The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a second reserve fund loan of approximately $17.3 million to cover overtime costs accrued by Los Angeles police officers during recent anti-immigration enforcement protests downtown.

In an 11-3 vote, council members authorized a loan up to $17,310,141 from the reserve fund to the Los Angeles Police Department to pay for sworn officer overtime through the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year. City officials were also instructed to present a repayment plan within 90 days of July 1.

Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado voted against the loan. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez was absent.

Last week, the City Council authorized a $5 million reserve fund loan via a Rule 23 motion, which allows for a vote on an item not posted on the council’s agenda if it determines by a two-thirds vote that pursuant to state law there is a need to take immediate action and that the need for action came to the attention of the city after posting of the agenda.

According to a report from City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo, the LAPD requested supplemental funding in their sworn overtime account.

“…The citywide tactical alert, wherein LAPD held over officers to ensure they had sufficient resources to respond to events beyond the protests, is a contributing factor to the shortfall in LAPD’s sworn overtime account,” the report reads.

In total, the department requested $22.3 million to address overtime, of which $5 million was approved. The remaining $17.3 million loan would close out the fiscal year, and provides for the following:

— Base overtime typically incurred by the department adjusted for the Juneteenth holiday and mandated overtime that happens during the second pay period of the deployment period

— Three days of protest and tactical alert overtime

— Other payroll adjustments that are also typically associated with the second pay period

— Two days of the current fiscal year that will be paid out in the new fiscal year

A preliminary report from Szabo’s office estimated that the cost to the city for protests and police response has reached $32 million.

LAPD’s response and role has cost the city about $29.3 million so far. The Fire Department’s response is expected to cost $1.2 million, and another $72,776 in cost comes from emergency protective measures by the Bureau of Street Services.

Debris and graffiti removal, structural damage and equipment damage is estimated at $1.4 million.

On Tuesday, the City Council approved a resolution declaring a fiscal emergency, which allows the city to move forward with planned layoffs and other actions to address a roughly $1 billion deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The 2025-26 spending plan calls for about 614 layoffs.

The deficit was partially caused by overspending, new labor contracts, and rising liability costs in connection with complaints filed against the LAPD. These settlements have prompted elected officials to dip into the reserve fund, a rainy day account for emergencies.