The Los Angeles Police Department has removed a dozen officers from Kamala Harris’ Brentwood home after a public and internal uproar over diverting crime-fighting units to protect the former vice president.
The deployment began earlier this week, days after President Donald Trump abruptly revoked Harris’ extended Secret Service protection — a safeguard quietly granted by President Biden beyond the standard six-month period afforded to former vice presidents.
Sources told the Los Angeles Times that by Saturday, the LAPD’s Metro Division detail had been pulled from Harris’ mansion, ending the short-lived assignment.
Union Backlash
The redeployment sparked anger within the department, particularly after officers were pulled from crime suppression patrols in the San Fernando Valley.
“Pulling police officers from protecting everyday Angelenos to protect a failed presidential candidate who also happens to be a multi-millionaire … and who can easily afford to pay for her own security, is nuts,” the Los Angeles Police Protective League board said in a statement.
Political Crossfire
Mayor Karen Bass defended the temporary detail, calling Trump’s revocation of protection an act of “political retaliation.” Harris has faced heightened threats since her brief 2024 presidential run and remains one of the Democratic Party’s most recognizable figures.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has not confirmed his role in approving Highway Patrol protection but issued a statement saying, “The safety of our public officials should never be subject to erratic, vindictive political impulse.”
What Happens Next
A FOX 11 helicopter spotted LAPD officers guarding the Brentwood mansion earlier in the week, but city officials emphasized the arrangement was temporary. Harris is expected to hire private security going forward, especially as she embarks on a 15-stop international tour promoting her memoir, 107 Days, which recounts her short-lived presidential campaign.
The controversy underscores a wider debate over public resources, taxpayer funding, and the politicization of security for former high-ranking officials.
While presidents receive lifetime Secret Service protection, vice presidents are covered for just six months after leaving office. Harris’ extended protection — now revoked — had already exceeded that limit.
As the political storm swirls, questions remain about how far Trump’s security rollback will go, and whether cities and states will be forced to pick up the slack.
