LA City Council candidate under fire for saying 'F*** the police' in leaked audio
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles City Council candidate Ysabel Jurado, who is running against incumbent Kevin de León, is facing criticism after saying "F- the police" in a leaked audio recording.
The audio recorded on Thursday, October 17th during a meeting with Cal State Los Angeles students and provided to the news website Westside Current has now gone viral.
Jurado was asked about her current stance on police and what she thought about spending discretionary funds on overtime for officers.
"What's the rap verse? F- the police, that's how I see 'em," Jurado responded.
"We weren't surprised. We knew exactly how she feels about the police. But to actually hear her say ‘f the police’, that was shocking," said Detective Jaime McBride with the Los Angeles Police Department.
McBride serves as the director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing thousands of rank-and-file police officers.
"She's going to be the representative for them if she gets elected. And we know exactly what she feels about the law enforcement. She doesn't want us. So, if you live or work in city council District 14, you should be very, very concerned as we are, that they're not going to be protected as they should be," McBride added.
Jurado is hoping to unseat incumbent Kevin De León, who also faced criticism for his involvement in a leaked recording from 2022 that contained racist remarks.
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The conversation in that recording happened in October 2021, but didn't come to light until Oct. 9, 2022. In the recording, De León, former District 1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo, former City Council President Nury Martinez and former Federation President Ron Herrera, were discussing ways to preserve Latino influence in the midst of City Council district boundary discussions.
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In a statement responding to the leaked audio, Jurado told FOX11 in part:
"I quoted a lyric from a song that's been part of a larger conversation on systemic injustice and police accountability for decades. But it was just a lyric - and I'm proud to be accessible to young people and students, listening to their concerns and treating them like the future leaders they are.
That's something my opponent has failed to do. My commitment to public safety remains as strong as ever."
District 14 stretches from Downtown Los Angeles to Eagle Rock, including the neighborhoods of Boyle Heights, Highland Park, El Sereno, Garvanza, Glassell Park, Lincoln Heights, and Monterey Hills.
On Tuesday, members of the Community Police Advisory Board and several local business leaders plan to hold a news conference denouncing Jurado’s remarks and demanding a public apology.
City News Service contributed to this report.