Public commenters urge support for LAPD cadet program and raise allegations about Scientology at holiday events
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Summary
During public comment at the Budget and Finance Committee special meeting, several speakers urged sustained funding for the LAPD cadet program while other commenters alleged that Scientology‑affiliated groups run the winter wonderland and parade with exploitative labor practices; council members clarified cadets were not on the FSR for cuts and asked departments to follow up.
Public comment at the special Budget and Finance Committee meeting included two distinct themes: widespread support for the LAPD cadet program and allegations by several speakers that Scientology‑affiliated organizations operate Hollywood holiday attractions using exploitative labor.
Speakers including Aurora Corona and several parents and former cadets recounted personal experience with the cadet program at Rampart Station, saying it provided leadership skills, structure and pathways for youth. "The cadet program is so important for our youth... it opens the doors to pathways that they would not normally have opportunities," Aurora Corona said when asking the committee to fund the program. Other speakers described family‑level benefits and urged council to continue or increase funding.
Several other public commenters, including two who identified themselves as former Scientology members, accused Scientology‑affiliated groups (named in comments as "Author Services") of funding and staffing the winter wonderland and parade and of using low‑paid or coerced labor. One commenter stated, "The whole winter wonderland is built by indentured slaves that make $47 a week," and asked city departments to inspect permits and safety compliance. Those allegations were not substantiated during the meeting; no department provided an enforcement or investigative response on the record, and the committee did not take a formal investigative vote during the session.
During the FSR discussion, several council members acknowledged the public testimony but clarified that the cadet program was included in the adopted budget and was not being cut by the FSR. Council members asked LAPD and CAO staff for follow‑up and to provide clarity to concerned constituents.
What happens next: the chair asked departments to follow up with individual commenters where appropriate and directed LAPD to engage with those who requested more information about the cadet program; no formal investigative action regarding the claims about holiday event labor was recorded.