KTLA

More than 2,000 LAPD, Sheriff’s Department employees off duty due to COVID

LAPD officers attend the funeral of LAPD Officer Valentin Martinez, the agency’s first sworn employee to die of complications from COVID-19, in August 2020. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

More than 2,000 employees of the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are at home sick or quarantining after testing positive for the coronavirus, officials said Wednesday.

LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar said that some 1,134 personnel out of 12,200 are currently at home, including 898 sworn officers. Those numbers are up 42% from the 803 personnel who were out Jan. 11.


On average, an LAPD officer sidelined with a coronavirus infection is missing 20 days of work and a civilian employee is missing 33 days, Aguilar said. Officials noted that average includes some personnel with long-term COVID-19 cases who have spent months recuperating.

The new figures represent a massive increase from the 82 new cases among LAPD personnel during the week ending Christmas, and from fewer than 30 new cases per week as recently as a month ago.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.