Los Angeles water chief given police security detail amid ‘threats’ against her, employees

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Flashback: LA Water chief says her work is guided through ‘equity lens’

Los Angeles’ $750,000-a-year Department of Water and Power chief Janisse Quinones said in July 2024 that her work is guided by an "equity lens."

The Los Angeles water chief has been given a police security detail amid “threats” against her and water employees, as wildfires swept through Southern California, two Los Angeles police sources told Fox News.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s CEO Janisse Quinones now has a 24/7 LAPD detail in response to the threats, the sources said.

One LAPD source cited the recent shooting in New York of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

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People watch the smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)

Quinones reportedly makes $750,000 per year.

She is facing public criticism over Los Angeles’ fire preparedness and water distribution amid the wildfires in the area.

“We can confirm that threats have been made against our employees, including incidents in the field … that occurred at a DWP facility downtown Tuesday evening,” the Department of Water and Power told Fox News.

A view of smoke covering the sky due to Eaton wildfire in Altadena of Los Angeles County, California, on January 9, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“We take every threat and incident seriously and report them immediately to law enforcement,” the department continued. “We do not discuss security measures in place at our facilities in order to protect our employees.”

The department added: “Our employees are working tirelessly around the clock to support the City’s response, and their work is critical to those efforts. They are an essential part of the City family, they are part of this community, and there is no place in society or in our City for any threats to their safety.”

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Fire burns during the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, California, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Quinones has also previously said she views her position through an “equity lense” and uses it to provide social justice.

Related Topics

• Los Angeles
• California
• US
• LA Fires
• Wildfire
• US Fires
• Police and Law Enforcement