Cynthia Lezama

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Building on a motion authored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell calling for strengthening the County’s ordinance to address illegal street takeovers, today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-to-0, with one abstention, to move forward with proposed amendments that include – increasing enforcement against organizers and promoters by raising penalties for violations from $500 to $1,000, expanding enforcement authority to include off-street parking facilities and creating opportunities for diversion programs for eligible first-time violators, reinforcing the County’s “Care First, Jails Last” approach to public safety.

“Even though we are seeing a promising decrease in illegal street takeovers across the County, this remains an urgent safety and quality of live issue for far too many of my constituents, especially in our unincorporated communities. These proposed amendments provide us with stronger tools to address organizers and promoters so we can stop these dangerous events while maintaining opportunities for rehabilitation and diversion for first-time offenders,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who represents the Second District.

The proposed ordinance reflects legal guidance following the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Garcia v. County of Alameda, which found portions of a similar spectator ordinance unconstitutional under the First Amendment. In response, Los Angeles County revised its proposed amendments to focus enforcement on individuals who knowingly organize, promote, facilitate, aid, or abet illegal street takeover activities, rather than spectators.

Los Angeles County Acting Chief Executive Officer Joseph M. Nicchitta shared, “The County has worked with communities to reduce illegal and dangerous street takeovers by 33% over the last year, but there is more to do to keep our unincorporated areas and contract cities safe. Imposing significant fines for those who flaunt the law while strengthening diversion options for first-time offenders strikes the right balance and gives law enforcement the tools it needs. The Street Takeover Reduction Workgroup remains committed to continuing to work with our public and private partners to make our streets safer for everyone.”

There will be a second reading of the proposed amendments to the ordinance for the Board of Supervisors to vote on in the coming weeks. If adopted, the ordinance will go into effect 30 days after the Board vote.

“Street Racing Kills supports the diversion component because diversion is prevention—accountability and education are what change behavior. When paired with strong enforcement, diversion gives eligible offenders a meaningful, structured path to understand the real-life consequences of street racing, takeovers, and reckless driving, take responsibility, reduce repeat behavior, and ultimately save lives before another family is harmed,” said Lili Trujillo Puckett, Founder and CEO at Street Racing Kills.

To read the amended ordinance, click here.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement in response to the error in the proposed budget from the Sheriff’s Department that overestimated expenses by $1.5 billion that was identified by the Reimagine LA Coalition.

“At a time when trust in government and public institutions is at an all-time low, and longstanding community concerns about how funding is allocated to the Sheriff’s Department persist, errors such as this furthers the public’s skepticism of government. I understand this was an error in estimation only, and that no funds were overspent; however, it underscores the need to strengthen our internal controls so that mistakes like this are identified and addressed more quickly.

I appreciate the Reimagine LA Coalition for catching this issue and want to thank the County’s Chief Executive Office for ensuring the proposed budget for 2026-2027 accurately reflects the estimated expenses for the Sheriff’s Department. Let’s continue to do all we can to ensure this does not happen again.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved two motions co-authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and Board Chair Hilda L. Solis focused on a dual approach for protecting workers and businesses by proactively going after wage theft and leveraging the County’s purchasing power to support local manufacturers with the launch of the Made in Los Angeles pilot program.

“Together, these initiatives represent a coordinated effort to protect vulnerable workers and support local businesses. By combining stronger labor enforcement with intentional procurement strategies, Los Angeles County is advancing a comprehensive model for economic justice—one that protects workers while investing in businesses that create quality jobs” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.

“Small businesses and workers in Los Angeles County are facing real economic strain due to harmful policies from the Trump administration, from tariffs to inhumane immigration enforcement actions, alongside an uneven recovery,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “These motions take a balanced approach by strengthening worker protections while also giving businesses the tools and support they need to comply and grow. If we invest in both, we can build a more resilient and inclusive local economy.”

Addressing Wage Theft Through Worker-Centered Enforcement

Los Angeles County is the wage theft capital of the United States. According to research from UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, approximately 30 percent of low-wage workers in the County have experienced serious minimum wage violations, with wage theft totaling roughly $1.4 billion annually.

The Board has taken meaningful steps to address this. Since 2021, the Office of Labor Equity within the County Department of Business and Consumer affairs has reclaimed $4.6 million for over 3,000 workers. Today’s motion, Reclaiming Wages for Workers Through Worker-Centric Approaches builds on the County’s proven strategies by moving beyond a complaint-based system—which often fails workers afraid of retaliation—and instead emphasizes proactive enforcement with stronger partnerships with worker organizations and the creation of a public dashboard.

“Wage theft has taken an enormous toll on workers of Los Angeles County,” said Rafael Carbajal, Director of the LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. “This harms individual workers but also destabilizes families and communities. We thank the Board of Supervisors for taking action and equipping DCBA with the tools needed to make a difference.”

Harnessing County Purchasing Power to Support Local Manufacturing

As the County works to stop bad actors in our workforce that don’t pay their employees what they earned, it is also focused on expanding its investment in local businesses that are good for both workers and our economy with its Made in Los Angeles pilot program, an initiative that applies a more targeted approach for the County’s $6-8 billion annual purchasing power toward local manufacturers that meet strong labor and safety standards—helping responsible businesses compete and grow.

Key components of the pilot will include establishing a pool of qualified local manufacturers that adhere to fair labor practices and convening industry, labor, and community stakeholders to guide program design, including metrics to measure economic impact and inform future expansion

Daisy Gonzalez, Campaigns Director for the Garment Worker Center shared “We strongly support both the Reclaiming Wages Motion and the Made in Los Angeles Program Pilot because they put workers at the center of enforcement and economic development—leveraging trusted partnerships with worker centers to recover stolen wages, investing in strategic co-enforcement, and using the County’s purchasing power to uplift ethical local businesses. Together, these efforts return money to the hardworking individuals that sustain our local workforce and show that fair labor standards are good for businesses and our regional economy.”

Both initiatives include report backs within the next 90 to 120 days and opportunities for stakeholder engagement, with the goal of scaling successful strategies countywide.