LA City Council candidate criticized 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.

Audio recorded Thursday, Oct. 17 during a meeting with Cal State Los Angeles students and provided to news website Westside Current has gone viral.

Jurado was asked about his current stance on policing and what he thought about spending discretionary funds on overtime for officers.

“What’s the rap verse? P- the police, that’s how I see them,” Jurado responded.

“We weren’t surprised. We knew exactly how she feels about the police. But to hear her say ‘the police,’ it was shocking,” said Detective Jaime McBride of the Los Angeles Police Department.

McBride is the director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents thousands of rank-and-file police officers.

“She will be their representative if elected. And we know exactly how she feels about law enforcement. She doesn’t want us. So if you live or work in City Council District 14, you should be very, very worried as we are, that they won’t be protected as they should be,” McBride added.

Jurado hopes to unseat incumbent Kevin De León, who also faced criticism for his involvement in a leaked 2022 recording that contained racist comments.

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The conversation on that recording took place in October 2021, but did not come to light until October 9, 2022. In the recording, De León, former District 1 Councilman Gil Cedillo, former President of City Council Nury Martínez and former Federation President Ron Herrera , were discussing ways to preserve Latino influence amid discussions about City Council district boundaries.

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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 has been part of a larger conversation about 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.

This is something my opponent has not been able 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 Policing Advisory Council and several local business leaders plan to hold a press conference to denounce Jurado’s statements and demand a public apology.

The City News Service contributed to this report.