Los Angeles City Council wants more oversight over permits for parades

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a motion on Wednesday seeking to establish more oversight over parade activities that require more than $100,000 in city resources.

Council members instructed the Los Angeles Police Department to report on the feasibility of requiring parade permits that have been applied for and approved by the Board of Police Commissioners beginning Sept. 1 to come before them for consideration.

The report is expected to include a cost-recovery analysis for city services needed to facilitate events such as traffic management and security.

Councilmember Heather Hutt introduced the motion Friday along with colleagues Tim McOsker and Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

The LAPD is responsible for issuing permits for temporary public events. These permits are subject to the approval of the Police Commission.

The city has seen an increase in public protests in recent months, with rallies against the federal government’s policies on illegal immigration enforcement and other issues.

City officials explained that the cost of managing these events has grown.

“These increased costs come at a time when the city is also dealing with a fiscal crisis, which has severely limited any flexibility departments have to fund staffing or other city services needed for larger First Amendment events in the city,” according to the motion.

While council members advanced the motion during Wednesday’s meeting, no discussion took place.

“One of the greatest parts of being an American is having freedom of speech and the right to protest,” Hutt said in a statement following the meeting. “There are people who are having these events that aren’t true protest, and I want to ensure that First Amendment events are protected and that the resources needed to keep them safe are available and allocated.”