LA councilmember candidate gets backlash for derogatory comments about police

A Los Angeles councilmember candidate is in the hot seat after a recording captured her making a derogative comment toward police.

Ysabel Jurado, a candidate for LA Council District 14, is addressing the backlash she received after her comments during a meet and greet with constituents at Cal State Los Angeles. In the recording, a student asks the councilmember hopeful what her stance on the police force is, and what her thoughts are on Councilmember Kevin De Leon’s funding for overtime for officers.

In response, Jurado is heard saying, “What’s that rapper’s? F--- the police, that’s how I see them.”

Jurado issued a statement clarifying why her beliefs are shaped in that manner.

“In a meeting with students at Cal State LA, I quoted a lyric from a song that’s been part of a larger conversation on systemic injustice and police accountability for decades,” she said, referencing an NWA song. “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.”

Read below for Jurado’s full statement.

Some constituents expressed they thought Jurado’s response was crass.

“I just thought it was very immature,” said Margarita Amador, a resident of District 14. “Not only insulting LAPD, but law enforcement in general.”

Others didn’t think much of the candidate’s choice of words.

“I hear that every day from young people,” said Carlos Montes, another resident of District 14. “They wear little baseball caps with ‘FTP’ on it.”

In response to Jurado, LAPD Chief Dominic Choi issued a statement decrying her sentiments.

“Hearing the words ‘f--- the police,’ is disappointing and diminishes the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the LAPD,” Choi said in his statement. “This divisive language only serves to erode what should be a positive and collaborative relationship between the police and the people we serve. Every day the men and women of the LAPD put their lives on the line to keep the people of Los Angeles safe, and I wish more people valued their sacrifice”

Incumbent candidate De Leon also denounced his opponent’s remarks.

“Those comments are simply disrespectful,” he said in a statement. “I stand where I’ve always stood, 100% behind our frontline officers who go out every day risking their lives to protect Angelenos across our city.”

Two years ago, De Leon was embroiled in his own scandal after a conversation between him, then-council president Nury Martinez and former councilmember Gil Cedillo was leaked. The recording included racist remarks against Indigenous Mexican immigrants and Councilman Mike Bonin’s son.

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Jurado's full statement below:

In a meeting with students at Cal State LA, 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. Let’s focus on what matters, as laid out by the LA Times last week: our city is teetering on the edge of a fiscal emergency. We’re in this mess because of reckless decisions, including massive payouts for police misconduct. The result? A city broke, unable to fix busted sidewalks, broken streetlights, or trim trees—services that keep us safe and whole; services that we desperately need. The safest cities in America invest in parks, recreation, youth development, and public infrastructure—departments that my opponent has voted to gut down to less than 1% of the budget.

When I’m elected, I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and fight for the services and departments that keep us safe, healthy, and whole. It’s not enough to be tough on crime — we’ve got to be tough and smart, and operate with the fiscal responsibility necessary to fix our lopsided budget. And I’m prepared to work with whoever I need to—whether it’s the LAPD or colleagues I may not always see eye to eye with—because my priority is delivering for our district, plain and simple. Our campaign is about real solutions, not distractions.