LA Begins Distributing Prepaid Debit Cards To Residents

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles police officers will be stationed Wednesday at 16 sites across the city to "keep the peace" during the distribution of prepaid debit cards to qualified applicants.

The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles will distribute the prepaid debit cards to residents of the city who qualified for the assistance after being financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The cards are preloaded with $700, $1,100 or $1,500, depending on the size of the household of the recipients.

More than 455,000 people, including some from outside the city of Los Angeles and California, applied for the cards, which are valued at about $10 million in total.

"These locations are on an invitation-only basis," LAPD Chief Michel Moore said. "Unfortunately, the supply does not meet the demand."

Debit card applications were accepted April 14-16, and on the first day, at least 56,000 people applied for them, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. The website to apply experienced frequent crashes due to the high volume of people trying to access it.

"Our presence at these locations will be just to ensure that there's orderly process," Moore said. "If people go to these locations and they have not been selected ... unfortunately, they will not be allowed to continue, and we'll hold that line."

Calls to the mayor's office regarding the debit cards were directed to the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization separate from city finances.

City News Service