brought it: Tim McOsker, seconded by John Lee (CF 25-0065-S1).
• What happened: Approved, 5-0 (journal).
• What’s next: The Council adopted it Sept. 15, 2026, 14-0, with Padilla absent (CF 25-0065-S1).

11. LAFD keeps spending a $5.1 million federal SAFER staffing grant for an engine at Fire Station 7

• What it does: Lets LAFD keep spending up to $5,103,040 from its federal FY 2022 SAFER grant, through March 12, 2027, plus City costs to fully staff an engine at Fire Station 7 (joint committee report).
• Who brought it: Board of Fire Commissioners; the file’s movers are Imelda Padilla and Traci Park (CF 17-1434-S6).
• What happened: Approved, 5-0 (journal).
• What’s next: Budget and Finance concurred Sept. 15; the Council adopted it Sept. 30, 2026, 14-0, with Monica Rodriguez absent (CF 17-1434-S6).

12. Digitech ambulance billing contract extended to Oct. 21, 2028, about $29.5 million in fees

• What it does: The Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement keeps Digitech Computer, LLC as LAFD’s emergency medical billing and collection firm from Oct. 22, 2025 to Oct. 21, 2028 (committee report).
• Money: Digitech gets 5.1% of net collections, which the CAO estimates at $9.84 million a year and $29.53 million over three years (committee report).
• What happened: Approved, 5-0 (journal).
• What’s next: The Council adopted it Sept. 15, 2026, 14-0, with Padilla absent (CF 10-1078-S3).

13. LAPD applies for and accepts a $1.6 million federal DNA backlog reduction grant

• What it does: Lets LAPD apply retroactively for and accept $1,619,184 from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance for DNA testing capacity and backlog reduction, Oct. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2027 (joint committee report).
• What happened: Approved, 5-0 (journal).
• What’s next: The Council adopted it Sept. 16, 2026, 14-0, with Hutt absent (CF 26-0834).

Previous meeting: August 12, 2026 · Next meeting: September 15, 2026 · All meetings